The COVE (Center Of Veterinary Expertise) celebrated its first anniversary in Suffolk this week.

As Suffolk’s only 24/7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospital, The COVE provides advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies for animals, with specialty services upon referral from a general veterinarian and emergency care on demand.

During the past year, according to hospital manager Danielle Russ, the clinic has had more than 5,000 patient visits — treating illnesses and/or injuries ranging from persistent coughs to major trauma for patients from Kitty Hawk, N.C., to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

With a staff of 30 team members, The Cove has four full-time veterinarians to cover 24/7 inpatient and outpatient ER services; the only full time, board-certified cardiologist in the region able to hospitalize and personally oversee critical cases around the clock; and the only board-certified surgeon in the area who sees patients nights, weekends, and on emergency, Russ stated in a press release about the anniversary.

“We are humbled from the outpouring of support and collaboration we have received from the community and remain steadfast in our commitment to providing world-class care,” Russ stated. “Our team is hard at work planning to add more specialties currently not available within several hours of Tidewater.”

The COVE was created and is led by three local veterinarians — Dr. Turkan Ertugrul, Dr. Jeff Stallings and Dr. Merrilee Small.