Animal Emergency Clinic

I have very little money to my name since the economy hit bottom. I lost my job, house forclosed, then divorce. I only survive thru faith, and that faith saw me and my sweet Schnauzer thru a long, painful night last night. Like my own health, I wait to call my doctor at 3:00 pm on Friday, after thinking all week I will get better from whatever ails me. I made that same, dumb mistake with my 'baby' the night before Christmas Eve. It all comes down to money for me. Do I buy the ground beef or the block of cheese? paper towels or toilet paper? I never seem to go without, but I never make to effort to save a little "emergency money". My dog is all I have left of lost dreams. I buried my pride and called my elderly parents asking for their financial help. Thankfully, they came through with the $1,200.00 needed to save my pets life. (I did sign the 'DNR' section of the release, in case things turned for the worse. I couldn't possibly expect my parents to pay huge sums of money to save her life.) Had I had some money tucked away, or pet insurance, I'd have taken her to our regular veterinarian when it became apparent things were only getting worse, and I probably would have saved some money by doing so. Had I not taken her to any Vet for care, I would have watched her suffer a long, painful death. I am grateful that there actually is a 24-hour E.R. for animals. In this case, I didn't have to lose my best friend. I'd bet each employee at the clinic can surely relate to similar personal situations. So many people are challenged by these difficult times. Even those who still have jobs. A.E.C. employees wouldn't keep doing the jobs they are doing if they didn't care or had no empathy for animals and people alike. I am dismayed with myself for not being prepared to care for my pet in her time of need. But, I am more grateful that her life has been saved. My Christmas would have been so lonely and sad without her. Thank you mom and dad. Thank you A.E.C. God Bless You & Merry Christmas! more

Reading some of these negative reviews is just making me mad, so I thought I'd share my opinion. The animal emergency clinic has always done an amazing job treating my dogs. They've saved all three of mine at one time or another. The people who work here do not have easy jobs. They are dealing with sick animals and crazy owners all day/night long. Trust me, you do not go into this field for the money. You do it for the love of animals. That being said, yes, it is a business. It is not a state funded hospital that gets tax payer dollars to stay open as a service. It is a private business, started out of peoples pockets because they LOVE ANIMALS! The owners of the place could have easily worked at practices that are open 9-6 Monday through Friday and have much less stressful lives. Instead they wanted to provide a place that can save your animals life at any hour of the day. Being open 24/7/365 is expensive people! They have equipment and staff to pay for! How can you call them cruel or un-compassionate because they wouldn't treat your animal for free?!?!?! If they did that enough times, guess what, they go out of business and can no longer provide the service of saving your animals life at any hour of the day or night. Reading that a staff member paid to save that lady's dog is awesome. The staff did not steal your dog, they saved it. Having a pet is a responsibility, not a right. Yes, times are hard now and paying thousands of dollars for your pet is rough... but getting online and writing scathing reviews about a business that is saving peoples pets because they wouldn't treat your dog for free is rough too. They have bills to pay too, just like everyone. I always go to the aec in an emergency situation, they know what they are doing. Highly recommended :-) more

First I want to thank the highly skilled DVM's at the hospital for saving my beloved pets life and directing me to the appropriate DVM who would best care for my pet's chronic medical needs. I will say having worked in the health care field, front office staff made me feel like a thief from the moment I walked in the door with their financial policies, to not taking the time to listen to a phone concern and take good phone messages, and just overall customer service was lacking. A pet emergency is a difficult time for a pet owner. Had the individual I spoke to on the phone just taken the extra time to listen, get a good phone message to my pet's doc, not cut me off midsentence, it would have made the difference between a 3 and 5 star rating. For the prices they charge for services I would expect nothing less than 5 star treatment. more

Suzanne clearly states in her response “The clinic owners HAVE to require that clients pay for services or they would go out of business” Suzanne you have confirmed that you guys are in it strictly for the money. Then stating “It is tragic for all of us when owners are not financially prepared for veterinary emergencies” turned my stomach. Please tell me who can plan & prepare for such an emergency? Be it a beloved pet or a child NO ONE CAN BE 100% PREPARED FOR ANY SUCH EMERGENCY! That’s why it is an emergency! I remember when Vets & vet offices showed compassion, understood that the pet was a member of the family, understood (especially in these financial times) that most folks do not have access to $2000+ at a moment’s notice. I have personally seen employees of this clinic displaying NO compassion, no emotion unless it was directly related to obtaining financial information or payment. After the 3rd time when I realize it was not an isolated incident but their mode of operation I have never & will never take another pet to this clinic. I too will be driving to Federal Way. Fortunately I was not in the same position as Susan B. I did not have to make such a heart wrenching decision to either give my pet away or put it to sleep. I can not begin to imagine the pain & heart ache that she went through knowing that there was nothing she could do & no one to help her. I hope that when Suz finds herself in the same position, someone shows her compassion & not a calculator. more

