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Dear Critter Chatter,

I am a senior living alone in North York with my older Labrador-shepherd mix named Samson. Last week he had seizures for the first time around 11 p.m. just as we were getting ready to go to bed. I knew I had to get medical attention but he is too big for me to physically lift and put into my car, plus he was convulsing. I called several taxis but they would not come and pick me up with a dog that was having seizures. I was panic stricken and called my neighbour who came over and took Samson and me to the emergency clinic at Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street.

My question to you is are there any pet ambulances that people can call? Also what is the cost and how long do they take to arrive?

North York Mirror Reader

Dear Reader:

I've researched pet ambulances and found VIP Sitters in the Greater Toronto Area.

VIP Sitters provides 24-7 pet ambulance service and has telephone dispatchers and four vehicles available at all times.

When you call for a pet medical emergency, their ambulance staff will assess, treat and transport your pet to either the nearest veterinary emergency hospital, your own veterinary clinic or the University of Guelph Small Animal Clinic (by veterinarian referral only).

I spoke with VIP Sitters owner Kyle Freeman who said the goal of their service is for a vehicle to arrive as soon as possible. The company uses GPS to allow dispatchers to find the closest available driver to ensure the ambulance arrives at the client's home promptly.

"On average, from call time to arrival at the home to arrival at the veterinary hospital is from 20 to 60 minutes."

The flat rate for a basic local transport is $200 GST.

Freeman said the cost may vary slightly depending on the distance between the client and the nearest pet hospital as well as the nearest driver's location at the time of the call. To contact their 24-hour emergency dispatch centre, call 416-361-0000 and then Press 2 for the emergency services prompt.

Visit www.vipsitters.com for details.

As a FYI, for non-emergency pet transports there are many pet sitting companies that offer pick up and drop-off services (to veterinarian, groomer, daycare) and the majority of Toronto taxis companies take dogs in their cars.

I called a number of cab companies and found that Diamond, Crown, East End, City, Beck, Maple Leaf, Able Atlantic, Royal, Co-op, Metro and Yellow will all take dogs but require you to let them know in advance.

I hope this information helps you, and I also hope that Samson is doing better and is on the mend.

E-mail Lorraine Houston at lhh4dogs@rogers.com with questions or comments.