After many years of using this vet, I can confirm that I will never set foot in this place again. The employees are bitter and lack any empathy. I rushed my dog Bruiser there at 7 am yesterday mornin... Read More
After many years of using this vet, I can confirm that I will never set foot in this place again. The employees are bitter and lack any empathy. I rushed my dog Bruiser there at 7 am yesterday morning as soon as I noticed him experiencing shortness of breath. I was early, and this place gets packed quickly, but I was seen right away. The vet came in, took one look at my dog, listened to his heartbeat, and told me his heart was "flopping around in there." I was told he had likely been "suffering" from heart disease for months and that I should've noticed months ago. I loved that dog, he was with me every single day, and I would NEVER have let him suffer had I known something was wrong. As soon as I noticed something was wrong, I took him to get help. I had to make the heartbreaking decision to let my little guy go right then and there. While they prepared, I asked if they handle the cremation process and was told they only offer communal cremation and I would get nothing back. I asked if they could connect me with a location I could reach out to in order to arrange private cremation and was told that I could "Google it" myself. The euthanasia process was not peaceful. I was told his blood pressure was so low that it was hard for the medication to enter his system quickly. Instead of being able to hold him during the process, the vet and assistant instead were flipping him around shaving multiple legs and stabbing multiple veins. I should note that just 2 days prior, I had to put another dog down due to cancer and VetSavers handled her with such love and care. I was an emotional wreck obviously, losing 2 dogs in 3 days is hard. Watching someone act so coldly is even harder. You want some peace for your pet. As soon as they confirmed his heart had stopped, they asked me to step out and wait for him. They're clearly too busy to allow any time with your animal once it's done. I am a sobbing mess standing in a crowded room, and they simply walk out and hand me my animal in an old cardboard box No empathy, no direction on where I could go, and no discussion on what I could expect to go on with the body. I loaded him up in my car and headed home, and asked family to try and locate somewhere I could take him that day for private cremation. We located a man willing to let me drop off his body, but it would be several hours until he could meet us. Once I made it home, I wanted to say goodbye to my friend. I opened the box to find he had been wrapped in a trash bag which broke my heart. I ripped open the bag, and went to pick him up only to hear air leaving his body, and I spent 30 minutes panicking, wondering if he was really dead. I know it is likely emotions, fear, and a lack of familiarity with the body's responses after death.... But it was torture. A torture no pet owner should have to experience. I convinced myself I could feel his heartbeat, see a breath, and hear his stomach gurgling.I knew I could not handle watching him for hours so I contacted VetSavers, and they agreed to take his remains and handle the private cremation. Their staff, the gentleman that originally planned to handle the cremation, and anyone I've discussed this experience with is COMPLETELY disgusted by what happened. What's done is done. I get it.... These people have been doing this for years. They've hardened their hearts to the process. Part of me understands. But, any pet owner wants peace, a loving end, and the reassurance that their pet is truly deceased and out of pain. I don't have that. Instead, I get to wonder if my dog was really dead or not when he was placed in a trash bag, and put in some old box laying around. I will always have to wonder what he felt and went thru. He deserved better, and this place will never see another pet of mine again. Read Less