Suzanne clearly states in her response “The clinic owners HAVE to require that clients pay for services or they would go out of business” Suzanne you have confirmed that you guys are in it strictly for the money. Then stating “It is tragic for all of us when owners are not financially prepared for veterinary emergencies” turned my stomach. Please tell me who can plan & prepare for such an emergency? Be it a beloved pet or a child NO ONE CAN BE 100% PREPARED FOR ANY SUCH EMERGENCY! That’s why it is an emergency! I remember when Vets & vet offices showed compassion, understood that the pet was a member of the family, understood (especially in these financial times) that most folks do not have access to $2000+ at a moment’s notice. I have personally seen employees of this clinic displaying NO compassion, no emotion unless it was directly related to obtaining financial information or payment. After the 3rd time when I realize it was not an isolated incident but their mode of operation I have never & will never take another pet to this clinic. I too will be driving to Federal Way. Fortunately I was not in the same position as Susan B. I did not have to make such a heart wrenching decision to either give my pet away or put it to sleep. I can not begin to imagine the pain & heart ache that she went through knowing that there was nothing she could do & no one to help her. I hope that when Suzanne finds herself in the same position, someone shows her compassion & not a calculator. more

Have always used them as an Emergency backup. Regular client with great payment hx. Techs were helpful, DVM told me hands were tied b/c owners wouldn't allow. Unacceptable and not even a follow up call (after I called several times!). more

I wanted to address the claims of Susan B.'s review. I was the veterinarian who treated her Great Dane that night. He was diagnosed with a GDV- which is when the stomach bloats and rotates onto itself- It is a LIFE THREATENING SURGICAL EMERGENCY. These clients recognized the symptoms and brought him to the hospital but were not financially prepared to get him the care that was needed to save his life. No matter where you have this type of surgery done, it is extremely expensive to treat these cases. They are often in the hospital for 3-4 days. There are many complications that can develop. As an emergency veterinarian the worst part of my job is seeing pets who I can fix but whose owners cannot afford to pay for their care. Unfortunately it is extremely expensive to run a 24 hour critical care veterinary hospital. We all work very hard under very stressful circumstances, every holiday, all night long. We are very dedicated professionals and strive to provide the best medicine possible for our patients. The clinic owners HAVE to require that clients pay for services or they would go out of business. It is tragic for all of us when owners are not financially prepared for veterinary emergencies. Yes, we encourage people who do not have any form of payment to try to borrow from a friend or family member. In this case the clients declined to do that and elected euthanasia. They signed a euthanasia consent form and I drew up the solution for his injection. Miraculously a staff member at the last moment offered to rescue this older dog (and take on the financial responsibility of his medical expenses). It is very uncommon that we can offer relinquishment to rescue in lieu of euthanasia. At the time these clients told me "We would much rather him be alive and with someone else than dead". We did not steal their dog. He was seconds away from euthanasia because the clients wouldn't pay for the surgery that was needed to save his life. It is a miracle that someone was able to rescue him that night. more

Those people there have a TOUGH job -- I saw it in person - - - they deal with very sick animals and some crazy clients ( see some of the other reviews ! ). My dog "Hunter" was critically wounded in a fight -- Dr. Felknor ROCKED as did all the staff. YES - expensive but have you been for a tune-up lately on your vehicle ... everything these days is $1000 + . Thank-YOU for saving Hunter's life and THANK-you for being there everyday and for returning calls and for having top notch equipment and all that. ALL that. Hunter says THANK-woof too. more

Never, ever take an animal to this place! They are unethical to say the least, morally irreprehensible for sure- holding pets who are frightened and ill ransom for financial gain. I agree with Susan B, had almost the exact thing happen with us and our beloved GSP this summer. Heartless, manipulative people who have no business working in this field, especially as they are able to get away with taking advantage of others in crisis. Don't know if ownership has changed as 6 years ago I had a great experience with them. They were compassionate and caring. Not anymore. Doctor enters the room with her calculator in hand, without my dog, without any information on how my dog who is being kept away from me but bellowing in agony in another area, is doing. Just with her calculator running numbers...excuse me?! Cold hearted rude front office staff. I will take any other pets to Federal Way emergency--it will be far better for them to add the time for the drive vs. what awaits at this hell hole. more

My kitty was old but acting funny but every visit there ended up with a total of $1,000 in bills. (My vet was out of town). AEC kept giving me pills then told me to force feed her. Couldn't tell me what was wrong, just trying different pills. My vet at that time got back to town let me know that she was just too old and she was ready to go. I will avoid AEC as much as I can. more

Awful experience, I will never take my dog there again, This clinic cares for no animal only money. Doctors tell you they have no answers but keep wanting to charge you. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! I warn anyone do not go there! more

