Vernon Woods Animal Hospital

After taking our cats and dogs to this office for 10 years, we recently changed offices after having concerns for a the past couple years.  We were happy with the medical care and found Dr. Wyn as well as the owners, Jay & Andrew Empel to be knowledgable and skilled.  We had seen Dr. Wyn primarily for the past couple years and she has a very kind, patient demeanor.  Dr. Wyn always made follow up calls to check on how our pets were doing.Our concerns and why we ultimately chose to leave this practice related to rude managers and that  prices of every service and product were higher than other offices.  As we have several cats and dogs, the cost was significant. The office manager and an administrator (whose name I forgot) had awful customer service skills. I had spoken to the office manager a couple times over the years and she was very brusque, never nice or friendly.  Then, when planning a dental surgery a month ago, another administrator (whose name I forgot) came into an exam room to discuss cost and was surprisingly very rude when I asked her to repeat something I had not heard !  It was the last straw in our decision to change vets.  We moved to Rose Animal Hospital in Roswell and are thrilled with the doctors and  staff, the environment is lovely, and the costs are reasonable, but significantly lower than Vernon Woods for office visits, surgery and even products such as a box of syringes ($14 for 10 at Vernon Woods and $14 for 100 at Rose Animal Hospital. Read Less

So happy to have found Vernon Woods. When I got my puppy 8 months ago he instantly became part of my family. VW has the same mindset. You can tell that all the employees love animals and I always feel safe leaving my little buddy there. All the doctors I have met are efficient and professional. Offer great advice and tips for a first time dog owner. Angelia, the on-site groomer, is wonderful. She's taken care of my little guy 3 times so far and never disappoints. I really love VW and trust them for all my pet's needs. Thanks! Read Less

Dr Jones helped us get through a very sad event for our family. He explained our cat's health issues and was very honest about all options. His bedside manner was extremely comforting. All the people we met there were helpful and kind. Read Less

My family moved to Atlanta a year ago. I had tried another vet in the area and was very disappointed with the quality of care we received. Thanks to Yelp I found Vernon Woods and I am so grateful I did.The ladies at the front desk are extremely patient, friendly and genuinely interested in every animal that comes through the door.The vet techs were attentive and kind.For the most important part: I don't think I have ever (in my 8 years of having two dogs) run into a vet more amazing than Dr. Wen. She was soooo patient with our feisty girl, who refused to allow anybody to touch her. She didn't make us feel like bad "parents" but instead showed us ways to encourage better behavior. She was kind and concerned and spent a significant amount of time trying to help us with each issue we had concerning our dog. I realize some people say the wait is long here, but honestly - it's because each doctor takes so much time with your dog. Isn't that what ever pet owner wants? I highly recommend them. Read Less

I really want to give this place a better review  but when you wait 45 minutes to see a doctor and then have to pay extra fees even when the doctor claims the visit will be free, It's hard for me to support a place like this. My advice go find another Vet there are plenty of them. Read Less

If there was a way to give Drs. Jay and Andrew Empel and staff 10 stars I would. They are beyond caring when it comes to being compassionate, knowledgeable, and helpful when it comes to caring for pets. They took care of Winston, my 16-year old golden who went on to doggie heaven yesterday, for 14 years. Winston was one of 5 goldens Drs. Empel have taken care of over 35 years, and whether doctoring or boarding, VW will always be the place we will take our pets. Thank you to everyone for all you did for Winston and continue to do for Churchill. Read Less

Dr. Harpe is absolutely incredible. His compassion for animals has always been refreshing. I've referred many of my friends his way who have done nothing but sung his praises! We are very lucky to have him in our lives! Read Less

I had a wonderful experience. The doctor was patient and caring as I had to say goodbye to my sweet pup. Everyone there was gentle, compassionate, professional and caring. I couldn't recommend them enough for any family. Read Less

I found Dr. Nathan Harpe for my sweet cat. I'm a first-time cat owner and I found him to be attentive and patient not only with my boy but with me as well. When the staff told Dr. Harpe that I was a new and nervous client, he made sure to call me before and after the checkup, as well as discuss the visit with me when I picked my cat up to make sure I was up-to-date every step of the way. I never felt rushed or like I was eating up his time with my questions. I highly recommend taking your pets to Dr. Harpe! Read Less

