Banfield Pet Hospital

I have been a Banfield client for over 15 years, and today, I finally cut ties with them due to the POOR customer service, among other things. WELLNESS PLAN CLIENTS: Did you know you are paying more for this than if you just went to your local vet? Do the math, something I didn’t do for a while since I trusted Banfield. Lesson learned… this is a scam and they don’t care for your pets well being. Pets are just numbers to them. Sad, they used to be great!

This is a very busy Banfield Pet Hospital. For the receptionists, it all depends on who you have. The receptionists’ passion for working there is DEFINITELY on the low side. Is it just me or do the two guys I’ve met do nothing but complain about the long hours they work? Did I mention that they can’t be bothered if they’re on break?
For the women, it all depends on who you get also. You may get one that’s really helpful, another who completely forgets why you were there, and another that is similar to my experiences with the guys that work here.
HOWEVER! This place completely redeems itself for the doctors they have on staff. Our Fernando’s favorite vet is Dr. Taylor. She really loves animals and is very passionate about her work and her patients. She really listens to you and pays attention to our dogs.
This past Monday, our Fernando passed away suddenly after his visit with a vet other than Dr. Taylor at Banfield. We were so distraught I came back the next day to 1. return the food I just bought for him and 2. get answers. The doctor that had seen Fernando was unfortunately not in, but Dr. Taylor was and she gave me a hug, put a hold on her busy schedule, and sat with me to get answers. She looked over his chart and the findings and even called the vet on duty Monday night when he was brought into the ER. I was able to get the closure I desperately needed. In the end, my Fernando passed away from acute decompensated heart failure. It was very sudden but at his age, it was as if his heart just gave way.
I miss him terribly but I cannot say enough great things about Dr. Taylor at this Banfield. She has the patience, understanding, and passion we pet owners have for our pets. I never got a chance to meet the doctor who managed Fernando that dreadful day but it won’t keep me from coming back to this hospital. Though, I may only request to see Dr. Taylor in the future.

This is an addendum to my previous review. Unfortunately, it’s just as bad as my first. After posting my first review, I was contacted to try and make it right (which I’m still interested in doing, or was). They wanted me to speak with the same doctor that was rude to me when I first voiced my concerns. When I said no absolutely not, this person supposedly so concerned with resolving the issue disappeared and stopped contacting me. She clearly just wanted to post on my review to have the appearance of them as a company caring about complaints, when their actions show they don’t. At this point I don’t want nice words or an apology a month and a half later. I want my money back. At this point i have to consider it may not happen (which I find ridiculous… if they had righted this I would have forgotten about it and continued going there), but I will continue speaking out on every forum there is about what a terrible experience I’ve had with this company. No one else should have to go through the emotional trauma I went through with my pet.

My husband and I had been taking our dog to the puppy obedience classes at PetSmart and we have been very satisfied with the outcome. Our instructor Jennifer was excellent and very helpful. We would strongly recommend her services to interested customers.
Now for the NASTY EXPERIENCE
… when you walk a few feet into the PetSmart store, you will see a veterinarian receptionist behind the counter toward the right side of the store There is located Banfield Pet Hospital. Simply upon entrance, when we approached the counter, the receptionist was very rude to us. We were interested in talking about the veterinary services, however before he would answer any of our simple questions, he shoved the Wellness Plan pamphlet in our faces and began pushing all of their plans… we could not even say a word… he talked nonstop and didn’t take a breath for over a full minute… blah blah blah
I handed him a coupon for a free vet visit. We had purchased a book for $ 19.95 when we began the obedience classes. The flamboyant, obnoxious receptionist snatched the coupon, and held on to it… placing it on his counter while he once again tried to push the Hospital’s Wellness Program. in our faces. We did not have the papers on our dog’s rabies info with us, so he very rudely snapped at us that s we could not be helped and would have to make an appointment for another time.
My husband asked if he could go back home to get Sophie’s info, and I could wait for the vet. He said that all of the vets were running on time, so he had better hurry up if he wanted to see the doctor.
After Steve left, the horrific man told me to walk around if I wanted to because there were three people in front of us and we would have an hour’s wait AT LEAST
When it was time for our appointment, I looked everywhere but I didn’t have the coupon. He said he placed it on the counter to give it back to us, and I did not see him do that. We could not find it anywhere, and I am assuming that another customer may have quickly snatched it up.
When I mentioned the coupon, he boldly and very rudely pointed his finger in my husband’s face and yelled «I gave it to him! It will cost you $ 45 now»
As he told us that our vet was ready to take us in, we turned and walked away in disgust. How such a wretched nasty man can ruin a business which may have be half-​way decent. We didn’t stay to find out.
We are going to go back to the VCA where we had great service for the past 20 years. We just thought we would try the Banfleld Pet Hospital because we had a coupon… We would never set foot near that receptionist again…

