Coastal Veterinary Care, located at 161 Gardiner Road in Wiscasset, is closing its doors on Oct. 28. But it's not really going away.

Coastal Veterinary Care has always been affiliated with Boothbay Animal Hospital, located in Boothbay on 285 Wiscasset Road. They are operated under the same parent company, Boothbay Animal Hospital PA, under ownership of Drs. Dean Domeyer and Kristen Mugnai.

The two locations have decided to merge, with all staff working under the same roof at Boothbay Animal Hospital.

While this will mean a longer trip for patients located off the peninsula, as the Boothbay location is eight miles away from where Coastal Veterinary Care is currently located, it will allow the hospital to double the hours they are open.

Starting Nov. 2, the entire staff will be moved and hours will expand to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The clinic will continue to offer walk-in care, but during 55 hours a week instead of the current 27.

The clinic will also continue to offer scheduled surgery for all weekdays, and the joined clinic will give patients an opportunity to see whichever veterinarian they prefer.

“We realize that long waits and inconvenient hours are our biggest shortcomings as owners of (which includes both Boothbay Animal Hospital and Coastal Veterinary Care) have tried to come up with some way to greatly expand our office hours without raising prices or asking even more from our amazing staff,” reads a release from Mugnai and Domeyer. “We believe we have come up with a solution which will make bringing your pets to see us easier and more convenient without sacrificing patient care or long term relationships with certain veterinarians and technicians.”

Both the hospitals will be closed from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 to complete the merger. Boothbay Animal Hospital will reopen on Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. During that time, should an emergency occur, furry patients can be seen at the Midcoast Animal Emergency Clinic at 191 Camden Road/Route 90 in Warren.