VEG ER for Pets plans a 24-hour, walk-in animal hospital at 15903 New Independence Parkway, off SR 429. No opening date yet. What it will treat and where.

A 24-hour emergency animal hospital is coming to Horizon West. VEG ER for Pets lists a new hospital, VEG Horizon West, as “coming soon” at 15903 New Independence Parkway, Suite 110.

The company has not posted an opening date. Its Horizon West location page says the hospital “will soon be open 24 hours, 7 days a week.” The Florida locations list shows the same address with the “coming soon” label and no local phone number yet.

The address carries a Winter Garden mailing address, but it is inside Horizon West. The U.S. Census Bureau geocoder places it in the Horizon West census-designated place, near Hamlin.

Where it is

VEG’s page gives these directions:

  • Take the New Independence Parkway exit off State Road 429.
  • The hospital is on New Independence Parkway, near Hamlin Groves Trail.
  • Enter the parking lot from New Independence Parkway and park in front of the building.

The page says staff will meet owners at the door if they need help bringing a pet inside.

What it will treat

VEG says the hospital will see dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and other exotic pets. It lists these services on site:

  • diagnostic testing
  • endoscopies
  • overnight hospitalization
  • surgery
  • X-rays

The company also offers urgent care for problems such as vomiting, limping, wounds and ear or eye infections, according to the same page. It does not take appointments. Owners walk in, and VEG says they can stay with their pet the whole time.

Who will run it

VEG names Dr. Alex De La Rosa as medical director of VEG Horizon West. The company says De La Rosa graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2020 and joined VEG in 2022 through its New ER Doctor training program. De La Rosa then worked as an emergency clinician and later as a lead ER doctor, the page says.

VEG says it runs more than 130 hospitals in the United States and Canada.

The nearest one today

Until Horizon West opens, the closest VEG hospital is VEG Winter Park, at 1490 W. Fairbanks Ave. That is about 18 miles northeast of the New Independence Parkway site in a straight line.

What it means for you

  • Nothing changes yet. The Horizon West hospital is not open, so keep your current vet’s after-hours number and your nearest open emergency clinic handy.
  • When it opens, it will take walk-ins at any hour, including holidays, with no appointment.
  • It is set up for exotic pets as well as dogs and cats, which matters if you keep birds, reptiles or rabbits.
  • For pet-friendly spots around town, see our dog-friendly guide and parks and trails. New openings go on our new businesses page.

We will update this story when VEG posts an opening date.