I love this vet. My dog has been seen there since she was a puppy and I’m so impressed with their care, which is given at an amazing price. My dog was spayed there and she doesn’t even have a scar (I know of other people who paid exponentially more than I did and their poor dogs dealt with crazy complications and terrible scars!)
The downside is this — within the last year, they hired a new receptionist who is terrible. He doesn’t speak clearly, when you ask him to clarify he gets angry and snippy, and he is not helpful at all. I’m used to their wonderful receptionists in the past who remember me, my dog and really just cared for us. This receptionist can’t even keep track of my dog’s name or whether it’s a cat or a dog. This one person is dragging down a wonderful veterinary practice. Although I recommend this vet highly, I do hope this person gets moved to a more suitable department. When that happens I will be happen to change this to five stars.

Do NOT begin bringing your pet here if you’re looking for an office that is responsive to your concerns as a pet parent or willing to work with you when your pet is in need of care.
I have had my dog on a Banfield Wellness Plan since he was a baby, but until last month we lived in another state and have always had outstanding experiences with our original location. When we moved to the area I moved his record to this location. The lady I originally talked to was super nice and I thought we would have a similarly great experience with this Banfield. Unfortunately, this was not the case when it came to actually caring for my dog.
I called on a Wednesday because my dog hurt his paw two days earlier and it wasn’t getting better. I informed the young man I talked to that my dog was in so much pain I had to carry him down the stairs to take him outside, and that I could be available any time over the next three days so he could be seen immediately. The young man was very snippy and said, among other short and unhelpful things, that their office was full until the end of the month (this occurred on Sept. 4) and that if that was really an emergency I needed to take my dog to the emergency vet. He also said there was no record that my dog was on a Wellness Plan, only that they’d seen my dog before, and so IF they could take him due to a cancellation I would be paying out of pocket for the visit.
After calling corporate and confirming that all of what he said was a load of bullshit (they were upset about his response too) I called back first thing this morning to try to get my dog in, had to leave a message after trying several times to reach someone, and still have not heard anything back from their office. In the mean time, another Banfield office graciously saw my pup first thing after I called, treated him with incredible kindness, and sent him home with me feeling better and on the road to a quick recovery. Even if you need to drive a little further to another location, DO IT. I am so disappointed with the reception staff’s insensitive and uncooperative responses at this particular location.

I take heart in seeing that none of the previous reviews were posted within the past year, because my experience was very much opposite.
Let me preface this by saying I used to hate all Banfields on principal. I took one of my cats to their Daly City, California location once, where they poked and prodded her, diagnosed her with a computer, and tried selling me numerous expensive, useless products.
This time couldn’t have been more different. I ended up having to take my cat to this location once, and my dog another time. Both times, my regular vet was either closed or had no appointments, but Banfield was able to squeeze me in same-​day. The first time I made an appointment and was let into a room shortly after I got there. I saw Dr. Wilding, who sweet-​talked my cat, gave him individual attention, and diagnosed him without running an expensive fecal test I assumed I was going to have to get. The second time was for my dog who had gotten a mystery gash on his paw. They told me there were no appointments, but to come in and they’d see us between appointments. I got taken back right away, and saw Dr. Wilding again. She was equally friendly to both me and my dog. She gave me two treatment options, and did not bat an eye when I chose the less expensive one (It bums me out when vets imply that I love my animals less because I’m not wealthy). They called to check in on him the day after the appointment, to remind me of my follow-​up, and again after the follow-​up. See my review for Porter Sq Veterinarian for why I’ll be switching to the Everett Banfield permanently.

