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Read the press release here.

Animal Ark Vet Clinic Reopens After 'Massive' 2014 Car Crash

By Darryl Holliday | April 30, 2015 5:42am

LOGAN SQUARE — A neighborhood veterinary clinic that shuttered in 2014 after an SUV crashed through its walls is set for a grand opening this week after 15 months of planning and construction for the remodeled center.

Animal Ark, 3235 N. Kedzie Ave., has been in Logan Square since 2003, but nearly a third of the full-service pet hospital was brought to the ground when a gray SUV full of passengers careened over the sidewalk, past a pole and through its wall last year.


The "massive accident" caused over $300,000 of property damage. [Cramer PR]

Amazingly, no one was killed in the "massive accident," though an employee of Animal Ark seated near the site of the crash was thrown back in her chair, escaping injury, according to owner Jennifer Landini.

“When I came back, I was not expecting what I saw,” she said, describing the wreckage where several animals were rescued. “It really destroyed a lot. Then it was just survival mode.”

More than 20 animals were eventually relocated and more than $300,000 in property damage was sustained, Landini said. So the grand re-opening set for May 3 — 1-4 p.m. — is a big deal to her and her crew.

“It feels great — it’s nice to be back on track. Basically, we made lemonade out of lemons,” she said. “We’re really excited because this has been a long journey.”

After operating out of a trailer and working at half capacity since the car crash, Landini said the new and improved Animal Ark would allow her staff to work at full strength with a few new redesign perks, including a brighter lobby and separated wings of the clinic for cats and dogs, a more “feline friendly” approach than their former facility allowed.

The remodeled 41,000-square-foot facility will offer a range of services including diagnostic testing, holistic medicine, nutrition counseling, radiology and ultrasound, full digital dentistry, digital X-rays, a comprehensive surgical facility and an online pharmacy.

“We’ll be hosting an open house on Sunday, for people to come in and see the redesign — to see what we’ve been able to create after the accident and celebrate with us,” Landini said.

The Animal Ark team will then be happy to continue seeing and/or treating your domesticated dogs, cats, fish and the occasional potbellied pig, she added.


All photos by Cramer PR

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