The people who work here are amazing, kind people who definitely love their job!! I received 5 star treatment today when there was a misunderstanding about appt times; they got me in right away. The receptionist was so sweet to my dog and nice to accommodate me. Dr. Cooper and vet tech Kim were so caring and gentle with my dog especially because he was terrified of the shots. I felt genuine sincerity in their passion for pets and tender care mine. I always have received excellent care here and had to share my experience with you all! Read Less

Very nice staff!! Everyone we came in contact with was very kind. Nice clean place. Dr. Carpenter was great. He did our baby bully's full exam and was very helpful telling us all about what is normal with bulldogs and some things that can occur with the breed. We brought all 4 of our kids even though we originally thought it wouldn't be the best idea. They were great with the kids! They brought in a tiny baby kitty and pup for them to see and pet and Dr. Carpenter let them each hear our pups heartbeat. They also gave all of us a tour. Wonderful place! Read Less

Dr. Carpenter and Staff are the best. Boarding our little dogs was a wonderful experience as well. The staff are family! They are always a phone call away and happy to answer questions and make appts. Read Less

We had to take our dog here for surgery and everyone has been amazing! We had issues after the surgery (not Family Friends fault) and they were so fast getting us in to get help and getting our dog the care we needed. Because of how wonderful they have been, and priced really well, we are going to be using them for all our veterinary needs. Thank you to all the staff. Read Less

We have very high expectations for the veterinary care of our two Irish Wolfhounds and those expectations are always exceeded at Family Friends Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Carpenter's knowledge of the specialized care required by unique breeds, like our sight hounds, is second to none in the area. He is a skilled surgeon and clearly cares about his patients like they were his own pets. We wouldn't trust the health of our boys to anyone else. Thanks for always taking such good care of Sully & Fergus! Read Less

I have been taking my dogs to Dr. Carpenter for over 10 years. He is an awesome vet. I've had a few emergencies and didn't have the money at the time and they have always worked with me and I appreciate that so much. We had to put out Spike to sleep last April and my husband and I were beside ourselves. After Spike was gone they let us stay with him as long as we needed to and then told us we could leave by way of back door for our privacy. We also had brought our Jill in a few years ago and she passed away at the vet. That time we had Dr. Sutfin and she let me go in and be with her when they were trying to bring Jill back. They made sure I was ready to have them stop working on her b4 they told me there was nothing else they could do. The compassion for me is what I really appreciate from the whole staff. I have had a couple of the techs I didn't really care for but in a big office like this it cannot be perfect. I really don't care for the way that things have changed in the last few years. If I want to see what they do to or for my dog I want to be there. They now take your dog in the back in do so much of the exam away from me. I would rather have Dr. C come into the room and do what needs to be done there. I understand some things need to be done in a different environment but if I want to be with my dog I think I should be able to. I always was able to go in back with my baby b4 and now most of the techs make you feel as if you don't trust them. Honestly sometimes I don't. My dogs are my kids. Really though it would take a whole lot to get me to change vets. I appreciate everything that you have done for my babies and will do in the future. Read Less

Family friends provides stellar customer service… both to the wonderful animals that they serve, and to us humans, their parents. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and are very thorough in their diagnosis. They take time to listen and answer questions, and basically bend over backwards to make sure that both patients and parents are happy. Give them a try. You’ll be glad you did 😸💕🐾💕🐶 Read Less

