This Bay St. Louis, Mississippi Vet Clinic Patiently Answers Your Kids’ Questions While It Cares For Your Cat Or Dog
Kids who love animals often ask the biggest questions at the vet, like why the cat needs a shot or where the puppy goes after the exam. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, one small-town animal hospital quietly handles those questions every weekday for cats, dogs, and the families who bring them in.
It is not a cat sanctuary or a petting attraction, and that matters, because what it offers is real, everyday pet care. If your family is moving to the area, visiting with a pet, or simply wants a trusted clinic nearby, here is what you can expect.
Small Animal Hospital on Benigno Lane
Tucked onto Benigno Lane in Bay St. Louis, CareVet of Pet Haven is a working veterinary hospital rather than a sightseeing stop. The address is 2016 Benigno Ln, and the clinic serves pets from the surrounding Gulf Coast community as well as travelers passing through.
Families searching for a cat sanctuary should know up front that this is not one. Nobody lines up to count lounging felines here.
Instead, cats and dogs arrive in carriers and on leashes for checkups, vaccines, surgeries, and unexpected problems that cannot wait.
That distinction is helpful for parents planning a trip. If your family travels with a pet, or has just moved to Hancock County, a reliable local vet is one of the first things worth locating.
Knowing where to go before something goes wrong saves a lot of stress later.
The clinic sits in a calm part of town, away from the busier tourist stretches along the beach. Coastal Mississippi has a relaxed pace, and this practice fits that small-town feel.
Expect a friendly neighborhood setting, a waiting room shared with other pet owners, and staff who handle everything from simple nail trims to more serious medical concerns.
Longtime Local Roots Under a New Banner
For many years, local pet owners knew this practice simply as Pet Haven, led by Dr. West. Some families trusted him with their animals for two decades or more, which says plenty about how rooted the clinic became in Bay St. Louis.
Things changed when Dr. West retired and the practice was sold. Today it operates under the CareVet name while keeping Pet Haven in its title, a nod to the history longtime clients remember.
The website still carries the Pet Haven name too, at pethavenvethospital.com.
Transitions like this can make returning clients a little nervous. Patients who visited after the change have reported feeling reassured by the newer doctors and team.
Others noticed differences in how billing and office routines work compared with the old days.
Parents can use this background in a practical way. If you are new to the area, you are walking into a clinic with deep community ties and fresh leadership at the same time.
Asking questions about current policies, fees, and which doctor you will see makes sense for any first appointment. Kids may enjoy hearing that the place has cared for neighborhood pets for many years, long before their own cat or dog came along.
Doctors Families Are Likely to Meet
Names matter to children, and putting a face to the person caring for their pet can ease worries before an appointment. Several veterinarians have been mentioned by clients at this clinic, including Dr. Derby, Dr. Seaton, and Dr. Kilikus.
Clients describe Dr. Derby handling an anxious dog with patience while also taking the owner’s concerns seriously. Dr. Seaton is often described as sweet with the animals and kind toward owners.
Dr. Kilikus gets credit for compassionate, skilled care that extends to the people in the room as well as the pet on the table.
Bedside manner and thoroughness come up again and again when people talk about the medical side of this practice. Pet owners point to clear explanations and useful information, which is exactly what a family needs when deciding on treatment.
Kids can be part of that conversation. Encourage them to ask the doctor a question, such as how much the dog should weigh or why a cat needs a yearly exam.
Vets who take time with worried owners usually welcome curious young minds, and those small moments can turn a routine checkup into a real learning experience for budding animal lovers.
Cats and Dogs Both Welcome
Picture a waiting room where a tabby peeks from a carrier while a shepherd settles at its owner’s feet. That mix is normal here, since the clinic treats both cats and dogs.
Owners have brought in everything from a shih tzu to German Shepherds, plus young cats needing care. Longtime clients mention visiting with various pets over the years, sometimes a cat, sometimes a dog.
For multi-pet households, having one clinic that handles both makes scheduling and record keeping much simpler.
Cats tend to find car rides and new smells more stressful than dogs do. A covered carrier, a familiar blanket, and a calm voice help a lot.
Kids can take charge of the blanket job, which gives them a role and keeps them focused on comforting the animal.
Dogs, meanwhile, often do better after a short walk before going inside. Keeping leashes short in the waiting area protects nervous cats and small pups alike.
Teaching children to give other people’s pets space, rather than reaching to pet them, is a smart lesson in clinic manners. Every animal in that room is there for a reason, and some feel a little under the weather.
Help When a Pet Needs Care Right Away
Vacations do not stop pets from getting sick. Travelers in the Bay St. Louis area have found this clinic willing to work them into the schedule when their dog needed urgent attention.
