Charles Street Animal Clinic

I've been going to this clinic with my two French Bulldogs for 3.5 years now and have worked with multiple providers.  They are all very kind, sweet, and caring, showing clear compassion for my pups.  They work with you on urgent appointments and are great about answering questions or getting you their vaccination records.  Everyone who works the front desk has also been very kind and courteous.  Will miss this clinic when I leave Boston next month! Read Less

What an absolutely wonderful animal clinic on Charles Street! When I moved to Boston over a year ago, I was stressed about finding doctors for myself but also for my two cats. I was walking on Charles Street and happened to pass this clinic. I'm so glad I did because the care they provide for my cats is excellent. One of my cats could afford to shed some pounds and the doctor gave me some great diet recommendations. My last vet told me to walk my cat. And no, that is not a joke. In an ideal world, I wouldn't live in a city apartment with limited space and my cats would have more room to romp around and exercise. But the Charles Street clinic recognized the struggle and gave me actual recommendations for kitty weight loss versus telling me to purchase a lease and stroll around the city. The cost of the appointment was very affordable and I felt like my cats got great care! Read Less

I have been taking my pets to this office since the 90's.  They have dealt with puppy care, through end of life care and they have done it all with kindness and empathy.  I currently have a dog who is getting older, has diabetes, is losing her eye sight and has Cushing's Disease.  Even though she is poked and prodded every time she goes here she still loves Dr. Bower and Emily.  Thank you to all the doctors and support staff here for taking care of all of my animals over the years. Read Less

Love this place.  We've been taking our dog here since he was a puppy (he is now 9), and we've never had a bad experience.  They are always so helpful, either over the phone or at appointments, and the cost is so reasonable, especially for the city.  I highly recommend. Read Less

Highly recommended. The price was reasonable; the place was clean; and the staff was super nice. I had Dr. Constantino. He handled my pet in a friendly yet professional manner. This place is great. Take your pet here. Read Less

I had a really positive experience going here for my dog's yearly check up. They were very nice to my dog, who is shy and nervous with strangers, and even remarked how cute she is, which obviously, like every dog owner, I think I have the cutest dog in the world, so that is appreciated. Vaccines and a blood draw came and went in a snap so my poor little fuzz was in and out pretty quickly. It's a great neighborhood clinic, though it's a lot more expensive than my last vet out in the 'burbs. Read Less

I had a really positive experience going here for my dog's yearly check up. They were very nice to my dog, who is shy and nervous with strangers, and even remarked how cute she is, which obviously, like every dog owner, I think I have the cutest dog in the world, so that is appreciated. Vaccines and a blood draw came and went in a snap so my poor little fuzz was in and out pretty quickly. It's a great neighborhood clinic, though it's a lot more expensive than my last vet out in the 'burbs. Read Less

This is hands-down the best vet I have ever delt with in my life.  Dr. Wasco is great with my golden retriever, and has personally followed up with multiple phone calls to check on her well being; not a vet. associate or administrative assistant.  An added bonus, they do not push products that are not necessary for your animal...a large issue that I have seen with other vetrinarian services. I HIGHLY recommend their services. Read Less

I have taken my dog to Charles St. for three years, and they have been nothing but helpful and compassionate. I can get an appointment almost immediately, and they are always available by phone if there is an emergency. I would highly recommend them to any pet owner!! Read Less

Been bringing the K-9's here for about 4 years and never had any issues.The staff has always been professional and friendly.Never had to wait more then 10 minutes or so for an appointment to being, never had any issues during or after the appointments either.It is a *very* small waiting area and office in general, to be expected with Charles Street real estate I suppose. They do a good job of making it comfortable and utilizing the space they have.They do sell some types of pet food, cat litters and leashes and collars. They can also fill most of the prescriptions right at the office before you leave.My only qualm is that my dogs and I have never seen the same vet twice. I don't know if it's a turn over issue, a timing issue, what, but it's been a different person every time. And one time, we only had an appointment with the veterinary assistant! Not even the real vet, what was that all about? I was kind of put off by that. I'd like to know that my vet has a personal relationship and remembers my animal, much like a human doctor would for me.The prices aren't anything to smile at, but again, it's the vet, and it's Boston.They only take normal, scheduled office visits. No urgent care, no emergency-type situations. Just routine physicals, vaccinations and some same-day surgical procedures such as removing tags and cleaning teeth.The one time one of our pups got sick and we called, they directed us to MSPCA in JP. What I did like, was that the MCPCA sent the records to Charles Street Animal Clinic and they called to follow up and see how our little guy was doing, even though they had no part in the visit. That was extremely kind of them and made me feel good.Now if only we could see the same vet twice... Read Less

