By
Josh Guttman, Small Door Co-Founder
July 11, 2024
Finding great veterinary care today is really difficult. I learned this the hard way five years ago when my boxer, Morris, got sick. We saw our local vet, but she couldn’t find anything wrong. Over the next year, we visited eight veterinary clinics, racking up thousands of dollars in bills as Morris withstood one test — and cheerless waiting room — after another. Same-day appointments were rarely available and medical records were closely guarded.
I felt rushed during appointments and was never quite sure what I was paying for. What’s more, I could never speak directly to a doctor outside of appointments.
Thankfully, Morris’ story had a happy ending. He was eventually diagnosed with a condition common to his breed, and with treatment, returned to his happy life playing tug-of-war and bodysurfing ocean waves.
Small Door was born out of the hope that Morris’ experience could become the exception and no longer the norm. I teamed up with my friend Florent and our Head of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jamie Richardson, and we created Small Door with a simple goal: to provide a better veterinary experience for both pets and pet parents. We started with one practice in the West Village and perfected our reimagined veterinary experience for over a year before we felt ready to bring it to the world.
We designed Small Door to deliver better care for pets and a better experience for pet parents. Here’s how we do it.
Gold-standard medical care
Our vets are best in class, and we’re proud to be among just 15% of veterinary hospitals in the U.S. to be accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. Our onsite lab, diagnostics and radiology, and dental and surgical suites mean we can offer a full range of pet health services in one place.
Convenient, priority appointments
To make sure you can always get care when you need it, we limit our daily appointment numbers. (Oh, and those appointments? They actually start on time.) You can book and manage appointments, submit prescription requests, and download vaccine certificates online or in our app — no waiting on hold required.
Dedicated time with exceptional doctors
We don’t double book, and our appointments are longer than you might be used to. You’ll never feel rushed — and you’ll always have your vet’s undivided attention. They’ll take the time to understand what’s really going on with your pet, then lay out all the treatment options so you can decide on the best course of action together.
Practices that make pets feel at home
Who says the vet has to make pets anxious? Our teams are trained in fear-free techniques, and our spaces are designed to be stress-free. Each of our state-of-the-art practices features private spaces, easy-grip surfaces, soft furnishings, natural lighting, and anxiety-reducing scents.
Membership for frequent vet visitors
You don’t have to be a member to bring your pet to Small Door, but it’s a great option for younger (or older) pets who need to see the vet often. For just $169/year, you get 24/7 telehealth for peace of mind, one free annual exam to help keep your pet healthy, 20% off additional exam fees, and same or next-day appointments.
We’ve come a long way since that first practice. We now have 11 locations across New York City, Boston, and Washington DC, and we’ve provided first-class veterinary care to tens of thousands of pets (and their adoring pet parents). And we’re just getting started.
We are proud to be one of the highest rated veterinary practices on Google and Yelp, with over 1,000+ five-star reviews.
I absolutely love Small Door! I have messaged with vets several times now about things I thought were a big deal, like Frankie having a cough or experiencing mild stomach issues, that ended up having easy at-home treatment and saved me a vet visit.
Small Door is an amazing service! The doctors are caring and take their time to assess all issues with your pet. I left my first appointment with them more educated on my dog’s issues than any other vet apt!
Being a first time dog mom, I’m extremely nervous when it comes to health concerns about my pup. Their 24/7 chat eases my anxiety 101%! Even if I send a message over at 4AM someone is always available to help out.
Visit any of our locations
West Village 15 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Upper West Side 667 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10025
Upper East Side 1231 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Gramercy 380 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Williamsburg 118 N 4th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Navy Yard 949 First Street, SE, Washington DC, 20003
14th Street 2110 14th Street, NW, Washington DC, 20009
Spring Valley 4301 49th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016
Bethesda 10253 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814
Brookline 297 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446
Newton Centre 718 Beacon St, Newton, MA 02459
FAQs
The correct answer is that you do want to switch. If you do not switch, you have the expected 1/3 chance of winning the car, since no matter whether you initially picked the correct door, Monty will show you a door with a goat.
