Pet owners in Dubbo can rest easy knowing the region will soon have its first 24-hour veterinary care clinic opening next week on January 16. Already offering care for furry family members seven days a week, Orana Veterinary Service (OVS) is now adding full after hours services to its Macquarie Street clinic. READ ALSO: Starting from three employees in August 2021, the vet practice has now expanded to a team of 26 trained to care for a range of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits and guinea pigs. "Currently most vet clinics in Dubbo are only open Monday to Friday, and some on Saturday. Then after 5 o'clock at night it becomes emergency, so you've got to ring around for vets until you can find one who you can come in and see," Robert Ingram from OVS said. "Whereas now with what Orana's doing, it's a fully-manned 24/7 site. That is a first for this district, 150 per cent." At the 24-hour clinic OVS staff will look after in-patient services like: The clinic promises to provide regional clients access to "gold standard" care outside the Sydney basin. "At the moment if you need your animal to be cared for overnight traditionally you have to go to Sydney, there's just no one out here that has staff rostered 24-hours a day," Mr Ingram said. He expects pet owners within a three hour radius of Dubbo will benefit greatly from the new facility. OVS has also lodged a development application with Dubbo council for further expansion of the veterinary hospital which will cost $1.5 million. The added facility will allow for computed tomography (CT) scanning, fluoroscopy and extensive critical care equipment to be installed. "Veterinary care in regional NSW is changing given ever-increasing worker shortages, but here at Orana, we are focused on excellence and the future is now," Mr Ingram said. Do you have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor.