University Animal Hospital

My pets mean the world to me so, naturally, I would want the very best medical care for all of them. Over the years we have been to quite a few vet offices attempting to find that care and none have compared to the care given by Dr. Allen Privette and his staff at University Animal Hospital. I recently ran into a situation with one of my pups who is a rescue. She has multiple complex health challenges that require lifelong treatment. We had been turned away from two previous vets as her medical issues were too much for them to handle. She became very sick and was in a lot of pain. The care, compassion, knowledge, and professionalism displayed by Dr. Privette was second to none. He spent a considerable amount of time examining, researching, making calls to previous vets, and ensuring that I fully understood the care instructions. He took the time with a dog who has justifiable trust issues to make her comfortable enough to tolerate a full exam. My dog is now able to live her “best life” thanks to Dr. Privette.
From the warm welcome from the ladies at the front desk and easy online scheduling, to the clean, professional, caring and compassionate environment, you cannot ask for a better vet to take your fur-baby to! If you are looking for someone that will truly care for your pet, you will find that with Dr. Allen Privette!

Review: I took my dog to the University Animal Hospital on June **, 2013 to get her yearly shots, as well as for a grooming appointment. The morning of June **, 2013 I dropped my dog off at University Animal Hospital and the groomer asked me how I would like my dog’s hair to cut. I told her that since our dog is older and summer was on the way that I wanted her to be shaved so she will not overheat when I take her outside. The groomer then told me she would take care of it and contact me if anything came up. That afternoon I received a call from the same groomer who asked how I wanted my dog’s tail cut, and I told her that I wanted it shaved. To which the groomer told me that she will not shave the tail because our dog will look like a rat. I assured her that is what we wanted and the groomer still refused. We went back and forth a few times about this over the phone when finally she said, “I will do it my way and if you do not like how it looks when you get here I will fix it”. When I picked her up that evening, I was very disappointed with the way the grooming came out. Not only did the groomer not shave the tail but she did not shave any part of my dog. I explained my concerns that her hair was not short enough to the groomer. She very rudely told me that if I wanted my dog shaved I should have “gone to PetSmart” and that she was a “real groomer” and would not shave my dog down any more. The groomer was extremely rude and unapologetic and refused to fix my dog’s hair contrary to what she told me on the phone earlier. At this point I was very upset with how I was treated and just wanted to take my dog home. I proceeded to pay for my bill, which included a charge for grooming. When I was checking out there was no mention of a price adjustment for the grooming, and the groomer did not mention she had any problems with my dog. Once I was paid my bill, I left the hospital and did not leave gratuity for the groomer as I was very dissatisfied with the service we received. When I arrived home, I received a phone call from the veterinary hospital that my dog was a very “nervous” dog while being groomed, and that concluded in a $35.00 price increase. My dog has never had issues with groomers in the past and I have documentation from previous groomers to prove she is a very calm dog. I again expressed my disdain for the haircut and expressed my concern that the price adjustment was in bad faith. I explained to the hospital that I will not pay the fee unless the groomer agreed to fix my dog’s haircut and an explanation as to how my dog was a “nervous” dog. The animal hospital never contacted me again. On August *, 2013, two months after the initial appointment I received an adjusted bill from the University Animal Hospital for a $35.00 grooming price adjustment PLUS a $7.00 late fee, making the total $45.11. Since receiving the bill, I have contacted the hospital multiple times, only to be turned away and told that I must pay the $45.11. I am appalled by the way the University Animal Hospital has treated me. My dog gets very hot during the summer, and I prefer her to be shaved to help her stay cool. The University Animal Hospital did not put my dog’s well-being in mind. I am very unhappy with their lacklustre services and their unapologetic attitude. I will not be paying the $45.11 nor will I take my dog to University Animal Hospital for future visits.Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded the $75.00 for grooming services plus removing the $45.11 charge from my account.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by University Animal Hospital regarding complaint ID [redacted]. However, they continue to send me promotional e-mails and mailings regarding their services.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted],

In regards to complain #[redacted], below is the response to the client complaint:

Our professional groomer has been grooming both dogs and cats for over 20 years. She grooms all of her dogs with the utmost of care and concern both for their comfort and their well-being. Her pet parents know her, love her, and respect her decisions where it concerns their pets’ best interests. Pets love her because of her gentle nature and patience; as a result, our groomer often spends hours with pets to make sure that they come back excited to do it again.

Given this dog’s age, temperament and coat condition, our groomer did her very best to make the dog both comfortable and beautiful. She did her very best to adhere to the client’s requests. However, the dog was extremely nervous on the grooming table. Rather than put [redacted] through any further stress, the groomer stopped at a length that she knew would be comfortable and appropriate.

According to our records, we spoke with the client once after the grooming, when she called to express her concerns about the additional fee. While the additional fee was initially added due to the extra time that it took to groom [redacted], the hospital agreed to remove the extra charge in order to accommodate the client.

Thanks again for allowing us to address the situation described in the complaint. Have a great weekend!

Best Regards,

University Animal Hospital

354 East 66th Street

New York, NY 10065