The East Village Veterinarian Closes Longtime 241 Eldridge HQ

The East Village Veterinarian has run its course over at 241 Eldridge Street. An informed Boogie reader reveals that the decades-old clinic just closed, and that everything was cleared from the space over the weekend. Word on the street is that Dr. Schaubhut shuttered the practice due to financial hardships, leaving many neighborhood pet owners in the lurch.

From the inbox:

He [Schaubhut] cut out of his lease a year or two early. The people who brought their pets to him are heartbroken. He was famous for being really good with the animals, but would barely talk to the owners. He often would only talk directly to the animals and ask them questions, and according to various sources, he would sometimes blame the owners for stressing out and “upsetting” their pets. Definitely a wacko guy, but people loved that he was a holistic vet, and got all of the animals healthier, so most felt it was a quirk of his personality and would put up with it.

Word on the street is that he’s going to have limited hours at the Heart of Chelsea Animal Hospital. They are known for alternative treatments for animals, so it’s a good fit for him.

East Village Veterinarian has been at 241 Eldridge Street for nigh on three decades. In the beginning, the vet was a woman named Mary Finger, who was also the original sponsor of the building. She renovated and converted the tenement in the early 1980s so she could flip the apartments. But the pet practice wasn’t always in the ground level space; it moved here in the mid-1980s from its first location just around the corner at 159 East Houston, in what is now the National Underground rock venue. Dr. Schaubhut reportedly entered the picture in the early 1990s.

On a related note, we hear that the current owner of the commercial space is NOT seeking another nightclub or rowdy establishment on this quiet stretch of Eldridge Street. We’ll keep you apprised of the details!