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Blades and Nicole at DCES

Our Story

Dogs and Cats Emergency and Specialty (DCES) was originally founded by Dr. Kathy Arrington and Dr. Luis Braz-Ruivo in 2003 to provide the DC Metropolitan Area with specialized veterinary services in Internal Medicine.  Over the years, DCES expanded their services to include Neurology, Oncology, Radiology, Surgery, and a 24/7 ER & ICU Department. All operating under one roof, departments work in collaboration with a team of highly skilled veterinarians to ensure every pet receives the highest standard of emergency and specialty care.

Blades and Nicole at DCES

Our Story

Dogs and Cats Emergency and Specialty (DCES) was originally founded by Dr. Kathy Arrington and Dr. Luis Braz-Ruivo in 2003 to provide the DC Metropolitan Area with specialized veterinary services in Internal Medicine.  Over the years, DCES expanded their services to include Neurology, Oncology, Radiology, Surgery, and a 24/7 ER & ICU Department. All operating under one roof, departments work in collaboration with a team of highly skilled veterinarians to ensure every pet receives the highest standard of emergency and specialty care.

Megan Matthews holding a cat

Our Mission & Vision

Our mission is to provide each pet with individualized, quality care through collaboration, education, integrity, and compassion. It is our vision that each team member will make a positive impact on every patient and family in need of our care.

Aaron hugging dog

Our Core Values

From our daily interactions with patients to our strong relationships with referring veterinarians, our team members are guided and united in purpose through:

  • Compassion

  • Integrity

  • Collaboration

  • Education

two people with dogs in front of house

DCES CODE OF CONDUCT

You are a vital participant in your pet's medical care. A trusting and respectful partnership between the pet owner and our healthcare team is essential to your pet receiving the very best medical care.

To help us ensure we achieve our mission to provide each pet with individualized quality care, we have outlined below the standards of behavior expected of all our team members and pet owners.

Woman playing with cat on carpet

OUR PROGRAMS

Care Fund Program: Assisting families, neighbors, and friends with the cost of emergency and/or specialty care for their pets.

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Canine Blood Donor Program: Recruiting healthy canines to donate blood to pets who require canine blood transfusions to save their lives.

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