My family has trusted our pets to SLAH for about six years now and we wouldn't take them anywhere else. I live in north Austin and choose to make the drive south instead of switching to a closer clinic, just so that my pets can be in the most comfortable vet environment possible. The staff is knowledgeable and kind and throughout the years they've treated every one of my pets as though they were the most important animal in their facility, and it's that level of care and commitment that our previous vets were lacking. Dr. VanTrease is amiable, understanding, and compassionate, and when he delivered the news that my fourteen-year-old cat may not make it, it was done gently enough that it took some of the sting out of hearing the one thing no pet owner ever wants to hear. Even then, I was still given other options of treatment, just in case there was a way to save/help her outside of euthanasia, though that was the eventual, unavoidable outcome. (As I'm unfamiliar with technical jargon, the explanation was given to me in layman's terms to avoid any misunderstanding and it was very much appreciated.) Katy/Katie was excellent with my cat and treated her as though she cared for her as much as I did and that's such an important quality in any vet technician, considering how stressful those offices can be (especially for cats!). Dr. VanTrease understood my financial situation and did whatever he could to ease the burden by doing as much as possible for as little money as possible. I have never had the impression at any point that any employee of SLAH was in it for the money: They're there because they love what they do. Every single one of them love their patients and respect the patients' owners and oftentimes go out of their way to make the visit as easy and as pleasant as possible. For as long as SLAH remains in business, I will continue to take my cats in for any and every form of treatment, no matter which part of Austin I live in.
Pros: Staff, treatment, honesty
Cons: Occasionally difficult to schedule immediate appointments, though they do have a drop-off system
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