Union City Animal Clinic

Bad service. When we called they said we needed an appointment and once we got there they were letting people in without an appointment. First come first servedOne hour later we were still waiting without any visibility of the time it would take for the vet to see our dogs. It's disrespectful!We left. And we won't come back Read Less

Dr Zalas and her team have been taking care of our cats for about 10 years. In that time I have never had a problem with anyone or anything here. The practice schedules appointments and appointments are seen before walkins, but don't be surprised if they run late. Dr Z will see emergency patients first and there is always the possibility of a visit before yours running long. Fees are reasonable and on occasion they will spread payments out if you need it. This is only done for regular customers so don't ask for at least a few visits. Staff is helpful and willing to go that extra mile. Parking is a problem even though they have parking behind the building and on the street. DO NOT PARK AT THE DUNKIN DONUTS. They will tow your car. The practice is a general vets office and offers all services such as shots, medications, grooming, checkups and emergency visits. My family and I are moving out of state and we will miss Dr Z and her staff. Finding a similar replacement will be very hard. I recommend this practise to anyone needing vet services in Union City, North Bergen or the Heights in Jersey City. Read Less

I brought my 7 week old kitten stonie on Fri they gave her shots treatments and a prescription and 2 days later on Sunday she died! You would think they would know that's too much stuff for a baby! Never bringing an animal there again! Read Less

I was not impressed with this animal clinic and will not be returning. The staff weren't very friendly and there was no decent standard of care at all. When I enter, the lady at the front desk just looked at me like I stole something and wasn't welcoming at all. When I finally got to the exam room, no one introduced themselves, neither the doctor nor tech, and the doctor didn't explain what he was doing as he was doing it. The tech was very cold, didn't make small talk at all and when he called me back to the room, he immediately started walking towards the room as I got up leaving me behind which just felt rude. I thought my animal had an upper respiratory infection so the doctor does the physical exam and says everything looks fine and she seems healthy but he still prescribed expensive as hell antibiotics. I feel like he was just scamming me for money. Why does a healthy cat need antibiotics? I really wish I would've called him on this BS in the clinic but I hate confrontation so I just paid the money and left. Will never return to this place again. Read Less

I was not impressed with this animal clinic and will not be returning. The staff weren't very friendly and there was no decent standard of care at all. When I enter, the lady at the front desk wasn't welcoming at all and gave me a weird look. The tech was very cold, didn't make small talk at all and when he called me back, he immediately started walking towards the room as I got up leaving me behind which just felt rude.When I finally got to the exam room, no one introduced themselves, neither the doctor nor tech, and the doctor didn't explain what he was doing as he was doing it.  I thought my animal had an upper respiratory infection so the doctor does the physical exam and says everything looks fine and she seems healthy but he still prescribed expensive as hell antibiotics. I feel like he was just scamming me for money. Why does a healthy cat need antibiotics? I really wish I would've called him on this BS in the clinic but I hate confrontation so I just paid the money and left. Will never return to this place again. Read Less

**PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE CHOOSING THIS CLINIC*** CUSTOMER SERVICE VERY POOR, EXTREMENLY PRICY! AND SERVICE REALLY SLOW!They charge $45 dollars only for consultation. It does not matter if you call to make an appointment, you will literally spend the whole day in there. It takes for ever to see your pet.It is Way too expensive for the area where it's located. I was living in the area when I first decided to bring my 2 months old female French Bulldig to this place, so I gave it a try.I came back to this place as my dog which is now 1 year and 3 months was discharging some bloody fluids from her vagina after mating her a few weeks ago and I am was not sure if she was pregnant or not. The doctor said it was too early to determine if she is or not, so she recommended x rays which is $100 dollars just to make sure there is nothing  cancerous as she is not spayed. I agreed with her and proceeded to do the x rays. Everything was good until she sneakily commented (not asking) that she was doing not one but two pictures, one abdominal and one lateral one, I said yes. That "yes"  costed me $50 extra bucks! When I get home I realize that the receipt says $150 for x rays plus medication.I call back to complain about it and the secretary said I was charged because it was two pictures, to which I responded yes!  I know but the doctor was not clear about it, I mean if you are charging extra for a service at least you should mention to the customers they are being charged, not assuming that customer should know because they said yes to your comment. I will never ever bring my pet back to this place. Horrible service! Read Less

