UrgentVet wins 2026 Telly Award for 'Furriest Third Wheel' campaign

UrgentVet earned a Bronze Telly Award for its “Furriest Third Wheel” commercial campaign at the 2026 Telly Awards. The win spotlights the company’s push to use creative storytelling to connect pet owners with urgent care options when health issues happen outside normal veterinary hours.

Why it matters: - The award gives UrgentVet outside recognition for messaging that targets a growing need in veterinary care: fast access when a regular veterinarian is unavailable. - The campaign supports UrgentVet’s broader push to make urgent care feel more approachable for pet families. - The company is continuing to expand its reach as demand for veterinary urgent care grows.

What happened: - UrgentVet won a Bronze Telly Award in the Regional Television - General Professional Services category at the 2026 Telly Awards. - The winning work was the “Furriest Third Wheel” commercial campaign. - The recognition was announced Sept. 24, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.

The details: - The Telly Awards were founded in 1979 and honor video and television work across screens. - The awards receive more than 14,000 entries each year from around the world. - Winners are selected by the Telly Awards Judging Council, which includes industry leaders from media, entertainment, production and advertising. - Only a fraction of entries receive award recognition each year. - Past winners have included work from Disney, Netflix, HBO, Google and McDonald’s. - The “Furriest Third Wheel” campaign was built around a common pet-owner reality: health concerns rarely happen at convenient times. - The campaign uses humor, authenticity and emotional storytelling to highlight UrgentVet’s mission of helping pet parents get answers and care when they need it most. - Justin Cross, UrgentVet’s vice president of marketing, said the award reinforces the company’s commitment to stories that connect with pet families and help them understand their care options. - Dr. Jim Dobies, UrgentVet’s founder, said the company was built on the belief that pet owners needed an affordable, accessible option when a primary veterinarian was unavailable. - Dobies said UrgentVet has logged nearly 1 million pet visits. - UrgentVet says it continues to invest in its teams, diagnostic capabilities and patient experience as it expands. - The company says its locations provide care nights, weekends and holidays, 365 days a year. - UrgentVet says each location includes digital radiology, ultrasound and in-house laboratory capabilities. - UrgentVet says its staff includes Fear Free certified professionals. - UrgentVet says it operates nearly 100 locations nationwide and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. - UrgentVet is part of American Veterinary Group and was founded in 2015 by Dr. Jim Dobies. - The company’s website is learn more at urgentvet.com. - UrgentVet also lists social pages on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The award suggests UrgentVet’s creative strategy is resonating beyond advertising, with a message built around real-life pet emergencies rather than generic brand promotion. - The company is tying brand storytelling to a broader business case: more awareness of urgent care could help shift pet owners away from waiting for primary-care hours or relying only on emergency hospitals. - The nearly 1 million visit figure signals scale and helps position the company as an established player in the category.

What's next: - UrgentVet says it will keep expanding access to convenient, high-quality urgent care across more U.S. communities. - The company is expected to keep investing in staffing, diagnostics and patient experience as it grows. - The “Furriest Third Wheel” campaign may serve as a template for future marketing aimed at pet owners facing off-hours medical needs.

The bottom line: - UrgentVet’s Telly Award is both a marketing win and a signal that veterinary urgent care is becoming a more visible consumer category.