From a small, after-hours emergency clinic to a fully staffed, specialty veterinary hospital group with ‘round-the-clock emergency care, AERA has come a long way.
In 1977, a dedicated and visionary group of veterinarians founded the Animal Emergency Group, a center designed to treat after-hours veterinary emergencies by creating a fully-staffed animal emergency medical facility. These doctors realized that rapid growth of the local pet population, along with broad technological advances in veterinary medicine, demanded a state-of-the-art facility to address the urgent and critical needs of beloved pets in their community. The Animal Emergency Group thus became one of the first hospitals dedicated to small animal emergency care in the United States.
In order to provide a wider array of services, Animal Emergency Group (later known as Animal Emergency & Referral Associates) expanded in the mid-nineties to add several veterinary specialties, each offering exceptional care to our local pet community.
In 2003, Animal Emergency & Referral Associates partnered with Veterinary Referral Centre in Little Falls, NJ, leading to the development of the Animal Eye Center of NJ, a hospital dedicated to veterinary ophthalmology. In 2004, construction was completed on a larger facility—a 15,000-square-foot modern medical center in Fairfield, New Jersey—which became home to the entire staff of Animal Emergency & Referral Associates in May of that year. In 2016, Animal Emergency & Referral Associates expanded its emergency hours to 24/7, 365 days a year.
In 2021, AERA moved into a new 47,000 sq ft facility just a mile east of our previous hospital location. This newly-constructed, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital has allowed us to offer expanded service capabilities and best serve the needs of the pets in our community. Click here to learn more about our new facility!
The growth of AERA is a testimony to the quality of care, dedication, and compassion of our doctors, nurses, and receptionists who are the lifeblood of our mission—to provide outstanding emergency and specialty care for our beloved animal companions.
At AERA, we understand that pets are members of the family. We truly believe that because of this, they should be awarded the same quality of compassionate medical care that we expect for our human family members. This is why our doctors and medical staff always strive to exceed expectations and perform care that utilizes the most up-to-date and advanced innovations in veterinary medicine. As a referral animal hospital, we work closely with your family veterinarian to provide your pet with a complete healthcare team. You can rest easy knowing that your pet is in the most capable hands at AERA.
Keeping the best interest of our patients and their families at the forefront of all decisions, and promoting a culture of respect, compassion, and professional excellence in all we do.