This place is horrendous. Do NOT bring your pet here.They are rude and are not willing to help.  I had an appointment at 11 Am and have been waiting for over FOUR hours to see the vet. The front desk is NO help. Every time I ask when I'll be seen they reply with "we don't know" "we can't help you"if I would have known it was going to take FOUR HOURS to see my sick dog I would have found a different vet.Do not come here. They have no respect for you, your time, or your pet. Read Less

I brought my cat in after 2 other emergency visits for vomiting; 1 at Secaucus Animal Hospital and 1 at North Jersey Veterinary Emergency Services. Both were fine and treated him well, but neither could diagnose the issue of ongoing vomiting. I came to Union City Animal Hospital because that is where he was neutered and it is close to home. Dr. Zalis Montserrat neutered him, and was there when I brought him in this time, as well. She has an incredible passion for animals and is extremely compassionate. I requested blood work, and after that came back with no issue she recommended an ultra sound or exploratory surgery. I came back a week later with my poor little guy in a real emergency panic and she took the liberty of performing emergency surgery on a day where no surgeries are done. She kept in touch after the surgery and during his stay for the next 2 days with updates. When I picked him up, she gave me all of the information I needed and sent me home with a kitty on the road to recovery. Although most of the other people on staff are kind of cold and distant, I will absolutely continue to see Dr. Zalis and recommend her to any furry friends I know. Read Less

Came here with my pet who got sick, they were nice enough to see me right as they were about to close. The staff here was friendly, the doctor took care of my pet in a friendly manner, and I'm all happy with this place.Read Less

The vets in this clinic change frequently.  I think its kind of a training clinic for new vets.  I have gotten good care there for my cats and the prices are reasonable.  They explain things well.  The place has been remodeled a few times.  Parking is awful in the area. In the transitions some patient information has been lost. Read Less

If I could give no stars I would. They are not only rude to humans, they are completely uncaring of whether or not the animals are actually being taken care of. If it wasn't recommending expensive food that I didn't need, it was demanding tests and medicines that my dog didn't need. They've not opened on days I had an appointment, they've denied medication refills without valid reason, and they never apologize or take responsibility for wrong doing or rudeness. I should have left sooner but it was the closest vet to my home and I did not have a car for a few months. Thank goodness things have changed because I will never deal with them again - for the sake of my dog's health and my sanity. Read Less

This place only has stars because people reviewed it years ago. Unfortunately, as of June 2016 this office is unfit to care for animals. They rip people off and show no compassion. My dog suffers from severe allergies; they are so bad that this office provides him with a monthly prednisone prescription and forces us to do bloodwork every 3 months. May 23, just before his pills were up, I made an appointment for him to be seen and do bloodwork on May 25 (as per usual). Yet on May 25 When I went for my appointment there was no one there; I called the office 2 two hours, and nobody answered. Nobody called me back either. I had to call them the following day and they acted like it was no big deal. To make matters worse,  the next available appointment was not until June 2 and they would not give me with a partial prescription despite the fact that we had run out of pills the previous day (my should have been appointment). They wanted the money for the bloodwork FIRST - which we were doing anyway, so this was beyond greedy and negligent because they are very aware of the fact that my dog has severe allergies and had run out of prednisone, which (1) is a med you need to wean off slowly and (2) when he is off prednisone he will scratch himself to the point of drawing blood and losing fur. Anyway: on June 2, I waited over 2.5 hours and watched as people who arrived hours after me got seen before me. Any time I asked what was up, I was told to relax and wait, as I had to wait for a specific vet - which I never agreed to or requested. In fact, I specifically requested a "first available" situation as all the vets there have seen my dog. In the process of waiting my dog scratched himself to bloodiness. Despite this, and their mess ups which caused it, The receptionist was rude and callous, and the vet would not come speak to me. I ultimately asked for my dog's file and left. The lady in the front has no business dealing with animals or humans and all of them prioritize money over care and the wellbeing of pets. I am taking my dog and my money elsewhere. Read Less

