One neighborhood clinic in West Asheville, three vets who know their patients by name, and no plans to become a chain.
2011
on Haywood Road
Our story
In 2011 Dr. Maya Ellis took over the empty Haywood Road bakery, kept the brick walls and the big front window, and opened a two-room clinic with one nurse and a borrowed X-ray machine.
Fourteen years later there are three vets, a cats-only wing, a grooming spa and six boarding suites behind the same front window. The idea has not changed: a clinic small enough that the person who vaccinated your puppy is still there when that puppy turns grey.
Dr. Maya Ellis
Founder and medical director
9,800
Patients on our books
4.9
Google rating, 1,240 reviews
6 min
Average wait in the lobby
365
Nights a year we answer the phone
Dr. Maya Ellis
DVM, Cornell 2006
A note from the founder
Dear neighbor,
Most pets do not like the vet, and most owners do not like the bill. I started Nuzzle to fix both, one small thing at a time.
We dim the lights in the cat rooms. We weigh dogs on a mat on the floor instead of lifting them onto a table. We write every estimate down before we start, and we call you if anything changes. None of this is clever, but it adds up to a pet who walks in calmly and an owner who is never surprised.
If you are new to the neighborhood, come in for a free meet-and-greet on a Saturday morning. Bring treats. We will supply the rest.
Maya
Inside the clinic
Separate entrances and rooms for cats and dogs, soft floors, low light, and a lot of treats within reach.
Cats-only wing
Own door, own waiting room
Exam rooms
Four, all with floor mats
Grooming spa
Quiet dryers, no cages
Dental suite
Digital X-ray at the table
Boarding suites
Six private rooms
Standards
Outside bodies inspect how we work. We keep the reports at the front desk if you would like to read them.
Since
2014
Over 900 standards for surgery, anesthesia, pain care and records, inspected every three years.
All
16
staff
Every vet, nurse and groomer is trained in low-stress handling.
Level
Gold
A separate cat entrance, waiting room and wards, and cat-trained staff.
Lic.
NC
4127
Registered with the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board.
Free meet-and-greet visits every Saturday from 9 to 11 am. A tour, a weigh-in, and a treat. No appointment, no exam, no bill.
Saturdays
9 to 11 am, drop in
61 Haywood Road
West Asheville, NC 28806
Free parking
Behind the clinic
