Home sweet hospital

Patients and clients feel at home at Colorado Canine Orthopedics in Colorado Springs, Colo. That's because team members make an effort to create a comfortable space for all their visitors—furred and otherwise. For canines, the team provides fleece dog beds by each chair in the reception area and in each exam room. Pet care coordinators play TV shows and movies for animals, such as "The Movie for Dogs" and "Puppy Bowl," in the reception area for pets to stop and peruse—and some do. Patients also amuse themselves with toys the team has stashed throughout the practice, says practice manager Becky McGraw, CVT.

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The team has also arranged two exam rooms with DVD players and a large selection of animal movies. They invite clients to wait and relax in these rooms during their pet's surgery and recovery. "It's great to walk by and see a businessman watching 'The Cat From Outer Space,'" McGraw says.