I've been taking my dog here ever since I got him at six months, I must say the staff is helpful, and my dogs about to turn four years old so it means he's still alive and kicking! Lol...my American pitbull terrier gets all his shots here, my only problem one time was they wouldn't let me see the dog getting his shot, found that weird but okay lol. Last visit was because my dog had a ear ache/infection and was walking wobbly, kind of glad my father works in the hospital and came along for some reason the doctor was prescribing my dog two meds that basically do the same thing, I mean I've seen reviews on how they make you buy unnecessary things, and im still like hmmmmm...but all in all happy with this place because they aren't super expensive and they make sure your pet is taken care of even if they try to make you pay for unnecessary services lol Read Less

Pay attention to reviews that tell you how money focused the Union City Animal Clinic. I made mistake of overlooking them. Dr. Girsten here and the staff are no different from those vets who try to push you to buy into unnecessary services, pet supplies and medicine from them at double and triple the costs you can pay by just going online to pet care and pharmacy websites and just submitting a prescription or doing online research. I have a right to make sure this vet clinic does not dupe me, kill my pet by loading her with prescription medicine and unnecessary services, or rip me off. The 2 girls at the front desk will make comments in Spanish mentioning how "cheap" or "barato" your visit was right in front of you as you are handing them your cash!! It is plain rude to do this in front of patients and it shows immaturity in the staff. The staff will behave coldly to you and YOUR PET, including the girl who does the blood work. Dr. Girsten, the 2 women at the front desk and the girl who does the blood work tried to convince me to get wellness exams and two additional tests that my pet did not need and my pet just had a wellness exam a month ago with Dr. Girsten!! AGAIN, I have right to make sure my pet does not suffer or die because a vet is money hungry and just wants to load my pet with unnecessary services and prescriptions. The previous nice comments must be from people who were fooled and overpaid for vet services. You begin to wonder if this clinic and staff wish your pet would get sick more often just so they can collect their money. There are plenty of veterinarians in the area. I do not recommend this one. Read Less

I took my dog there one day because she got really sick and everyone helped me immediately and knew exactly how to treat my pup. After a two days of following their instructions my pup was better! They are extemely friendly too! Read Less

The girls at the front desk and the vet techs are amazing. Very knowledgable and patient with the animals. We've used both doctors Dr. Zalis and another female doctor who works there (forgot her name). Both doctors were very knowledgeable, this was our first time owning a puppy and they thoroughly explained the process of shots she would need and did a thorough check up. They also offered advice however were not pushy. The prices are affordable and the service is great, they also have flexible hours. Overall I wouldn't trust anyone else with my baby!Read Less

My wife went to the clinic with our cat she spent $550.00 for x-rays and the visit we never got the results. She was just guessing, very frustrating. We went to another Dr. And he only charged $150.00 for x-rays and visit,and gave us the results right away. By the way my cat is doing fine. Read Less

We visited their office on Sat Oct 10th, 2015 at 9 AM without an appointment.  The reason of our visit was due to my senior dog was suffering from severe diarrhea since 2 AM.  This was not my first time there.  Several of my dogs have been there lots of times.  The receptionist said that she did not warranty that my dog was going to be seen by the vet because they only followed their appointment schedule.  She said that if they had a cancellation my dog could be seeing then.   Well, I was waiting to be seeing over three hours when I finally decided to leave and go elsewhere.They were all careless of my dog; my dog was in pain crying in the waiting room.  My dog is a 15 year old senior that was in need of a medical exam and medication.  They did not care and on top of it were rude because I did not have an appointment.  Keep in mind I had spent lots of money for surgeries and ear infections ( we all know that's not cheap).  I considered myself a customer and was not treated as such.  I will never go back there again and I will make sure to let all my pet owners that Union Animal Clinic of union City does NOT CARE for the sick.  HORRIBLE SERVICE! Read Less

