The Animal Medical Center

About The Animal Medical Center

Celebrating more than 100 years as New York's premier animal healthcare facility, The Animal Medical Center employs 80 veterinarians supported by a staff of nearly 350. Located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the nonprofit facility treats dogs, cats, and exotics pets, including birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, reptiles, and small rodents. Offering many of the same types of state-of-the-art medical disciplines and services that humans use, such as cardiology, neurology, oncology, and diagnostic imaging, The Animal Medical Center’s caseload exceeds 50,000 visits annually. Ellin Prince Speyer planted the seeds of The Animal Medical Center in 1906 when she formed a Women’s Auxiliary to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. By 1910, the movement had expanded to 120 members, who opened a clinic that treated more than 6,000 animals in its first year. Four years later, the group christened a new three-story hospital and added on a resident veterinarian. The hospital continued through difficult economic challenges as well as wartime price restrictions and shortages and added a mobile clinic in 1951. The Animal Medical Center became the facility’s official name in 1959. The organization opened a new, modern building featuring operating suites, sophisticated laboratories, and cutting-edge equipment in 1962. Today, The Animal Medical Center continues to be a leader in veterinary medicine, clinical advances, research, and education. Among the 17 specialties found at The Animal Medical Center, the staff includes internationally recognized avian and exotic specialists, cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and neurosurgeons. The Emergency and Critical Care specialty is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to respond to any pet emergencies. Recognizing the distress caused when a pet dies, The Animal Medical Center provides a Pet Loss Support Group that meets every other Tuesday evening in the hospital’s conference room. The get-together allows attendees to share their experiences in a compassionate setting. On The Animal Medical Center’s website, amcny.org, pet owners share their stories of pets’ struggles to overcome illness and injuries in Pet Stories. Ellin Prince Speyer’s small seeds have grown into a mighty forest at The Animal Medical Center.