I called to schedule an exam for my very sick kitty. They were able to get me in later that afternoon. I called the office back to get pricing on x-rays and blood work, because I knew that would be above the exam fees and highly likey to be necessary to determine what was wrong. Little did I know that informing myself financially was frowned upon by the clinic and was admittedly used against me by the same person who was to care for my cat. During the exam, Dr. Carpenter checked vitals, prodded his abdomen and pelvis stating the bladder could not be found. My cats temperature registered low as well. He proceeded to say the symptoms could be caused by a number of issues. At one point he was leaning strongly towards poison, but he admittedly said there was no exact diagnosis. With my daughter and two other children in the room, he said by Monday we would know if kitty was going to make it or not. Dr. Carpenter gave us two options. We could take kitty home and administer subcutaneous fluids by injection, or we could leave him in their care over night with IV fluids. Either way it was shot in the dark with no real answers. I agreed to leave him for the night to get the fluids faster. I left with no answers, and worried my cat was on his death bed. I was to call the next morning, however I decided my kitty needed a second opinion with some testing and hopefully answers, so instead I picked him up. When I did, I found not only did they NOT administer IV fluids, they gave him a muscle relaxer not knowing his nuero state, AND with super low blood pressure, which is their excuse of why he didn't get an IV. Might I add, they only tried one leg for the IV. Not once was I notified of neither the drug they took upon themselves to give my cat, nor did they notify me of failure to IV him; the main reason I left him over night in their care. I took my cat to another vet, paid for another exam, and did blood work and x-rays. My cat was found to have an obstructed bowel and needed to have surgery to remove. I contacted Dr. Carpenter to make him aware of the findings and to express my dissatisfaction in how my cat was treated by him or lack there of. He admitted to me he thought cost was a bigger concern for me then anything, because I called in to get the prices for services. Due to his preconceived notions of me, my desires and or abilities, he decided to not offer or even discuss with me any x-ray or blood testing, nor did he talk to me about payment options. Now, in an attempt to make things 'right', he offered to do the surgery for $200, so long as I "agreed to play nice with him". However, the wording he used for the "surgery", that I had to be there within an hour and 15 minutes, and the fact that he just admitted to being prejudice against me, really didn't settle well with me and I couldn't trust putting my cats life in his hands... again. I trusted Dr. Carpenter to treat my cat the first time, and he basically was going to let him die. Followup July 2017: I appreciate your call, and while you "agree with everything I wrote", it is utterly disappointing your attempt to resolve this matter with BRIBERY; prior to my concerns being expressed publicly, they were directed to you. I was told I would be refunded, however that did not happen, without an additional price-tag of its own. You made clear the only way I was going to be refunded at this point is if I took down my Google rating; you even went as far as coercing me to do so because "I should think about all your employees that it could effect negatively"; to "make the decision I could sleep with at night", because, was the money or concern for animal welfare really more important or valuable than your employee's jobs. You're hopes were that with the refund everything would disappear and "there would be no further repercussions on either end". The above mentioned poor business practice was terribly demeaning; the ethics behind it are even worse. Read Less

Blue Pearl quoted the same surgery (next day, not emergency) for $5,500. Family Friends did it for $1,000. They were confident, highly competent, and polite. My dog got everything I could ask for. I went from having to make a very difficult decision to a very easy one. Can’t thank you enough Family Friends!! Read Less

I have been training and selling police dogs and military dogs for 7 years. Was a military k9 trainer and 2 years of sheriff office K9 handler and I brought my female malinois Paris in today for an x ray to see how many puppies we had in there and the vet staff was extremely helpful and answered every question I had. I tend to find that many vet offices I go to have less knowledge about dog reproduction than I do from the years of breeding and experience I have with breeding but this vet office had over exceeded my expectations and I will be recommending anyone and everyone to this vets office thank you Read Less

I continue to refer friends and co workers to Family Friends. They never disappoint - I always hear "We Love Them". Consistent, Kind, Compassionate, Efficient and Welcoming. Thank you for caring for my Dog for the past 7 years Read Less

I luv the staff they are so patient will my 80 yr old mom. They are absolutely the most caring staff. Our first visit with them was in November of last year to put my mom's 14 year old cat down. They were so kind to her from the office staff when we walked in the door to the doctors. She said absolutely no more cats but if she ever got one that's where she would go. Short version of a long story. New Year's Eve day we took her to a shelter. She told my brother she might come home with 2. Well we did. 2 beautiful girls. They adjusted absolutely great with my mom. We took them for their first visit one had some issues and teeth pulled. The other last minute choice to adopt had been shot in November and had only 3 legs. She was full on energy and her first visit she had all the normal things done for the first check up. About week later we noticed something had slowed her way down. Took her in the news was not good. She has a very short time left with us. We have her under their comfort care. Every time we bring her in we usually have a different doctor but they all know about her. I can not express enough how grateful my brother, sister and I appreciate their loving care they have given our mom during these difficult days. It is so heartbreaking to see her lose another cat so soon.Read Less

Love Family Friends and would highly recommend them. All staff seem very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Answered all of our questions even the silly ones and made sure we were well informed and understood anything we had questions about. We like their evening and Saturday hours and the onsite boarding option they have (although we haven't used that yet). They were able to get our pup in for an emergency too with hardly any wait time which we really appreciated. Read Less

Everyone was very friendly and very helpful! I love the pictures I received of my Isabelle! I found out later that Isabelle spent A lot of time hanging out with the staff in the boarding area. On a later visit, One of your staff members said, "I remember your cute little one-eyed poodle sitting with the staff! They sometimes have their favorites!" It made me feel great to know that my baby was in such good hands. Read Less