This place is always a zoo… they try to get you to buy the wellness plans but you can barely get an appointment before it expires after 12 months. They always want me to drop my dog off to stay there for about 12 hours when all he needs is a check-​up and a few shots, I dont want my dog sitting in a crate for 11 hours when it takes literally 20 minutes to do the exam and shots. When I do finally get an appointment, either a doctor calls out sick and they need to reschedule or I wait in the room for over an hour to even be seen. They have no customer service skills and do not have adequate staffing to provide any type of care to anyone. I am now trying to make appointments at Banfield in Woburn to see if it is any better.

I find the vets here to be very nice and personable, but the receptionists/​people who answer the phones leave much to be desired (except Merl– she is great!)
I have been going here since my dog was 5 months old, he is now 3. I have witnessed this establishment get worse and worse over the years. The following are my findings:
1– there is a significant wait time EVERY SINGLE TIME I go in there
2– whenever I call in… no one answers the phone
3– they never have appointments and as it would appear, no longer offer «walk ins» when they used to (what is the point of having a vet if they cannot be available when you need them?!)
4– my dog was supposed to go in for his 6 month heartworm shot (which is supposed to cost $ 55) but they didnt have time to squeeze him in until it was ‘past due’ and when I asked the receptionist on the phone what I am supposed to do, as I didn’t want him to go uncovered by the heartworm, her answer was «I don’t know what to tell you.» So I took him in for the earliest they could take him, and he was still past due. They gave him the shot and all was well… UNTIL it came time to pay the bill. They charged me $ 20 extra because he was «past due on his heartworm shot» and they had to run a test on him before giving him the new one.
In sum… I am looking for a new vet that is affordable… because at this point… affordability is the ONLY reason I still take my dog here.

Recently, took my dog there and not impressed at all.
The nurse leep calling my dog another name & as many times as I corrected her, she didnt get it right. Everyone seems too young here. They try to get you for more than what you came in for!!!
Called for an emergency the other day & was told cant get my dog in before Thanksgiving — booked solid. I explained the issue and she said that even though they cant give advise she stated what it could be.
Took my dog today to a NEW VET & Banfield was wrong (1) not to schedule an emergency appt & (2) wasnt what she stated on the phone.
I will NEVER GO HERE AGAIN. The new vet is awesome and inexpensive.

I took my new adopted pet here. I was nervous because she was not drinking alot of water. The vet I had Dr. Evans was great. He said she was only dehydrated a little and gave here some IV fluids to be on the safe side. I really love this place. The prices are reasonable. I would recomend this place to anyone.

My pup had an incident with another dog at the local dog park. She was rejected by the groomer due to a cut on the side of her eye (they did not want the soap to sting). Just to be safe I stopped by banfield because it was sunday and my regular vet was not open. They advised that surgery may be necessary, catagorized this as an incident of rabies exposure, prescribed antibiotic ointment, requested that I keep my puppy away from other dogs for 10 days and possibly cone her and asked that I return for a followup in 10 days.
I left the office absolutely terrified.
I followed up at my actual vet today and found that there was no need for surgery, cone, or even to hold her away from other dogs. It was not rabies exposure, it was a small scratch and very minor. I also was notified that i was charged$ 25 for the worlds smallest tube of bacitracin.
In summary, I will never return. They should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of our love for our pets.

OK for very basic pet care, but the staff always seems overwhelmed. Nobody ever answers the phone, there’s always a huge line at the desk, all the appointments are running late. The vets themselves are all very nice, but very young.
My dog recently required emergency surgery and the surgeon we took him to requested the dog’s previous health record from Banfield several times and never even got a call back, let alone any of the records.

