Boo Business: Former Savannah veterinary hospital still has animals — they're just ghosts

The Davenport House Museum has a ghost cat. The Andrew Low House Museum has ghost Corgis. It only makes sense to have an animal themed haunted house in Savannah.

Dr. Monique DeCicco-Jones recently purchased the old White Bluff Veterinary Hospital and has been working to turn it into a med spa facility, but it’s been a journey. DeCicco-Jones said she had signed the contract to purchase the animal hospital. Before the sale could be finalized, the property went into probate.

“After a year and a half of negotiating back and forth… it’s over,” she said. Unfortunately, by that time, the building was condemned.

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“When I purchased the building on Sept. 6, apparently [someone] had taken all the copper out of the HVAC system. They had taken the copper wiring out the electrical wires. The building was pretty much gutted.”

DeCicco-Jones had to do a lot to bring it up to code again. “I had to go in and hire Canady’s to install a whole new HVAC unit. I had to redo all the plumbing; redo all the electrical in order to be able to have a functioning building.”

Among many other things, DeCicco-Jones is also a nurse practitioner and had originally intended to turn the White Bluff Veterinary Hospital into a regular medical clinic, but life and Georgia laws had other plans. Undeterred, she switched gears to turn it into a med spa.

“[It] eventually will offer Apothecary medicine, holistic medicine, and IV hydration. That's the goal, but for right now, it's a haunted veterinary clinic.”

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The Haunted White Bluff Veterinary Hospital walk-through haunted house is animal themed with plenty of animatronic cats, dogs, and assorted other pets. Dr. DeCicco-Jones said she is especially proud of the howling poodle skeletons. The haunted house is family-friendly.

“This is something that's the entire family can enjoy since some are maybe a little too scary for the kids.”

It’s been open every weekend this October and will also be open on Halloween weekend. Friday and Saturday hours are 7 p.m. to midnight. On Sunday and Halloween night, it will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. It’s a $10 entry fee, and there is also a hot dog truck selling refreshments.

After Halloween, DeCicco-Jones said she’s excited to open her med spa and turn screams to sighs of relief.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA Halloween events: Haunted White Bluff Veterinary Hospital