Compassionate care · Always Here
For over 40 years, Pet Emergency Center has been a locally owned, family-operated veterinary practice. No corporate ownership. No out-of-state board. No scripted playbooks. Just a team that cares deeply about the pets and families of our community.
Pet Emergency Center opened its doors in Fort Lauderdale decades ago with a simple mission: be here for the pets and families of South Florida when no one else was. In a world that increasingly treats animals like numbers in a spreadsheet, we chose to do things differently.
We are not part of a national veterinary chain. We are not backed by private equity. We are not trying to scale across the country. We are a Fort Lauderdale practice, owned by veterinarians who live here, work here, and care for the same families year after year.
The people making decisions about your pet's care are the same people looking you in the eye.
Pet Emergency Center
The veterinary industry has changed dramatically in the last decade. Corporate conglomerates have acquired thousands of private practices. Emergency hospitals have been bought, rebranded, and absorbed into national networks with standardized pricing, corporate protocols, and quarterly growth targets.
There is nothing inherently wrong with those hospitals. Many of them employ excellent veterinarians. But something is lost when the person treating your pet has to answer to a boardroom three states away.
We watched the consolidation happen around us. We chose a different path.
When you bring your pet to Pet Emergency Center, the people making decisions about their care are the same people looking you in the eye. The pricing policies are set by veterinarians, not financial analysts. The treatment plans are designed around your pet and your real life, not a corporate script.
For the families who come to us, that is the whole thing.
Pet Emergency Center is owned and operated by Dr. Seth Kiser and Paige Obrig. Two people who bring very different strengths to the same mission: caring for South Florida's pets and the families who love them.
Fort Lauderdale
Dr. Kiser is the heart of the clinical team. Skilled, thoughtful, and deeply patient-centered, he is known for a calm bedside manner and a willingness to build treatment plans around what each family can realistically manage.
"If an elderly owner cannot medicate her cat at home, we will find another way. That kind of thinking is not taught in veterinary school. It comes from genuine care."
That philosophy shapes every shift he leads, and every treatment plan he writes.
Fort Lauderdale native
Paige grew up in the Fort Lauderdale area and has been part of this community for most of her life. She runs the operational side of the practice, manages the team, and keeps the lights on during long nights and busy weekends.
"We are not passing through. We are not testing the market. We are here, and we intend to keep being here."
Her deep local roots and straightforward, get-it-done approach keep Pet Emergency Center grounded in the community it serves.
Practicing emergency medicine the way we believe it should be practiced requires a few commitments we take seriously.
A good treatment plan is not just clinically sound. It has to be one the family can follow through on at home. We ask questions most emergency hospitals do not. We listen to what you are struggling with. We design care around your whole situation, not just the pet's symptoms.
You will not leave our hospital confused about what we did or why. We speak in plain language. We walk you through every decision. We give you time to ask questions. If something does not make sense, we slow down.
Emergency bills should not be a surprise. Before we proceed with treatment, you will know what it costs and what it covers. We Work with Families wherever we reasonably can. Many of our clients first came to us because they could not afford care elsewhere. We are proud of that.
We are an emergency practice, not a replacement for your primary veterinarian. After we treat your pet, we send records and notes to your daytime vet so they can pick up care smoothly. Your long-term relationship matters to us as much as the visit itself does.
We have cared for pets across Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties for decades. We have treated generations of pets in the same families. We know our referring veterinarians by name. We show up for this community because we are part of it.
That sense of belonging shapes how we practice. We are not passing through. We are not testing the market. We are not chasing a growth curve. We are here, and we intend to keep being here.
When your pet needs us, we will be ready.
Pet Emergency Center
Words from a few of the families we have had the privilege of caring for.
"We left a bigger hospital because the estimate was out of reach. Dr. Kiser's team took us in, treated our cat with real care, and never once made us feel like we were being judged. They have a client for life."
"Brought our dog in at 2 AM after she collapsed. The team was calm, explained everything, and walked us through the costs before anything happened. She's back home and wagging her tail. We can't say thank you enough."
"Our parrot had a bad fall on a Saturday night. Every other ER told us they don't see birds. Pet Emergency Center said 'bring him in.' He's fully recovered. There aren't words."
Whether you are dealing with an emergency, not sure if it is one, or just want to talk to a real person about your pet, we are ready to help. Call us, walk in, or book a video consultation from anywhere in Florida.