Please DO NOT take your pets here!! They will hold you over an emotional barrel for $$ and for possession of your pet. We recently took our Dane in as he was showing symptoms of bloat. Before even taking him in back we were told, in a "strictly business" manner, that it would be $80 for the visit & $130 for the x-ray. Our dog is starting to show signs of pain - what do you think we are going to say. After the x-ray confirmed bloat we were told that surgery would be $3000 - $3500. No way could we come up with that at 8 pm on a holiday week end, nor could we get a loan (through a company they conveniently have brochures for in the room) since we just replaced a car after an accident totaled our old one. Their solution since they would not take automatic deductions from our account was to call family & friends, again on a HOLIDAY WEEKEND. After leaving us to deal with the fact that we will have to put our dog to sleep because we don't have access to $3500, a women comes into the room & tells us "It doesn't happen often.." but they would waive some fees & provided there was no complications we would only need to come up with $2000 or "it happens even less often" we could sign possession of our dog over to one of their employees who would then assume financial responsibility - through emotional blackmail THEY STOLE MY DOG!! more

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. We took our chihuahua in at about 10 pm, b/c she was acting in a way suggesting she had been poisoned, or had other severe problem. Everyone there was tremendous. Very cheerful receptionist, good vet assistant, good vet. Took conservative approach, which worked out fine. more

My experience with this establishment was devastating. I firmly believe I lost my beloved pet because of their insufficient practice. On top of that I found no compassion there whatsoever. Combined with thousands of dollars (those were my bills) this fact in my opinion speaks volumes. I would recommend being extremely cautious when it comes to deciding on euthanasia in this facility. Unless it is an emergency situation and you are 100% positive that euthanasia is the only option for your pet - please get a second opinion. Furthermore, there is an extremely troubling aspect when it comes to this particular clinic: its business association with a certain pet crematorium. In other words: if your beloved pet is euthanized there and you chose cremation, your pet's cremation will be handled by a certain crematorium. To remain within ethical guidelines in posting of this review I will refrain from any further comments on this particular issue. Just one suggestion: don’t rely on what the clinic will tell you about how and where your pet will be cremated; drive there (to the crematorium) and see for yourself whether or not it is the kind of operation you would entrust your pet's final journey. more

Unfortunately, I was in need of an animal hospital to have both of my dogs knees rebuilt after being hit by a car. The Animal Emergency Clinic, at first, was a bit difficult to deal with. The receptionists were not very friendly or organized, but keep reading. The quality of care was Unprecedented! Dr. Hofeling, who did our dog's surgeries was Wonderful and he didn't just make us feel like he cared, he really cared! After the surgeries, he was in contact with me via email checking on her progress. They took Excellent, Excellent care of our dog in a very bad situation. She is now completely healed and one would never know that both her knees have been replaced (one completely). more

We live in Olympia and our vet in Tumwater recommends this place over & above the one in Oly. We've had occasion to bring in sick kitties a couple of different times. The office is easy to get to (be nice to the neighbors and be quiet when there at night) and secure. They buzz you into a large, clean waiting area. About the only down side I encountered was not being able to go back with my pet, which I would have preferred to do with my old girl (now deceased) because she was a 'fraidy cat! However, I could tell they treated her well and she recovered rapidly under their care, as did our other cat who came down with a terrible kitty cold very suddenly. I also liked that they were very plain in explaining what was wrong and in instructing in follow-up care and medications. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. As an add-on: One of our cats ended up hospitalized there for a week and almost died. They were very personal in their service and their level of communication with us. When pets are hospitalized you are able to go back and visit them at almost any hour. These people work really hard. Be aware it is a "pay as you go" type of business but I'm sure they have to do it that way or risk not being paid, unfortunately. We just left an open ended credit card and all charges were explained. Again, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. more

One night I thought my little kitty needed medical attention, and the only place open was this one. I brought her in, and they saw her right away. Fortunately she was actually all right, but if she had not been I feel sure they would have taken care of her. They were kind and caring towards her, soothing her fears and making jokes about the amount of noise she was making. They didn't even charge me full price, since there was really nothing wrong with her. The lobby is large and clean, and the people are all friendly and caring. I definitely would go again if I had a night time emergency. more

Our big dumb yellow lab swallowed a pencil sharpener at 1:00 am, so I took him into the AEC. They saw us right away and treated the dog immediately. They were informative and friendly. The vet was knowledgeable and helpful. The facility was clean and well kept. They are open 24 hours a day. They are kind of expensive, $70 just to walk through the door, $100 per x-ray and $55 to make my dog puke, but I am sure that all 24 hour emergency clinics are priced similarly. They are a great option for those after hours emergencies. more

We've been really happy with this place the times we've needed to take our cats. The staff is patient and compassionate, and the vets that put in time here are very friendly and offer lots of good explanation to us "parents". We were especially impressed with Dr. Petryk. One of our cats, who is pretty cautious of just about everyone but us, has a bad history with vets, but Dr. Petryk seemed to do a good job of calming him down and he stayed patient. So if you need a vet on the weekend or at night, I would not hesitate to suggest this place. more