CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – If you’re a pet owner you may have found out the hard way that emergency care for animals is in short supply.

The VCA Boston Road Animal Hospital in Springfield closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing 24-hour emergency care to just one hospital across the Pioneer Valley.

The 22News I-Team has received dozens of calls from viewers expressing their frustration over having to drive long distances or get on a waiting list before their pet can see a veterinarian.

I-Team reporter Kate Wilkinson looked into why finding veterinary staff has become harder since the pandemic began.

Watch the report on the emergency veterinary care shortage, Thursday on 22News at 6 p.m.