Arlington animal hospital looks to expand

Treadmills, lounging areas and pools aren't just for regular hospitals.

They've become important aspects of animal hospitals, as dog and cat owners want comforts of home for their pets recovering from surgery.

Care Animal Hospital, 1195 E. Palatine Road in Arlington Heights, is looking to expand its building near Windsor Drive. If approved, the addition to the west would double the hospital's size from about 10,000 square feet to about 20,000 square feet.

"Orthopedic surgery is a main reason for the addition," said David Aul, of Care Animal Hospital. "With that, we'll need a CT scan, which pretty much takes up an entire room."

Aul also wants to add a pool, treadmill, physical therapy area and more.

"This is animal care now; people want more," he said.

Care Animal Hospital was founded in the early 1970s by his parents, Dr. David and Pauline Aul, who live nearby in Arlington Heights and still work at the hospital. The hospital mainly treats dogs and cats, although staff veterans have treated fish and exotic birds as well.

Some neighbors aren't happy with the expansion plans. Eleni Boutsikakis lives on the 1800 block of Clarence Avenue, directly behind the animal hospital.

She and between 10 and 15 of her neighbors submitted a petition to the village planning office describing their concerns.

Boutsikakis -- who has a dog and has used the animal hospital -- said she thinks with the expansion, the institution will take over her small neighborhood, which is behind Garden Fresh Market.

"The dogs (from Care Animal Hospital) are all walked right next to our fence along our property line," Boutsikakis said. "We just want to sit outside and have a cup of coffee."

According to Boutsikakis, drivers also ignore the 25 mph speed limit when they use Clarence Avenue as a cut-through street.

"I don't think the addition is going to help with that," she said. "I know we're a cut-through street, but this is only going to make things worse."

Aul says the expansion is mainly to add services and won't drastically change the number of boarded or treated animals.

With the expansion, the hospital's board capacity will go from 107 to 119, according to the village plan report.

The village's plan commission recently unanimously approved the project, which will go before the village board for final approval in November.