I take all three of my cats here, and my senior min pin. Dr.Montserrat Zalis gave me extremely attentive care and advice when my I first got my cat Dexter (as a kitten), he was sick, and near death with jaundice, fleas, and a liver infection. She explained everything to me and even called to check up weeks later. That was 4 years ago, we were unsure if he would make it but he's doing great! Just this past weekend I took my senior min pin for a check-up bc she was having trouble walking and was extremely lethargic... It turned out she needed emergency on the spot surgery bc her uterus was infected. The staff was so helpful and caring - I was a complete wreck, my dog is 17 - and it was a put her down or do the surgery situation. An extremely hard decision and once again; Dr. Zalis saved the day. It's hard to find a vet who isn't just "doing their job"; she LOVES her job, and she does it with a caring and enthusiasm that is hard to come by these days. I will *not* see any other vet. Dr. Zalis is my #1, and i thank her every day for saving two of my best friend's lives! TIP: call ahead for an appt. Read Less

I loooooooove this vet!! She's the sweetest and most caring vet I've ever been to. She is a serious animal lover so it makes me feel so much more comfortable leaving my pet with her. The prices are way more reasonable that most pets. The wait time can be a little long sometimes but honestly it doesn't matter because at least I know it's worth it. She always takes the best care of my cats and although I live 20 mins away, I always make sure to come here for my cats vet needs. Read Less

This is my go to vet. I've tried different veterinarians and most are pricy. Summit animal clinic is also good but the wait time is ridiculous. I brought my dog and used a friend's of animal certificate to neuter my dog. He did well and recovered. I have 7 pets and plan to take them here. Price is reasonable and employees are friendly. Mango is a cutiee. Read Less

I took my kitten to get spayed.  The doctor was so kind and gentle and kind towards my cat Lala, that Lala didn't' even try to run away when the doctor picked her up and held her.  I felt confident leaving my cat in their care.  The staff was very efficient, friendly, and professional.  The place is just a tiny bit run down looking, but none of that mattered once I saw the way they operated.  The called me to assure me that everything went well and told me what time she'd be picked up.  The doctor took her time explaining everything and could not have been more pleasant.  I will definitely return to them from now on. Read Less

DON'T GO !!!      rip off.   !!!!!  I took my dog for her 2 o'clock appointment , didn't go in till 3:30 ?!? so why did I need an appointment? first they lure you in with there cheap visit price , then bam ! 400 dollar bill !  no my dog didn't break anything or need surgery . she simply haddiarrhea and was dehydrate .  so just for fluids (35) and  some pills (which was 20 )  first visit (40)  and some unexplained reason  my bill was 398.94 ? I asked why so high n she said " I will speak to doc , comes back and now its 289.00  so I told her no! I want to see him ! when he came out he said he gave her 3 shots ? first I didn't see him give her anything ! that's because they take your pet upstairs where you are not allowed and then come back saying we did this and that . rip off!!!!!  I did not see you administrate anything , how do I know you did what you said ? I have been to other places where you stay with your dog and they till you how much everything will be before they do it? so at the end I only paid 95 .  my warning         DON'T GO !!!     never going there again , they got lucky that my vet was closed for the week ! Read Less

I just brought my dog in there and you can tell the doctor loves animals and treats them like her own.I am so glad to have found someone close by who I feel I can trust to give me good advice. would definitely recommend them. Read Less

I can't believe anyone could give this woman anything more then a 0. She doesn't have concern for the animals, when you enter the clinic it's all about her ego, worst of all she gives the shoddiest results for some of the most expensive fees. Forget about this woman and go elsewhere unless you truly want to torture and kill your pet. Read Less