What is the Monty 3 door problem? ›
An intuitive explanation is that, if the contestant initially picks a goat (2 of 3 doors), the contestant will win the car by switching because the other goat can no longer be picked – the host had to reveal its location – whereas if the contestant initially picks the car (1 of 3 doors), the contestant will not win the ...
Why is starting small important? ›
Firstly, starting small helps you break down that huge goal into small, manageable action steps. By doing so, once you start making progress, you are going to start feeling good about yourself and wanting to tackle more and more tasks that align with your big goal. Secondly, starting small maintains focus.
What are two reasons why a business might remain small? ›
The smaller you are, the less expenses, space and resources you need. Staying small, in both team size and scope of work, allows you to put more money back into your business instead of spending it on things like monthly rent for a large workspace and/or expensive equipment or software used by a big team.
Why is the Monty Hall problem wrong? ›
That's because Monty Hall knows what door the car is behind, and he chooses his “tease reveal” door accordingly. If he didn't do this and instead just opened one of the two unselected doors at random—giving him a genuine chance of accidentally revealing the car—then your “stick or switch” choice would indeed be 50–50.
Why is the Monty Hall problem not 50%? ›
The probabilities do not become 50/50; rather, they remain as they were. The ⅓ chance that the car was behind Door 3 “shifts” entirely to Door 2, resulting in a total ⅔ chance that the car is behind Door 2 and a ⅓ chance that the car is behind the originally chosen Door 1.
Is Monty Hall problem true or false? ›
I consider the Monty Hall problem to be a statistical illusion. This statistical illusion occurs because your brain's process for evaluating probabilities in the Monty Hall problem is based on a false assumption. Similar to optical illusions, the illusion can seem more real than the actual answer.
What is the chance of winning the Monty Hall problem? ›
There is a 1/3 chance of winning, the host reveals 1/3 of the mystery, and the player is allowed to switch to the other 1/3 option. All options seem equal — yet they are not.
What if the Monty Hall problem had 4 doors? ›
If there were four doors, then your chance of being correct with your initial choice would be 1/4. The remaining doors would have the remaining probabilities: 3/4. Again, if no door were opened (“changing your mind”), you'd have to pick one of the three, and that'd be 1/3 × 3/4. That's 1/4, of course.
What is the main idea of starting small? ›
What is Starting Small? After thinking big, successful entrepreneurs "start small." They divide the idea down into smaller chunks for testing rather than joining the bandwagon for one potentially large product. Starting small encourages inertia, momentum, and observable advancement.
In order to achieve big dreams it's important to start small: plan small, take small steps, move forward in an achievable way. That way the path that leads to your dreams feels more manageable, and you'll be more likely to remain motivated and in action.
What are the advantages of starting small? ›
Starting Small: Testing the Waters
Lower initial investment requirements are one of the main advantages of starting small. Entrepreneurs who start a small business can reduce their financial risk and evaluate the sustainability of their business idea without making a large initial investment.
Why small business success? ›
A key component in why a small business will succeed is its leadership and their vision. A well-defined vision is a skill or gift that every company leader needs in order to cross the finish line. It will be the major force behind an entrepreneur's success and will serve as a compass in tough times.
At what point are you no longer a small business? ›
SBA's Table of Size Standards provides definitions for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, that vary widely by industry, revenue and employment. It defines small business by firm revenue (ranging from $1 million to over $40 million) and by employment (from 100 to over 1,500 employees).
What are your chances of winning if you do change your door selection? ›
If you stick to your first choice the probability of winning stays at 1/3; nothing that Monty Hall says changes this probability. Since there is a 1/3 probability that your first choice is the prize winning. it follows that the probability that your first choice is NOT the prize winning door is 2/3.
Why switch doors on Let's Make Deal? ›
The true answer is that changing choices increases the chances of getting the car from 1/3 (one out of three) to 2/3 (two out of three). That 2/3 (two out of three) chance comes from the fact in the initial door choice, the player has a 1/3 (one out of three) chance of picking the door with the car.
How many doors are typically involved in the classic Monty Hall problem? ›
The Monty Hall problem is a counter-intuitive statistics puzzle: There are 3 doors, behind which are two goats and a car.