I found Dr. Nathan Harpe for my sweet cat. I'm a first-time cat owner and I found him to be attentive and patient not only with my boy but with me as well. When the staff told Dr. Harpe that I was a new and nervous client, he made sure to call me before and after the checkup, as well as discuss the visit with me when I picked my cat up to make sure I was up-to-date every step of the way. I never felt rushed or like I was eating up his time with my questions. I highly recommend taking your pets to Dr. Harpe! Read Less

I have boarded my dog here several times and never had a problem until a few weeks ago. First of all, I never realized they only feed and take out the dogs twice a day with the last walk being at 5p.m. and then not until 7a.m. the next morning. Even paying for an extra walk, that walk is at Noon. My dog recently spent 5 1/2 days here boarding. I had left my cell phone with them which was with me at all times, and had also provided a local relative's phone number in the case of emergency. The day before I came home I called to tell them when I would be picking up our dog and asked that he get his bath early and casually asked how he was doing. I was connected with the back office who told me he was doing "great."The morning I was to pick up my dog, I received a call from Dr. Jay Empel who is the owner of this establishment. He was calling to tell me that my dog was pretty sick and had developed deep sores all over both front paws from biting/licking/anxiety. When I arrived, Dr. Empel had the staff bring me into a room and started to tell me what had happened and handed me a prescription for a fairly mild antibiotic. He told me my dog had eaten off the bandages they had tried to put on the dog as well as eating through a plastic cone.Upon arriving home, I had a further look at my dog's injuries and realized this was much more serious than I had originally been thought to believe. I wish I could post photos because there were several bloodied areas that were so deep I was worried they were close to the bone. I called Vernon Woods back and asked to have Dr. Empel call me at his convenience. He called me back almost immediately (on his day off) which was almost a sure sign of guilt on his part. He met me at the office, where I discussed my concerns (one being the almost $250.00 for boarding and a bath). Dr. Empel refused to even discuss reimbursing me or splitting the bill 50-50 with me. He did call in 2 of his associates who were very honest. They started reading out of his chart where another Vet had noted that my dog had Cellulitis of one of his front paws 4 days earlier. Nobody ever called me, or the emergency contact to discuss this. I am a medical professional and as soon as I heard Cellulitis I asked why he wasn't put on a certain antibiotic which treats Cellulitis in humans and animals. I never received an answer. Both the consulting Vets recommended suturing both paws. Dr. Empel followed the recommendations of the other Vets and told me to also buy a soft cone and showed me how to dress the bandages twice daily. Several days later I left my dog at home for a few hours during a snowstorm because our power had been out and we went to eat dinner with a neighbor who had a gas stove. Upon returning my dog had eaten the bandages off, and removed the sutures. I continued to dress them regularly and stayed home with the dog almost constantly. We had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Empel the following Tuesday (the one day of the week he works). When I called Monday to confirm the appointment because I hadn't received any type of confirmation for the appointment I was told we weren't on the books and that Dr. Empel was booked. I made an appointment for one of the Vets who had consulted with us. Upon arriving for our appointment, we were put into a room where there was dried blood on the floor and the door. Again, I wish I could post photos to show you how dirty this Animal Hospital is. After an hour Dr. Empel opened the door and said to me "you're going to see the mean Dr. today." The consulting Vet was behind him. Again, we discussed what had happened and was told Dr. Empel wouldn't even discuss reimbursement at that point. As of today I have spent well over $450.00 on boarding, prescriptions, bandages, a soft cone. etc. I was not charged for that visit and once again was asked to come back in a week for the dog's wounds to be rechecked. Dr. Empel refused to leave me alone with the consulting Vet as I'm pretty sure I might hear the truth from him.I will not EVER bring my dog or recommend  Vernon Woods Animal Hospital to anyone as a Vet or for boarding. I brought in a perfectly healthy dog and returned to a very sick dog who probably would have developed sepsis and died had I not returned when I did. I have spent over $450.00 boarding a dog for 5 1/2 days. I have since read several reviews of customers with almost the same situation. One even took a tour of the boarding area and said all the animal's cages were the same size regardless of the animal's size and that the stench of urine was overwhelming in the boarding area.PLEASE if you love your animal and want your animal treated as they should be, DO NOT use Vernon Woods Animal Hospital. Once again, I wish I could post photos for everyone to see the wounds my dog came home with. It will probably take several months for my dog's wounds to heal as Dr. Empel told me. It will be forever before I trust a boarding facility, especially this one! Read Less

I love this vet because they actually spend time with their patients, and that shows how much they really care. They are kind, patient, understanding, and they gave us terrific care. I will definitely be back any time I need anything for my cat! Read Less

I have been to many different vets and I must say that I feel very comfortable bringing my dog to vernon woods. Everyone was friendly and had a positive attitude. I feel like everyone really enjoys working there. It's nice to be in an environment where people love what they do and are passionate about thier jobs. They care about my dog's health and well being as much as I do, which I love. I am happy and relieved to have found such a wonderful vet for my furry four legged child! Thank you all so much! :) Read Less

Dr. Andrew Empel did a great job taking out my dog's spleen and children's toys out of my golden retriever's stomach and intestines. He is professional and informative so you feel totally comfortable that your pet is in great care! Read Less

We called on a Thursday and got an appointment for that Saturday! So awesome! Our Dr. (Harp) was great with our 2 year old and 10 week old! (& they saw both girls in the same appointment!) overall great experience! We will be going back! Read Less

We had such a great experience! All of the staff were super nice and very friendly! They took very good care of my fur baby! I highly recommend coming here for loving care for your pet and you won't get ripped off! Read Less

Was a long-time customer (20 years) until our dog came home from boarding with his wound significantly worse than when we left him -- and Vernon Woods did the surgery weeks prior. We thought since we had to board him let's leave him with the vets who operated.  Not a good decision on our part.  My husband went back a day after we picked up our dog to complain, get the wound treated and we left with a $212 bill, antibiotics and no apology or acknowledgement they messed up.  Nobody is perfect but at least say you know when you didn't live up to a quality standard of care. Read Less

Hands down the best vets in the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody area. They have taken perfect care of our Italian greyhound for 8 years now. Today our 1 yr old blue heeler cut her lip open and they stayed past closing to let her come get stitched up. Truly incredible people! Thank you Vernon Woods! Read Less

All doctors and staff at Vernon Woods are great. We have seen whoever we can get the most convenient appointment with, Dr. Wen with our 3 year old Lab. They are always available when it's convenient for us or upon emergency , and we are always satisfied with the care our family dogs receive. We have been with them for about 12 years ,and they have taken us through life and death with our canine family members in the most compassionate manner.Read Less

All doctors and staff at Vernon Woods are great. We have seen whoever we can get the most convenient appointment with, Dr. Wen with our 3 year old Lab. They are always available when it's convenient for us or upon emergency , and we are always satisfied with the care our family dogs receive. We have been with them for about 12 years ,and they have taken us through life and death with our canine family members in the most compassionate manner.Read Less

My dog was feeling bad and couldn't find any vet to take him in Saturday morning, they were all packed. This placed was the only one who was okay with last minute call, they gave me an appointment for 1 1/2 hour later (which I think was amazing). Everyone was so nice to us, the doctor gave me options and helped us right away. It is not crazy expensive, affordable an very on front with you. Thank you for taking such good care of my luke. Read Less

I highly recommend this clinic. The veterinarians are great and my dog loves the staff. I have a small miniature dachshund and she is usually frantic when I pick her up from boarding at other places, but she does great at Vernon Woods. My only WARNING is this: CONFIRM PRICING for services before signing off on them. I was upset yesterday when I picked up my dog from boarding with $56 worth of extra services that would have cost me $25 at my previous vet. When I expressed my frustration, I was given an insincere apology for the miscommunication and was not offered a chance to discuss the charges or speak with the office manager. All in all, I do love this place. Just be careful of the pricing. Read Less

Dr. Pollard has taken great care of one of my cats who was diagnosed with an UTI. She's been in constant communication with me in terms of updating me on test results and the next steps. I also boarded both of my cats last weekend when I had to go out of town was very pleased with the level of care upon my return to pick them up. Read Less

My family has had two separate feline emergencies over the past year. The veterinarians and staff at Vernon Woods handled them exceptionally well. It was very reassuring to see that they cared for our "pet family" with all the kindness and professionalism you could hope for. Highly recommend.Read Less

Dr. Wen is absolutely a great cat vet; my pets always get fantastic care here. I have also seen Dr. (Andy) Empel who was wonderful with my dog. That being said, services here are very expensive, which makes it difficult for me personally to keep up with routine visits, but when you need quality care Vernon Woods is the place to go. Read Less

Moved to Atlanta from Philly and my Yorkie Mikah he was really sick vomiting and Diarhea and had breathing issues the Vet treated him so well and knew exactly what to prescribe him and also taught me a few at home remedies ....after leaving within a few days my baby was all better and even better than before he got sick this place is great !!!!! They definitely made us feel at home Read Less

Dr. Prescott did an outstanding job caring for my three cats at another location. She is an excellent and compassionate vet who truly cared about my cats. I had one cat with a range of high maintenance health issues, and another with behavior issues. Dr. Prescott went the extra mile to research the very latest studies to ensure that my cats were receiving the most effective available care. She was thorough, clear and appointments and conversations never felt rushed. I highly recommend her! Read Less

I'll take similes for 200 Alex.  In my 200th review, a good veterinarian is like a good mechanic.  Very hard to find.  My dog and I have been here and we would have no problem going back.  The vets and employees are great, and are extremely good and patient with my dog.  I really like that ...and I don't get the feel that they are only concerned with emptying my pockets like a lot of vets are.  Sad, but that's the truth of the matter when it comes to vets ..as it is with mechanics. Read Less

I just wanted to say Thank You to Vernon Woods for having such a Wonderful Cat Specialist Vetrenarian like Dr . Prescott! She is Amazing Vetrenarian!! She saw my Baby Skater on Friday, and Never have I had a Vet spend so much time and Care like Dr . Prescott gave, she is Wonderful and an Extremely good asset for Vernon Woods to have.I wish there were more Cat Vetrenarians like her.....I won't trust my Baby to just anyone, but she is an exceptional Vetrenarian, Truly an Appreciated asset for Vernon woods, so glad she is there!! Thanks again!! Will be back with our other baby Cat this week!! Steve Freeman Read Less

I could not be happier with this office. They treat my fur babies like they are part of a family and are very patient with them. We recently moved from NC and I was a little nervous when looking for a vet. I am glad this place was recommended to us by another vet. The staff are extremely friendly and love animals. The staff that I have met act as of they want to be there. Kudos to you guys and thanks for all the wonderful work you do. Angelia- you do a wonderful job on Parker and he looks absolutely perfect when I pick him up. I'm sure he thanks you too!! Read Less

Vernon Woods Animal Hospital is a wonderful veterinary clinic. My family loves Drs. Andrew Empel, Wen and Murphy for their approaches to medicine. They give great explanations about our options for treatment from the most conservative to the more aggressive options and allow us to make an informed selection. They take the pet-owner's opinions and concerns seriously and will have a conversation with you rather than a didactic "I'm the doctor and what I say goes" interaction. The support staff are also great. The techs are gentle and the front office staff work quickly. I would recommend them to anyone in the area with a pet. Read Less

Wonderful place; all the staff are very helpful and friendly.  The Vets are outstanding; we've mostly seen Drs Empel, father and son, but have also seen some of the others.  We've been going there since the 1980s and have always had a good experience. Read Less

I wouldn't have been able to have the 11 great years with my dog Titan if it hadn't been for Dr. Andy. At the age of 3 Titan had a disease that it seemed Dr Andy was the only vet in Atlanta that knew what it was. I am thankful for him and Vernon Woods every single day, for saving my little man. I love this hospital and Dr Andy, and the only thing that's been hard on me since I moved from Atlanta, is not being able to find a vet that I love and trust as much. Read Less