I have no idea how good the actual medical treatment at this animal clinic is.  What I do know is that I will never find out.  My dog has chronic kidney failure and needs daily saline infusions to clear her system, a procedure we do at home to help keep her alive.  We normally go to Brookline animal hospital.  However, on one particular day I had no access to a car and my husband was at work and we were out of saline bags with no way to get to our Vet.  So he called Charles St. Animal Clinic, which is closer to where we live, and asked them if they would be willing to sell us a couple of bags to get us through the next couple of days.  The woman on the phone said that they would need a prescription from out Vet.  So we had a prescription faxed to them.  I walked all the way to the clinic just to be told by the woman at the front desk that she is unable to give me the bags because she needs to have the doctor's approval first.  I explained my situation again and she refused to help and sent me away without bags.  This would be understandable was I to be asking for some controlled substance, but all I was asking for was saline which is essential for my dog to get through each day!  My husband called back to the clinic and was told that they close at 6 o'clock but that I can come back right before 6 and they would give me some bags.  Now at this point, I had wasted at least 30 mins of my day (walking there and back) and my husband had been on the phone with them several times.  I came back at 6 o'clock and the woman did not even say a word of apology and hardly even looked at me.   She handed me the bags and the bill, which was a staggering $25 per bag!!!  May I remind you that this is saline.  We normally pay $9 per bag at our vet and have had them ordered online before for $3.  Now, $25??!!!  Clearly, they made their point.  They never wanted us to ask for their help again and they would show us this by completely ripping us off and being very rude in an extremely sensitive situation with our ill and almost dying dog.  Now I ask myself.  Is this a vet that I would ever want to go to even if they are more conveniently located and even if the other reviews of the medical care there are excellent?  In human medicine there is an ethical obligation to help those in need.  I always assumed that in veterinary medicine there is a similar ethical obligation, but this experience made me wonder if this was the case for all Vet clinics. Read Less

Drs. Constantino and Levine are great, and the office is extremely convenient and clean. Minus one star for the snobby reception. Why work in a vet's office if you don't care about dogs? (Hmm. Maybe you're a cat person.) Read Less

I've been taking my pug here for 7 years on the Hill.  They also have a more extensive office in the SouthEnd.   They have a great Vet staff here, that really care about your pet.   My dog has had the standard check-up here, as well as an operation for a hernia, and has gotten teeth pulled too.  They do a great job, and my dog's tail is wagging!!! Read Less

This is a smaller satellite office of the South Bay Veterinary Group located on Tremont Street. I really like this office because the doctors my dog has seen here do a very good job of listening to you and asking questions to get to know your pet and not just making snap judgments. They also aren't prone to pushing unnecessary tests or procedures. The fees are reasonable too. Most recently we saw Dr. Levine here but I've only had good experiences at this clinic, I'm sure any of the vets working here would do a great job for you and your pet. Read Less

I've been taking my two kitties to the Charles Street Animal Clinic for the past two years, and I could not say enough good things about them. Affordable, friendly, caring, gentle...simply fantastic! Dr. Wosko is wonderful and always offering suggestions for keeping my babies healthy and happy. Both the South End and Charles Street locations are great. Been to both. Read Less

My cat Denali and I have always had a good experience here.  There are two locations which is convienent for me.  I can get his special food at the South End location, and take him for visits to the Charles Street location.  Plus, multiple offices means it's easier to get him to the vet in an emergency.  I've never had a problem getting an appointment. I once had to take him in on Christmas Eve.   He is frequently seen by different vets so continuity to care can be an issue. Read Less

Charles Street Animal Clinic is the sister operation of South Bay Veterinary Clinic - where the Surgical Facility is. It is near to Charles Street station on the Red line and is relatively quiet (and less hectic) than the South End - Tremont Street Office. The same Senior Vets work at both places and rotate at the very convenient Charles Street location. While you may have a particular vet, the other vets on the team may be more available at different times. The vets also have different ideas that they discuss - which may be useful in complicated cases. Charles Street vets are excellent at delivering up to date approaches and matching the level of treatment to the age and prognosis of the animal. You are not likely to be overcharged for ineffective treatment of older animals. My one issue is that the records are kept at the South End location and are often unavailable. Even the billing systems are very slow because of the limited computer connections. Read Less

