A new around-the-clock pet hospital holds an open house this afternoon in Des Moines, where it plans to soon become a first-of-its-kind-in-Iowa referral service for animals with ailments.Julie Kelso is practice manager at the Animal Emergency and Referral Center. She says there’s only one other pet E-R in Iowa — and that’s in Eldridge, just north of Davenport. This Des Moines operation will eventually include specialists in opthalmology, surgery, cardiology and internal medicine twenty-four/seven.Kelso says the clinic promises to be the only one in the state that offers the specialty referral service — in addition to being a 24-hour animal emergency clinic. She says they already draw clients from all over Iowa and several other states.The emergency part of the clinic opened last month. The referral part should start operating next month.