This office and Dr. Bishop are the most caring people I have ever dealt with! When we moved from the Atlanta area I wanted to take them with me. Having my three Shih Tzu's we have spent lots of time in different vets and Dr. Bishop and his team stand out above all! Bless all of you for your wonderful care! Oh yes, we are moving back to Atlanta so we will see you again! Read Less

Always pleased and happy with service and care provided here. Dr. Bishop is one of the best veterinarians that I have dealt with and Angelia does an awesome job grooming.My puppy was also a rescue dog. I was worried and had more questions than normal and wanted to make sure everything was ok on that first visit. Dr. Bishop is very kind and always seem to really enjoy taking care of him. He always explains everything that is done or the shots that are given along with letting me know what follow up is needed. I also like that all this information is on the paperwork you get at check-out. The online pet portal also makes booking an appointment very easy. I wish it was updated more in regards to the records, but you do get all the information on the visit and it is still a useful site. Getting an appointment is typically very easy and you rarely have to wait more than a few minutes, and I never feel rushed during my appointment. The staff is usually always friendly and my dog can usually sucker a treat or two out of them at the desk. They also send out great reminders in the mail with your pet's picture on them, which I thought was really nice. I also regularly use their grooming services. Angelia always does a great job and I would not want to trust anyone else with my schnauzer. Even Sammy seems to have a strut after he has been in for a grooming because he knows he looks so good. :) Definitely recommend. Read Less

We've had no problems finding a competent and caring vet at Vernon Woods. Our current vet, Dr. Bishop, never makes us feel rushed whenever we take our two Persians in for an appointment. He helped us through a difficult time when we recently lost our previous cat. The clinic has always been very accomodating Read Less

My first experience with a vet here in the city since I recently rescued a critter from the Fulton shelter.Harley's first checkup was simply due to a kennel cough that he had developed while in holding.  Doc gave me very detailed instructions on how to take care of him, and suggested other things since he was new to my home and hadn't fully adjusted.  Also got him started on his heartworm/flea/tick preventive care.That was over a month ago, and now he's doing great!  They even did an analysis of his poop and determined he had tapeworms a couple weeks later that weren't present in his first exam and only charged me for the pill needed to eradicate the suckers. Turns out he had ingested something while nosing around outside that I wasn't aware of that was infested.The staff here are friendly, and they return phonecalls promptly.  A close friend recommended them based on her years of taking her cats there and I'm glad I followed her advice.As my father would say... These are good people! Read Less

I have a puppy boxer that I wanted to get his ears cropped, but was unable to find a reputable vet who does it. My first instinct was to ask my vet, but she made me feel so uncomfortable when I brought up the subject and I felt bad that I will be putting my dog through so much pain. I decided to google some reputable vets in the metro area and I found Vernon Woods. Just FYI: to have your puppy's ears cropped, he/she cannot be over the age of 16 weeks. I was quite scared when I called and one of the tech told me she would have to call Dr.Dunahoo to make sure I won't miss the bus. Well, long story short, I met Dr.Dunahoo and he was the most amazing person inside and out. He said most puppies should have their ears cropped between the age of 10-12 weeks, but since my puppy was at 16 weeks, the risks were higher and the chance of having his ears standing up on its own was slimmer. He gave me the confidence to do the procedure and I trusted his medical skills. He was awesome! Most sincere and would not sugar coat his words. Aftercare for ear cropping is a little time consuming. This is when I met Dr. Bishop. He is very nice, genuine, and caring. He understands my worries and concerns and he takes his time to make sure my pet and I are comfortable. He also explains why certain things are certain way so I can better understand. I will definitely recommend Vernon Woods to anyone that is looking for a reliable Vet Hospital. It is always a pleasure to go there because they make you feel so comfortable and treat you like you should be treating. Good job, Dr. Bishop! Read Less

Vernon Woods Animal Hospital is your typical practice what makes it special is Dr. Bishop. He doesn't make you feel rushed through and exam and treats you and your pet as if he's genuinely interested in giving you the care he would give a family member. My daughter is an animal lover and he makes time to explain to us both in kid-friendly language what he is doing and why. In doing so, he has fostered a desire for her to become a vet as well. I can't say enough good things about him and always request him when making an appointment. Read Less