Big Bear Veterinary Clinic

07/07/2025

OUR PHONES ARE DOWN!!
We are working on resolving the issue; however, if you have an issue in the meantime and need to be seen, please call the emergency line.

Dr. L

07/04/2025

Hey there,
Our offices will be closed today for our staff to enjoy the holiday. We hope everyone stays safe.

Pet Safety During July 4 Celebrations:

Leave your pets at home when you go to parties, fireworks displays, parades and other gatherings. Loud fireworks, unfamiliar places and crowds can all be very frightening to pets, and there's great risk of pets becoming spooked and running away.

Consider putting your pets in a safe, escape-proof room or crate during parties and fireworks.

Keep horses and livestock in safely fenced areas and as far from the excitement and noise as possible.

If you're hosting guests, ask them to help keep an eye on your pets to make sure they don’t escape. Placing notes on exit doors and gates can help both you and your guests remain vigilant.

Keep your pets inside if you or your neighbors are setting off fireworks.

Keep sparklers, glow sticks, fireworks, charcoal and kabob skewers away from curious pets.
Don't let pets get near your barbecue grill while it is in use or still hot.

Avoid the urge to feed your pets table scraps or other foods intended for people. Be especially careful to keep them away from common foods that are actually toxic (grapes, onions, chocolate, alcohol, garlic and others).

Remember that too much sun and heat (and humidity!) can be dangerous to pets. Keep them inside when it's extremely hot/humid, and make sure they have access to shady spots and plenty of water when outdoors. Don't leave pets outside for extended periods in hot weather. Be familiar with the signs that a pet may be overheating.

Never leave your pet in your car when it's warm outside. Vehicle interiors heat up much faster than the air around them, and even a short time in a locked car can be dangerous to pets.
If you're travelling out of town for the holiday, consider leaving your pets at home with a pet sitter or boarding them in a kennel. If you need to bring them with you, be sure you know how to keep them safe.

Follow safe food handling and hygiene practices to protect your family and guests.

After The Celebrations:

Check your yard for fireworks debris before allowing pets outside to play or relax. Even if you didn't set off fireworks yourself, debris can make its way into your yard, where curious animals may pick it up to play with or eat.

Check your pastures and remove debris to protect horses and livestock.

If you hosted guests, check both your yard and home for food scraps or other debris that might be dangerous to pets, such as food skewers.

As always, we are here for our ACTIVE patient’s should any emergency situation arise. Please call our emergency line and leave a detailed message. We will return your call as soon as possible.

Dr. Lawlor

**Picture is an oldie but goodie of C**t Boy’s first 4th of July!**

06/29/2025

MORE LONG DAYS AHEAD!
We have just taken in three more Parvo positive puppies, all of which were surrendered over to us due to lack of funds.

Unfortunately, it was too late for one of the puppies, who didn’t make it to us soon enough. These two are now fighting hard to stay with us!

Reese and Twix need your prayers. Twix is the tri-color sweetheart that is worse off currently. Reese seems to have just got sick, so she is not as bad.

It obviously takes a lot to treat these guys, have my staff coming in several times throughout the weekend and at night, not to mention the cost of medications.

It’s that time of year where we are hit hard with several of these cases in a row. If you can donate to their care, we would truly appreciate it! All donations go directed to the cost of their medications and to the staff that are taking care of them so fiercely!

We are not just a veterinary clinic. Each of our staff is as dedicated to the mission of helping as many community pets as possible. This means we dabble in rescue situations quite often.

If you would like to donate, please call the office or stop by at any time!

Parvo Virus is most known for being a puppy disease, but this is because we vaccinate out of it and most adult dogs have received their vaccinations. However, older dogs can and will get the virus if they are exposed and not vaccinated.

It is so, so important to get your pets vaccinated. Parvo Virus can thrive in the environment for months to years even. If your pet does not get routine vaccinations, please call our office and get them up to date.

-Dr. Lawlor and Staff ❤️🐶

06/16/2025

Sitting here reflecting on this past year, thinking about the stresses of practice ownership and staff management, while maintaining the quality compassionate care I am most passionate about. Thinking about my child growing up at home, while I am at work.

Our job is definitely not for the weak. We are constantly pulled in different directions, wanting to be there both professionally and personally in our lives, but sometimes falling short in one or the other in someone’s eyes.

Every profession has its own sacrifices, the things you must choose or decide between, in order to grow and make a difference. All that to say, I would not trade what I do for anything.

Late nights, working weekends, emergency calls, being chronically behind on paperwork and call backs, my entire staff does this because we care so deeply about what we do. We care about our patients, our clients, those that have been with us since the beginning and those that are just joining us.

Our team is committed to you. Most importantly, our team is committed to our patients. We may not always be perfect, but we will continue to strive for it. We will always hire staff that care, that want to be here.

During this transition through the busy months, please keep this in mind, as we will be training new doctors and losing one all at the same time. As always, I will be steadfast in my mission to help and in my loyalty to all of our active clients and patients.

We are so grateful to have some of the best and we are actively taking new clients and patients looking for a clinic like ours. I am also excited to soon introduce our other new veterinarian, who will be starting in September.

Plenty of more exciting updates and surprises are to come for our Big Bear Vet family. For now, check out our newest rescue Peppa, another Parvo baby successfully treated by your generous donations (we couldn’t do it without you) and a picture of C**t Boy, fishing with daddy for Father’s Day!

Dr. Lawlor

06/09/2025

We have some exciting changes coming to Big Bear Vet over the next few months, the first of which is the addition of this fabulous veterinarian! Dr. Flynn spent two weeks with us back in October and couldn’t stay away.

Dr. Emma Flynn is originally from Berlin, Connecticut, and is excited to bring her passion for mixed animal medicine to Hayesville, North Carolina!

Dr. Flynn earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she also played on the Women’s Ice Hockey team. During her undergraduate summers, Dr. Flynn gained valuable experience working as a veterinary assistant at a small animal practice, and riding along with a large animal ambulatory veterinarian. These experiences solidified her interest in caring for animals of all sizes.

She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2025, with an emphasis in Mixed Animal Medicine. While at NCSU, Dr. Flynn was involved in student leadership, serving as co-president of the Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SCACVIM) and treasurer of the Student Chapter of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (SCAABP). She also worked extensively on the university’s teaching farm, where she milked the dairy herd, and cared for the beef and goat herds.

Dr. Flynn enjoys the variety that comes with mixed animal practice, with her passions being small ruminant medicine, general wellness care, and small animal behavior. She is excited to provide compassionate and comprehensive veterinary care to small and large animal patients in the area.

In Dr. Flynn’s free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her great dane, named Basil. Her and her partner, Autumn, also have a cat, named Louis, who much prefers sleeping in the window than tagging along on outdoor adventures.

We are so excited to have Dr. Flynn join our team, as she is very passionate and enthusiastic! Please give Dr. Flynn a warm welcome, as her first day is tomorrow!

Dr. Lawlor

05/26/2025

Big Bear Veterinary Clinic will be closed on Monday, May 26th in observance of Memorial Day. As we honor and remember the brave individuals who gave their lives in service, we wish you a peaceful and reflective holiday. 🇺🇸

If your pet experiences an emergency during this time and your pet is an active patient with our clinic, please call the emergency line. As always, a doctor will be available.

Dr. Lawlor

05/11/2025

Good Morning!!
I wanted to give all of our clients a heads up that we will be doing assistant appointments only on Friday May 16th, as I will be out of town.

Please make sure you call early in the week if your pet is having any issues or they need to br seen. Of course, a veterinarian will be on call for any sudden issues.

Please reach out if you need anything!
Dr. Lawlor

04/07/2025

A Good Samaritan brought in this precious child after being found on the road, with high suspicion that the dog had been hit by a car.
We have initiated treatment for the dog, but are now looking to find the owner. The owner will need to provide proof of ownership, age and identify the s*x of the dog.
Please contact our office if this is your dog!
Dr. L

04/05/2025

We will see everyone soon!!

Hello again,
More news here!
We will be hosting our annual Rabies Clinic at the Health Department in April.

In order to facilitate a quick check in and check out process, please call ahead to get set up in our system prior to the clinic.

As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Dr. L and Staff

03/25/2025

THIS WEEKEND! Bring your horses and get them up to date. We will be offering dental floats also! Please use the link to pre-register!

03/16/2025

Weeks away from our annual Rabies Clinic!!
Please call to get into our system in advance to expedite the check in process.
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Dr. L

Hello again,
More news here!
We will be hosting our annual Rabies Clinic at the Health Department in April.

In order to facilitate a quick check in and check out process, please call ahead to get set up in our system prior to the clinic.

As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Dr. L and Staff

03/15/2025

Don’t forget to pre-register!!