I have been taking my cats here for 3.5 years and the location is incredibly convenient.  My cats have not had any major emergencies, so my review is based on basic checkups.  The staff is very professional and knowledgeable.  The office seems very clean to me.  Other vets I have been to seem dirtier and smellier.  This office offers complimentary claw trims and seem to have enough openings to fit most schedules.  My cats also love the cet virbac cat chews that can be bought from this office.  The chews also help reduce plaque buildup.  The prices do seem high but I figure it is easier to walk my cats to the vet instead of driving them. Read Less

I have used these guys for nearly a year now, since getting a cocker puppy. They seem very efficient and certainly very friendly vets and staff. I've only used them for small stuff, like checkups and vaccinations. They aren't cheap (but I don't really know how they compare, so their prices may be the norm) but the location is convenient for me, the wait times are small, and as far as I can tell they do good work.For bigger stuff (like neutering) they refer you to their location in South End, which is set up for surgeries etc. They don't do this stuff in Charles St. Read Less

So, I totally put this review under the wrong name at first. Apparently these guys are part of the South Bay Veterinary Group and put that title all over everything, but they are in Beacon Hill, not the South End. Anyway, here's my review... again: My doggy and I had such a great experience. I woke up one morning and he had a hurt eye :(. It was red and swollen and he looked so pathetic. I freaked out and started calling around to find a vet. They couldn't see me right away, but got me an appointment the next day and told me about the emergency clinic in case I freaked out and needed to get him treated immediately. I managed to wait (part of me freaked out, but I've gone three days w/o treating myself for corneal abrassions, I wouldn't go to the doctor for a foreign body, and I wouldn't rush to the emergency room for an infection either, so I tried to not freak out too much). However, I did call my vet from home to find out what I should do and expect from another vet (freeze the eye, check for a foreign body, dye the eye, look for an ulcer, absent an ulcer provide a steroid cream--my vet was very adamant about making sure all that happened). Anyway, when my appointment rolled around, I was seen 15 minutes later. I think the guy at the desk could have been a little friendlier, but he wasn't bad. He was only a three star receptionist/assistant though.The vet who saw me, Dr. Girifalco, was excellent. She was so good to my dog and so friendly. She was very understanding about how nervous he was (he's been getting in house veterinary care for most of his life). She wasn't going to check for a foreign body at first, but  humored me after I requested it. However, they didn't exactly have the proper tools available, but she was able to look around. She did dye the eye and after not finding an ulcer showed me how to apply the steroid cream. We were quickly in and out. She gave him a couple treats and he left easy-peasy and trauma free. Just a note, just for being new to this place I got a $55 fee, it's called the New Pet fee. I still left for under $100 and Marty is A-OK! I would feel comfortable leaving Marty there without me. Read Less

This was my cat Jax' s vet when we lived in Boston.  He went there twice, for his first ever check up, and then before we moved.  The reason we went here was because it's right around the corner, and Jax doesn't like to travel (he screams so much people probably think i'm killing him).  We saw a female dr the first time we went, and i was pretty unhappy.  After waiting a while, she hardly looked at him.  This was supposed to be a new patient physical but she barely touched him. She gave him worming meds and most of it ended up on me, his fur, the table, etc, and not in his mouth.  For barely doing anything, she charged us extra (because new patient physicals cost more).  The second time we went, we saw a guy doctor.  He examined Jax very thoroughly, answered all my questions, and was very personable (catable?).  We were charged less, even including a shot, worm vaccine, and something to calm him for the plane, but got a thousand times more service.  The receptionist was really friendly this time too and they both said how utterly adorable Jax is (look at the pics in my profile!).  So, 2 totally different experiences at the same place.  I'd say 3 1/2 stars, because you dont know what you'll get and it might not be good. Read Less

I took our cat here for three years when I lived on Beacon Hill and they were always fantastic. The receptionists were very nice when my yowling monster was let out of his carrier (with his harness and leash on, of course) and allowed to sniff everything. For a young Bengal cat, one of the vets commented that he had "sharp claws and scary teeth," which I have always found amusingly appropriate! I never had a bad experience there and would recommend these vets to anyone who lives in the neighborhood. Read Less

While I've only been here once, it was a very positive experience.  I took my little kitty here for a check-up and the vet and vet-helper were nothing but nice.  Plus the vet indulged all my silly cat questions and pretended along with me that my kitty is the cutest cat ever...positive reinforcement is always a plus.  I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a vet for your cat or dog.  Plus they have everything computerized--not even my doctor's office is that advanced! Read Less