Last week Padma, our beloved English Bulldog had surgery to help her breath better and in general help her become healthier. We are so thankful for the wonderful care she got from ALL the staff at Family Friends. We will never go to another vet, Dr. Carpenter is a blessing from above. The whole staff here is a blessing, knowledgeable, and family/friend oriented. Words cannot express our thankfulness for this staff. The two hour drive is worth every minute. Read Less

We cant say enough good things about Family friends. They have taken such great care of all three of our four legged kids that the thought of going anywhere else is unthinkable. The professionalism, friendliness and the focus on both the owner and the patient is amazing. It is truly a testiment to Dr. Carpenter and his staff. Thank you for all that you do! Read Less

Just had Fozzy and Shayla in for their 16wk check up and have to just say I absolutely love this vet! Doctor Carpenter and staff are worth the over a hour drive we do to bring our bulldogs there. I will not trust my Fozzy bear with any other vet! Thank you guys for being so knowledgeable and genuine with his care. Read Less

We've taken all of our dogs to the Carpenter's for years. In our first trip they caught an eye condition that no other vet did..... they extended her sight and instead of going blind in two years (average) she went totally blind in about seven. They are not only the best in vet care but also in referring specialists for certain conditions. In addition, they have hearts of gold and when our GSD couldn't be saved, they walked with us to the end ensuring she got the best care and love possible. We've moved, but will still drive the extra miles and take the time; our pets are worth it and it's nice to have knowledgeable professionals who also care. We recommend them to anyone. Read Less

I have taken my pets to various pet clinics around Grand Rapids over the last 20 years and have never found a place to be as caring and professional as Family Friends Veterinary Hospital. From the front lobby staff and through out the facility everyone is so friendly and caring. They are more than just a business, but a place of healing and compassion. Also, I love that Dr. Sharp follows up with a call to see hour our pet is doing after a treatment. Read Less

Thank you for the excellent service and fantastic care of Oreo. We had an emergency and the staff got us in right away when they saw us waiting in the parking lot at opening without an appointment. Dr. Ryan Carpenter and Samantha took such good care of my cat. Dr. Ryan even came in early to start treatment. I received updates while they treated him and were very thorough with the best options available. Read Less

We have been impressed with every staff member with whom we've interacted. The care has been top notch and the techs are helpful, knowledgeable, kind and professional. We couldn't ask for better care for our very sick pooch. Read Less

I love this place, the staff and the Vets. I have referred at least 5 of my co-workers and neighbors to Family & Friends. The staff assist you as soon as you arrive, the facility is so clean and organized. I love being escorted to the treatment room and having all the care, consulting and payment for service happening in the same room. They have a well oiled routine that keeps apps on time, pets at ease as well as their owners. Always able to get in quickly. Thank you for being the only place I would consider brining my dog and referring family or friends Read Less

I absolutely love my vet. Every single person who works here is kindhearted, and takes your concerns seriously (even if they know it's a simple fix). Family Friends always makes me feel welcome, they run a very clean facility, and I don't want to take my cats anywhere else. Read Less

I can not thank the staff here enough. My English bulldog has been sick for a year and I have taken him to several vets across the US and none of them could diagnose him correctly, even after I suggested heart failure they all said no, my boy was so sick it was to the point that I knew he only had a few days left and someone suggested family friends and I drove from mississippi and within 5 minutes he was diagnosed with heart failure. Although it was a tough diagnosis it was treatable. Doctor Ryan gave my dog more life and I am forever grateful for that. He made it almost another 9 good months before I had to let him go. I would call and they would always get me in the same day to have him looked at and his meds readjusted and even mailed his meds to me when I was low. Thank you so much family friends and staff beefy was grateful as wellRead Less

I called to ask to have a pregnant dog seen because she was past her due date. I was denied treatment because on an earlier visit I had asked is the billing could be lightly and adjusted due to two A.I. attempts on two different days that the vet himself said may not work since the optimum time for breeding was past. I simply asked. They agreed. Now they will no longer provide services. I have always paid promptly for services. I was shocked that they would deny service when they seemed fine with the adjustment and consequent visits Read Less

We boarded two dogs at Family Friends for a long weekend and our smaller dog was attacked and killed by a much larger dog. What a shock this is to a family. It took two months and numerous phone calls to Family Friends before we could get our pets ashes back. Read Less

I love it here... the staff is really nice. The facility is big and clean offering all the amenities that you would need for your pet. I see Dr. Carpenter, who is a very nice guy!! They do everything pretty much on site and have things available like boarding, grooming, doggy daycare, and classes. I would recommend them ten times over! Read Less