If you want a similar experience visiting your vet as you would have taking your car to Jiffy Lube, this is definitely the place for you! Although, between the incredibly loud baying of some poor hound in the back and the chaotic mess of the check-​in system, a garage is actually probably more peaceful…
I spent a miserable four visits here recently getting my year-​old cat caught up on his shots and neutered, and was appalled.
The experience starts with a friendly greeting from the harassed and overworked receptionist. Enjoy this. It will be the only friendly contact you get for your entire visit. However, regardless of your appointment time, you will wait. And wait. Out of four visits my longest wait was 40 minutes to get into the exam room, where you then proceed to wait some more.
Next up is a vet technician who takes the animal’s history without greeting or eye contact. Seriously, they have a computer touchscreen that they follow, without even a hint of individual attention. 20 minutes later, the vet comes in, unsmiling and without introducing herself, does a perfunctory evaluation without ever actually examining the cat, and then leaves you alone again in the waiting room for another 20 minutes.
And after all this, you find that they have padded the bill as much as possible. Delightful.
Fortunately, I have since found the VCA in Everett, so I am no longer at the mercy of this impersonal, franchise-​y place.

I recently moved and had to switch from VCA to Banfield because it is much closer to me.
I got the Optimum Wellness plan which I thought was much more beneficial than the VPI pet insurance I had because it covered more the preventative care. I had the VPI insurance for most of my little dog’s life but had only one accident that needed E.R. service.
I found the staff and the service to be very helpful. There is a little wait but it’s because there are so many people coming and leaving. I’ve had to call in once frantically trying to figure out if my dog has a deer tick on him or if it was something else. The vet tech kept me on the phone while she looked up her books and even asked the vet/​dr, to reassure me that it was not a deer tick from the size and description.
When I dropped Fuji off for the comprehensive exams, they would call me every step of the way. i.e. I had a call midday to tell me that Fuji was a bit dehydrated but that they’re taking care of it. And then, I got another call that Fuji has done well and will be waking up soon. The very next day was the follow up call to make sure things are ok.
Vet visits are in general very expensive. Hence, why I’ve had pet insurance or some sort of wellness package. The Banfield Wellness plan is a great deal. Esp. since just the dental cleaning alone is upwards of $ 300-​$ 400 if the dog doesn’t have any damaged teeth.

I have never experienced something so unorganized, filthy and just purely such a negative experience in my life. I was told to bring my dog in at 7am for drop off of a routine dental cleaning. At 830am, I am still at the counter waiting for assistance. Finally after filling out 4 forms and given a quote (with a permimeter not to exceed $ 75.00.) I left my dog in what I thought was safe hands. At about 430pm, the vet called me and told me the procedure was done and that the cost was going to be 2 plus times what they told me because my dogs teeth were so bad and they had to extract many of them. Understand, prior to this surgical visit, I had met with the vet and planned out the course of action for this pet and was not prepared to spend over $ 300 – 400 on a dental cleaning. When he called me and told me the procedure was going to cost over $ 870 plus additional products they recommended I almost reached thru the phone and choked him. I had specifically read the contract I signed earlier that morning (because I had to wait for over an hour before the desk clerk took my dog from me) where it stated, that the doctor or technician would phone me should the cost be more than $ 75 above the estimate given.
Immediately I left my office to go meet with this doctor and retrieve my pet. Upon entering Pet Smart, I along with the five or six other clients from the early morning drop off where too standing there waiting to pick up their pets. I assure you I have never seen such aggravated and irrate individuals in my life.
Many of the patrons picking up their dogs were complaining of similiar situations. Upcharing and not being informed. One gentleman was told a firm price to have his dog fixed and upon picking him up was told it was an additional charge of over $ 200.00.
By the time it was my turn in line I was furious. Again I had to wait for over 30 minutes only to be told that the doctor was too busy to see me. I refused and told them I would wait until he made time to see me. They then put me in one of the vet waiting rooms where I waited another 20 minutes.
I assure you, I did not pay their fee of over $ 800 for a procedure that was quoted to be no more than $ 400 and my dog minus 9 teeth that they were NOT approved to remove left that building with all her medical records and that of my other pets.
I WILL NEVER COME BACK!
Becareful of hidden fees and the constant bombardment of selling unneccessary shampoos, conditioners and other pet products you can purchase over the counter for half the price!