I just read 4 reviews on YELP regarding the car from this clinic. I cannot believe people are rating this place 4 and 5 stars. You have to be kidding me!! We made an appointment with this vet because our dog had urinated bright red blood the night before. She has been spayed years ago and the blood came in a significantly larger amount than what one would expect from a urinary tract infection. It was literally a small pool of blood! We checked in 15 minutes early and ended up waiting more than an hour and a half There was a hand written sign on the wall that read ""To avoid waiting, make an appointment!! Otherwise wait patiently!!!"" Ehh...attitude on a paper? And hand written signs on printing paper? C'mon, people pay good money for crappy service, they can't afford to at least PRINT it out? Regardless, we patiently awaited our turn. When we finally got to see Dr. Zalis, she seemed busy, but nice nonetheless. She took an xray and urine culture. Sent the urine culture out and gave us some antibiotics to take home. She said the culture would take 3 days to get back. When they came in, she would contact us. Meanwhile, we traveled home (which happens to be 6hours away in upstate NY). In the next 2 days, our dog got increasingly lethargic and stopped eating. We took her to the local vet immediately, and thank God we did! (Bare in mind that this is before the urine culture from Dr. Zalis came back). Our dog was found to be severely anemic and she was sent to the ICU immediately. It turned out that our dog has a condition where her red blood cells were being destroyed by her immune system. And the red cells had decreased to more than half of what it should be. She was admitted for days. If we had waited until Dr. Zalis's report came back, OUR DOG MIGHT HAVE BEEN DEAD BY NOW!!! Dr. Zalis went in a completely different diagnostic direction. She very easily could have done a PCV (test for red blood cell levels) since we told her our dog had been urinating large amounts of blood. The test is cheap! She didn't do everything she could to treat our dog. And the antibiotics she prescribed is therefore useless since our dog did not have an infection! And by randomly prescribing antibiotics, she's increasing the chances of resistance. Thank God we did not wait for her! We paid close to $300 for nothing. And she never called us back with the culture results neither. We no longer needed them since the diagnosis was completely different than the direction she was going in. Thank you for absolutely nothing. I will never return to this clinic nor will I ever recommend this clinic to anyone. Read Less

Because of the reviews here, I took my one month old kitten to the clinic because she had a terrible eye infection. From the moment I walked in, all concern was for the health of my kitty. The initial visit was a very reasonable $40. The vets diagnosed her, and gave her treatment in such a gentle and compassionate way. I have other kittens at home- who are starting to show symptoms of eye infections- and they gave me medication to take care of ALL of them- and even told me I can get the prescription refilled if I run out! A BIG difference from other experiences with other vets- who've insisted that every kitten be brought in- (each being charged individually for the visit, of course.) Something I just can't afford right now. They cared as much about kittens they didn't even see, as the one in front of them. It's so important to find a vet who really CARES about the pets she treats. And isn't in it for just the money. These are really caring and kind people. Genuinely compassionate- and I can't rave them enough. Read Less

Dr. Zalis and her staff are very compassionate caring people which is why we have been taking our kitties and dog for almost three years.She has a lab on premises to give fast and accurate results of tests and always unlike other vets gives a correct diagnosis followed by many options for treatment, The best part is that this clinic has  very affordable prices and they are a stones throw away from the high priced not as overall good  quality that Dr Zalis and her colleags and staff offer. In 40 years of dealing with vets Dr Zallis is by far the best we have ever put our pets trust in. Read Less

