On Friday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m. Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Colorado Governor Jared Polis will join Denver Zoo President/CEO Bert Vescolani for the public grand opening of the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital. Following remarks and a brief ribbon cutting ceremony, the Zoo will invite elected officials and attendees to view a routine animal procedure in the Schlessman Family Foundation Visitor and Education Center, and lead a behind-the-scenes tour of the state-of-the-art facility. The hospital, which has been operational and treating animals since last fall, will now give guests an immersive, unprecedented look at the expert veterinary team in action as they care for the more than 3,000 animals that call Denver Zoo home. It will open exclusively to members from Monday, May 24 through Monday, May 31, and to all guests starting on Tuesday, June 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital was funded by the Elevate Denver Bond Program passed by Denver voters in 2017, as well as the generosity of many donors, including the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation and the Schlessman Family Foundation. At 22,000 square feet, the hospital is among the most advanced animal hospitals in the industry with two fully-equipped treatment rooms, high-performance diagnostic laboratory, cutting-edge surgery suite and one of the only zoo animal hospital CT scanners in the country. From the tiniest tree frog to a full-grown grizzly bear, the hospital can accommodate the vast majority of the Zoo’s animals, while larger animals, such as elephants and giraffes, will continue to receive the medical care they need within their habitats.
