Bounce away a bad day at your veterinary practice

After a particularly rough week filled with emergencies and euthanasias, the team at Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Pa., looked out the window and saw something that pumped them up: a bouncy house.

"We had a very busy week of emergencies, regular appointments and, unfortunately, many euthanasias. Every day, each employee had to stay later than scheduled to get everything done," says Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member Ciera Miller, CVT. "We are used to busy days, but this week was grinding us down more than usual."

To put the spring back in his team members' steps, practice owner Dr. Fred Metzger hired an inflatable house for the team to use during their breaks.

"When team members saw it for the first time, it put a smile on everyone's face. After the week we had, we needed something to bring us together and make us laugh," Miller says. "The bouncy house definitely boosted everyone's mood. Team members were going out on their breaks. When they returned inside, it was like the weight of the week had been lifted off everyone's shoulders."