MY NEIGHBOR HAD A PIT BULL 2MONTH OLD PUPPY,WELL THE PUPPY EAT HIS PRAISE COLLECTIONS,SO HE TOSSED THIS PUPPY AROUND HIS APT. I TOOK THE THE TO THIS VET,DR.ZALIS GAVE HIM PAIN MEDS...THAT WAS ALL EVERYTHING HAD A PRICE THIS WAS A PUPPY THAT WAS SLOWLY DYING BEFORE OUR EYES, THEY WANTED ME TO TAKE HIM SOME WHERE ELSE, I COULDN'T MOVE THIS PUPPY HE SEEMED TO ME THAT HIS NECK WAS BROKE,SO I STAYED PUT...DR ZALIS CALLED UNION CITY POLICE TO HAVE ME AND THE DYING PUPPY REMOVED, BUT WHEN POLICE GOT THERE THEY ORDERED HER TO PUT THIS PUPPY TO SLEEP, WHAT A SHAME LIFE SHOULD HAVE NO PRICE. I ALSO ASKED HER IF SHE COULD PLEASE DRIVE ME TO A ANIMAL HOSPITAL BEING I HAD NO MONEY SHE SAID DO I LOOK LIKE A TAXI TO YOU? DO NOT BRING YOUR SEVER ANIMAL HERE, THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE SEVER CASES!!!R.I.P LIL GUY Read Less

Okay we all know this is a very affordable clinic. Routine check-ups and teeth cleaning were fine over the years; but when my senior kitties got really sick, I elected to take them elsewhere. The front desk staff are not informed enough to deal with procedures and tests and what you need to do ahead of time for those. They can answer the phone and make an appointment. I don't want to have to take a crash course in veterinary practices to ensure the right tests are ordered and the right directions are given. They upcharge heavily on the meds and that is not right. I found the same pills online for a third of what I was charged. The vet is well meaning but overbooked and you have to be high maintenance in order to have your pet really looked at. If you have a pet in trouble, I don't believe it will receive the most attentive and informed care, and this could cost your pet its life. Read Less

Dr. Kim does not spend $$$ on big-screen TVs and expensive office decor. His facility is simple and clean. He is always willing to put your pet's needs FIRST. He did same-day surgery two separate times on two different serious problems my pug experienced. He called in a 2nd vet to assist during one procedure because,he said it would greatly speed up the surgery and, quote, ""I do not like to leave pugs in anesthesia any longer than necessary"". He saved my neighbor's dog's life after B*****line Animal Hosp (big $$ competitor) gave him a death sentence. I personally witnessed Dr. Kim's dedication to a tiny kitten someone brought in. It had fallen into a bucket of Pine-Sol cleaner and remained there for some time. Dr. Kim took the kitten home with him and personally cared for it ALL NIGHT LONG, it surely would've died otherwise. He is everything you want a veterinarian to be. Considerate, caring, and puts THE PET FIRST. While the other reviewer has my sympathy for the loss of her pet, one must realize NOT EVERY ANIMAL CAN BE SAVED. Read Less

I have been dealing with this Vet for the past 14yrs. I had 3 dogs who all lived out their life span to the max. This Vet is very helpful & works with people like myself whop love animals & at times can't really afford a vet bill. I now have a cat who was almost dead. He saved her life. I'm very please and have no complaints other that everytime I go to this vet he is always crowded. At least there is plenty of public parking (meter) Read Less

The people there are very nice and genuinely care about animals but this facility is not equipped for serious surgical procedures and recovery. My pet died due to the facility's inability to monitor her stability. The surgical procedure was a very serious one and she needed round the clock care, continuous fluids, and constant monitoring. They were unable to provide this and she died 4 days after surgery and it was devastating and unexpected. The doctor will offer you a cheap price, but you get what you pay for - a nonsterile environment and inadquate treatment of postop recovering animals. I saved myself $500 at the cost of my poor baby's life. for a relatively common procedure. Please please please do not take your beloved pet here for any serious issues. You will end up like me, full of regret and guilt and never knowing if she would have survived under the care of a more equipped environment. Take your pet to a hospital, not a clinic. They will provide the right equipment and a clean sterile environment for the procedure. He told me my cat was going to be fine right after surgery every day for 4 days. She was listless, not eating, not being fed, and sleeping in her own waste after major surgery. This doctor should really be reported. Of course my cat died, even after he told me repeatedly she would be fine when day after day she was obviously getting worse. Despite my own judgment I didn't move her and I lost her to this butcher of a doctor. Read Less