Ready-to-use scripts
Christmas & New Year Closure
Thank you for calling [Clinic Name]. We're closed for the holidays from [start date] through [end date] and will reopen on [return date] at [time]. For non-urgent matters, please leave your name, phone number, your pet's name, and the reason for your call, and we'll return your message on [return date]. If your pet needs emergency care, please contact [emergency animal hospital name] at [number], located at [address]. They're open 24/7 throughout the holidays.
Thanksgiving Break
Hi, you've reached [Clinic Name]. We're closed for Thanksgiving from [start date] through [end date] and will be back on [return date] at [time]. Leave your name, phone number, and your pet's name for appointment requests or prescription refills, and we'll follow up on [return date]. For emergency veterinary care during the holiday, call [emergency clinic name] at [number].
Summer Closure / Reduced Hours
Thanks for calling [Clinic Name]. During the summer, our hours are [days and times], effective through [end date]. If you're calling outside those hours, leave your name, phone number, and what your pet needs. We'll return your call on our next business day. For animal emergencies outside our summer hours, contact [emergency vet] at [number].
Easter / Spring Closure
You've reached [Clinic Name]. We're closed for the Easter holiday from [start date] through [end date] and will reopen on [return date] at [time]. For appointment requests, prescription refills, or general questions, leave your name, phone number, and your pet's name. For emergency veterinary situations, including difficulty breathing, seizures, suspected poisoning, or trauma, please call [emergency animal hospital] at [number] immediately.
Emergency Closure
Thank you for calling [Clinic Name]. We are unexpectedly closed today due to [reason]. We expect to reopen on [return date] at [time]. If you had an appointment today, leave your name and phone number and we'll reschedule you as soon as possible. For animal emergencies, please go directly to [emergency animal hospital name] at [address] or call them at [number]. Do not wait if your pet is in distress.
Customization tips
Veterinary holiday messages must always include an emergency animal hospital referral. Pet emergencies are time-sensitive and owners calling a closed vet clinic are often panicking. Name the emergency hospital, give the address and phone number, and if possible, mention common emergencies that warrant immediate care (poisoning, difficulty breathing, trauma). Update the emergency referral if the covering hospital changes.
Pet Emergencies Don’t Follow Your Holiday Schedule
A dog that eats chocolate on Christmas morning. A cat that swallows tinsel on New Year’s Eve. A puppy that gets into the turkey bones on Thanksgiving. Holidays are actually one of the highest-risk periods for pet emergencies, and your clinic is closed.
That’s why the veterinary holiday phone message carries more weight than in most industries. The caller on the other end may be a pet owner in a genuine panic, holding a sick animal and not knowing where to turn. Your message needs to give them a clear, immediate answer: here’s where to go, here’s the number, go now.
When to Use Each Script
Christmas & New Year Closure is the longest annual break and coincides with some of the most common pet hazards: chocolate, holiday decorations, toxic plants (poinsettias, lilies), rich foods, and the stress of house guests on anxious animals. Your message must lead with the emergency hospital referral. Give the name, phone number, and address. Then cover the return date and routine voicemail instructions.
Thanksgiving Break brings its own set of hazards: cooked bones, fatty foods, onions and garlic in stuffing, and the chaos of guests coming and going (which can lead to escaped pets). Two to four days off is standard. The emergency referral is just as important here as at Christmas.
Summer Closure / Reduced Hours applies to practices that scale back during the warmer months. Summer has its own risks for animals: heatstroke, snake bites, foxtails, and increased tick activity. Make sure your reduced hours are clearly stated and the emergency vet is mentioned for anything outside those hours.
Easter / Spring Closure is typically a long weekend. Easter lilies are highly toxic to cats, and chocolate Easter eggs are a classic dog hazard. The emergency information in this message should mention poisoning specifically, since it’s the most likely Easter-related emergency.
Emergency Closure covers the unexpected: equipment failure, a staff emergency, or a weather event. For a vet clinic, an unplanned closure is particularly stressful because pet owners may be counting on that day’s appointment for a sick animal. Direct them to the emergency hospital immediately and promise to reschedule.
Holiday Hazards Are Predictable
Veterinary emergency hospitals see predictable spikes during every major holiday. The specific hazards are well-documented:
Christmas/New Year: Chocolate, tinsel, ribbon, poinsettias, Christmas tree water (often contains fertilizer), antifreeze in the garage
Thanksgiving: Turkey bones, fatty foods, onion/garlic in stuffing, macadamia nuts, alcohol left in reach
Easter: Chocolate eggs, Easter lilies (cats), small plastic toys from Easter baskets that get swallowed
Summer: Heatstroke, snake bites, foxtails in ears and paws, toad poisoning, blue-green algae in ponds
You don’t need to list all of these in your phone message. But mentioning “suspected poisoning” as a reason to go to the emergency vet is worth the extra two seconds.
The Emergency Referral Must Be Specific
A vague “go to the nearest emergency vet” isn’t good enough. A panicking pet owner doesn’t know which vet hospitals offer emergency services, which ones are open on Christmas, or where they’re located. Your message should include:
- The emergency hospital’s name
- Its phone number
- Its physical address
- Confirmation that it’s open during the holiday (if you’ve verified this)
If your area has multiple emergency options, pick the one that’s closest to your practice and most reliable. If the covering emergency hospital changes between holidays, update the referral each time.
Some vet clinics partner with a specific emergency hospital and maintain a warm referral relationship. This means your patients’ records can be shared quickly, and the emergency team knows to expect calls from your clients. If you have this arrangement, mention it: “They have access to your pet’s records and are expecting calls from our clients.”
Prescription Refills During Closures
Pets on daily medications (seizure meds, insulin, thyroid medication, heart drugs) can’t skip doses because your clinic is on vacation. Your holiday message should address this in one of two ways:
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Proactive: Before the closure, contact clients whose pets are on critical medications and make sure they have enough supply to last through the break. This is the gold standard.
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Reactive: In your message, mention that the emergency vet can often provide a short-term supply of critical medications to bridge the gap. This helps the pet owner who forgot to refill or who runs out unexpectedly.
For non-critical medications and routine refill requests, ask callers to leave a detailed message and process them as a batch on your return date.
Keep the Lines Open for Pet Owners
A recorded message with the emergency hospital’s number covers the most urgent cases. But it can’t answer questions about a pet’s symptoms, help a caller decide if their situation is truly an emergency, or capture detailed information about a sick animal. Safina answers your holiday calls, asks the caller to describe the situation, and can direct them to the emergency hospital when needed. You get a full summary of every call when you return.
At $11.99/month for the Basic plan, it adds a layer of coverage that a recording alone can’t provide. The Pro plan at $29.99/month handles 100 minutes and works well for clinics that want overflow coverage year-round.
See our veterinary greeting scripts for daily call handling and after-hours templates for regular evening and weekend coverage. For other healthcare-related scripts, check dental practice holiday scripts and pharmacy holiday scripts. Browse the full script library for the complete collection.
