I have been bringing my two dogs to Yaletown Pet Hospital for years now and am sad to say I will no longer be returning. 2 weeks ago, my husband brought in our dog Jay, a 15 year old bichon, who was i... Read More
I have been bringing my two dogs to Yaletown Pet Hospital for years now and am sad to say I will no longer be returning. 2 weeks ago, my husband brought in our dog Jay, a 15 year old bichon, who was in urgent need of comfort care and ultimately euthanasia. He had an unexpected event at home, where he suddenly started having difficulty breathing and was clearly in pain. Since we live a few blocks away, my husband grabbed Jay and ran to the clinic. From the moment he walked in, he was ignored by the front desk, and then ultimately turned away by the veterinarian, stating that Jay was too sick to be treated there.
There should not be any situation, where a dog is too sick or their condition too emergent for them to be turned away when all they are asking for is alleviation of their symptoms and suffering. This is a concept called compassionate care, a concept this clinic is clearly lacking. So, my husband ran home with Jay and drove to a 24 hour emergency hospital, where he was immediately provided with palliation of his symptoms and we were able to let him go in a dignified way.
At the 24 hour emergency hospital, Jay was seen immediately, the veterinarian listened to us, and compassionately and appropriately treated a dying dog – they did what Yaletown Pet Hospital was incapable of doing for Jay. Yaletown Pet Hospital was our family veterinarian clinic, but when we were the most vulnerable and in need of their help, compassion and expertise, we were completely let down. They turned away a dying dog, unnecessarily prolonging his suffering.
When I brought this up to the clinic, they blamed my husband’s poor communication. This to me, is completely unacceptable as I feel that it is the veterinarian’s job to clarify goals of care, especially of an animal that is known to them. They should be ashamed, as their actions that day were an embarrassment to the field of veterinary medicine. I wrote this review because I truly believe the culture at this clinic needs to change, and if they are to be called a pet hospital, then they should start acting like one, before more animals endure undue suffering. Read Less