Emergency and urgent care are among the most talked-about topics connected to this practice. Pet owners describe being comforted by the quality of care during sudden visits, with animals bouncing back afterward.
Out-of-state families have also mentioned being treated warmly even though the staff barely knew them.
Here is the practical catch: the clinic keeps weekday daytime hours and closes on weekends. That means it is not a round-the-clock emergency hospital.
If something happens on a Saturday night, you will need another option, so look up the nearest after-hours animal hospital before your trip begins.
Calling ahead is the best move during open hours. The number is 228-467-3910, and a quick phone call lets the team prepare for your arrival.
Keep your pet’s vaccine records on your phone when traveling, since staff will want to know about past care. Parents of young kids may also want a backup adult or snack bag ready, since urgent visits can stretch longer than planned.
Compassion During Final Goodbyes
Few parts of pet ownership are harder than saying goodbye to an older or very sick animal. At this clinic, end-of-life care is something families mention with real gratitude.
Owners describe staff members walking them through the process calmly and efficiently, then giving them time alone in a private room. Paperwork was kept simple, and the cost was described as reasonable by at least some families.
Out-of-town visitors facing this moment far from home have said they were treated like family.
Parents often wonder whether children should be present. There is no single right answer, and every family knows its kids best.
Some children find comfort in a final pat and a chance to say thank you, while others do better saying goodbye at home beforehand.
Asking the staff what to expect ahead of time can help you decide. A quiet room, unhurried time, and a team that treats grief gently make a painful day a little easier.
Afterward, many families find healing in small rituals, like drawing a picture of the pet or planting a flower in the yard. Those moments help kids understand that caring for an animal includes caring for it at the very end.
Lessons Kids Can Carry Home
Watching a vet listen to a heartbeat can spark a lifelong love of science. For animal-crazy kids, a routine appointment here offers a peek at real medical work up close.
Children can observe how staff gently handle nervous pets, how weights and temperatures are recorded, and how doctors explain choices to owners. Those small details teach that animal care involves both kindness and careful thinking.
Some kids leave announcing they want to become veterinarians someday.
Responsibility lessons fit naturally too. A child can be the one who remembers the leash, holds the carrier steady, or reports how the pet has been eating.
Giving them a job turns a possibly scary outing into a confident one.
Back home, families can build on the visit. Make a simple chart for feeding, brushing, and medicine.
Talk about why spaying and neutering matter for communities across Mississippi, where shelters care for many homeless cats and dogs each year. If your kids still dream of seeing rows of rescued cats, consider volunteering with a local rescue group, which is a wonderful follow-up.
Pairing everyday vet care with shelter kindness gives children a fuller picture of what loving animals truly means.
Weekday Hours, Contact Details, and Costs
Timing your visit starts with the schedule. CareVet of Pet Haven is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 5 pm and is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
That early opening is handy for families. Dropping a pet off before school or work is often possible, though you should confirm drop-off arrangements by phone first.
The number is 228-467-3910, and more information is available at pethavenvethospital.com.
Getting there is simple once you are in Bay St. Louis. Plug 2016 Benigno Ln into your map app, and you will find the clinic in a quiet residential area rather than along the busy beach road.
Parking is generally easy compared with the downtown waterfront.
No published price list appears in the available information, so costs will depend on the services your pet needs. Some clients have felt certain fees ran high, while others found charges fair, especially for sensitive services.
Asking for an estimate up front avoids surprises. A new client discount has been mentioned in the past, so it is worth asking whether one is currently offered.
Bring a list of your pet’s medications and previous records to keep the first visit efficient and avoid repeating tests unnecessarily.
Final Take for Gulf Coast Pet Families
Strip away the waiting room chatter and the core picture is clear. CareVet of Pet Haven offers dependable veterinary care in Bay St. Louis, with doctors and technicians widely described as caring, thorough, and good with nervous animals.
Families gain a clinic that handles cats and dogs, routine shots and surgeries, urgent weekday problems, and tender end-of-life moments. Travelers on the Mississippi coast benefit from a team willing to squeeze in visiting pets when trouble strikes.
There are trade-offs. Weekend closures mean you need a backup plan for after-hours problems.
Front desk experiences vary, and billing questions are best settled before services begin.
For parents, the real value is peace of mind. Knowing exactly where to turn when a cat stops eating or a puppy limps on vacation makes a trip far less stressful.
Children who come along also get a chance to learn how much thought and kindness goes into keeping animals healthy.
If your family hoped to count hundreds of lounging cats, look to a rescue group instead. For hands-on, everyday care for the pets already curled up at home, this Gulf Coast clinic deserves a spot in your contacts.