It’s not always easy for pet owners to take time off from work to ensure that their animal companions get the veterinary care they need. Fortunately for animal-loving employees of Penn and Penn Medicine, the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital has a program that makes it easy to fit a vet appointment into a workday.

Launched one year ago, the benefit allows Penn and Penn Medicine faculty and staff to drop off their pet at the hospital in advance of an appointment and pick up the pet after traditional office hours, making it easier to go about a normal workday. Employees also receive a 10 percent discount on specialty services for their pets.

Kim Menard, a senior medical communications officer at Penn Medicine, has taken advantage of the program. She brought her two-year-old dog, a greyhound-shepherd mix named Daisy, to Ryan Hospital in May.

“We took her in for a behavioral health consult because she was very anxious while living in Center City,” Menard says. “She was a rescue dog. Before we adopted her at seven months, she had lived her whole life in the shelter.”

Daisy was seen by Carlo Siracusa, director of Penn Vet’s Animal Behavior Service, along with a team of students and behavioral experts. They gave Menard and her husband advice on how to help Daisy overcome her nervousness.

“We got some very specific recommendations that were unique for our dog,” says Menard. “We were able to get her to a point where she’s more relaxed and more open to new environments.”

Employees who would like to take advantage of the discount and drop-off service must make an appointment for specialty care and have a valid PennCard. If an appointment is later in the day, faculty or staff may drop their pet off between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. at Ryan Hospital’s Rosenthal Imaging and Treatment Center lobby. Owners must be present for their pet’s examination, and can then board their animals at Ryan Hospital until as late as 7 p.m. the same day.

Menard says she may not have sought out the assistance of the experts at Penn Vet if she hadn’t heard about the discount on specialty services, but she’s glad she did.

“It’s a great resource for the Penn community,” she says.

To make an appointment at Ryan Hospital, call 215-746-8387.