Downtown Veterinary Associates Jersey City, New York

The staff members genuinely care for our dogs. They work their hardest to make sure all animals get the best treatment.

Reception people are rude there. Quiet unpleasant communication experience.

Lost one costumer because the lady on the phone can’t be patient and answer some questions about my first puppy. Also she was very rude. I don’t recommend this place.

I brought them my pet and my business for years - but no more. They have devolved into an unconscionable, morally bankrupt business model - I was informed that they declined my pet's prescription refill so I called and asked for an extension - I explained repeatedly that I am out of town and my pet NEEDS this refilled immediately - they refused, claiming their business protocols require my booking another expensive appointment in order to refresh my refill. (This desk staff is completely ignorant to patient/client history if it wasn't filed into their defunct system and claim they have NEVER extended refills for me before - FALSE) I let them know that I am 1) unable to afford a last minute veterinary visit right this moment (I'm BARELY able to afford the expensive prescription) and 2) my pet's diagnosis is not something that requires further inspection or any prescription review. It is a literal life-dependent prescription. They did not care. They wouldn't even bother to ask/get clearance from a vet to confirm or approve this. My pet will be dead within 3 days without this - they do not care. We have a long client relationship history with this office but it means nothing to these girls answering the phone. Our vet was so right to leave this team - it is SHOCKING how dispassionate, cold, and money grubbing this place has become. I called several times begging for them to understand the severity of the situation and was only met with increased, proud/smug sounding indifference. Who is going to sit there on the phone sounding so pleased with themselves about such a refusal knowing it will be life threatening to my pet? Why is this person employed at a veterinary office? I haven't stopped crying in disbelief over this sudden scenario of them telling me "Pay us more or we won't let you continue purchasing the medication we told you you need FOREVER for the diagnosis you've already paid us so much for" - that is the most disturbing, unethical business practice imaginable. Find a practice with a staff that CARES about the animals and not just money. I'm so sorry for my pet.

This place is simple, carrying, animal lovers, profesional and understanding. I gone to other places where they only care of the money and by the time you walk out the bill is ridiculous. Thank you for keep servicing my pouch and aiding always

Got my puppy in November, and this place is right next door to my house so super convenient! But the quality of care here is great. My boy Brody doesn’t get scared coming here, and the staff and veterinarians have been fantastic and been great with all my questions (first time dog owner). I have read some reviews they are a little pricey (I have nothing to compare too) but I never felt like the cost was too high, and I am so happy with the quality of care we’ve received. Glad to have such a great veterinary practice so close by. Would definitely recommend.

Our dog Jack has an autoimmune disease which makes him require more care than most other dogs. I have met with several of the veterinarians here and all have made great efforts to come up to speed on Jack's condition and provide appropriate and reliable care. The desk staff is pleasant but very busy. My only wish is that I could make appointments for exams/treatments. They only take appointments for vaccines at this point. The wait time can be very long, and with Covid contingencies, you are required to wait outside until called in. Like my dog, I have an autoimmune disease so these long waits can be tough on me.

I can't say enough great things about Downtown Veterinary Associates, both the JC location and the Hoboken location. Everyone is beyond friendly and helpful, both offices are responsive, and they do not up-charge services. I'm so glad I switched vets and came here. Thank you for everything!

First of all, I want to declare that this bad review is not for this hospital, its for the cremation company they cooperated with My cat suddenly fell ill two months ago. I went to the hospital many times but it didn’t improve in the end，when i watching how painful he is, I decided to choose euthanasia for him.because I was so lost that day, I didn’t hear clearly what the front desk staff was saying to me, just chose a cat’s pawprint necklace service and go back next monday. and when I went back on monday, my cat was frozen by them and I was shocked，Later, I took my cat to the funeral home I had reserved. they spent a day thawing my cat and tried to collect its pawprints, but it failed. I felt very painful and sad.I was thinking, if I chose the cooperative funeral home of this hospital at that time, the necklace I got was definitely not the pawprints of my cat.I really like the doctors in this hospital but I firmly oppose this irresponsible act of making money!! Pets are not only pets, but also my family. He needs to stay with me in other ways until I also leave this world. He needs to be respected

The staff here are obnoxious. The staff here are *consistently* rude and it never fails. They routinely act like they are doing you a massive favor and that you are putting them out. I was also turned away on a Saturday...you know, the only day people who work regular jobs can make it in. And they stopped seeing patients at 12pm!! When you have a business for the *public* your hours should reflect THEIR availability not your own. Do you want to make money or dont you? After nearly 7 years of coming here I have really had enough. The vets are good ejough but the rest of it is

They always take such good care of my dog. I’m so thankful for them. I’ve been taking my dog here for 7 years.

My puppy has been limping a little the past few weeks so we emailed this vet and they were able to fit us in, as a new client, within a week! We got there a little early, were able to wait inside, and the vet was able to see her pretty quickly, within 10 minutes! She gave me the costs of all the procedures up-front, and asked if she could approve them. As a new dog owner in the area, she also let me know that I could check state laws to see if there are rules regarding puppies developing genetic illnesses within months of an adoption, and explained the NJ ones to me. The whole staff was really sweet and helpful throughout the whole process and I'm so glad I found them.

I have been taking my dog here since he was a puppy. He is now 11 years old. Two years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. The medical team has provided my dog with the best quality care while being patient with answering my many questions whether in person, on the phone or through emails. Recently my dog's pancreatic levels have been in range and I have the staff at downtown vet to thank for this. I highly recommend Downtown Vet.

I Will never come back. Would give 0 stars. F Rating. (Thats being too kind) I was agasped and appalled by their demeanor, unprofessional behavior. Called twice in two days and each time was told by a man that was scheduling the service that a very ill animal would be seen if I made it before 11 said "I guarentee you having an appointment for that time frame." I was elated, but that changed when we first couldnt find the location due to a steet closure which the information was never provided on the phone or though Google. Got there at 25 minutes to 11 and got myself ready to go to the door after double parked in the street to see if they would take our sick pet. The woman who had answered said, well look at the window of the place and said we only have two doctors and that they were filled. Already speaking in a rather rude tone. I was given an appointment by the man on the phone and this was completely unprofessional. The woman engaged to be rude and offered no recourse to her actions. Just kept saying she was sorry but not sorry for us being misinformed and mistold information nor wasting or wasting our times or the money for our gas. She then smirked and said you can always come back and apply for here online and come tomorrow. And I asked if that were to guarantee an appointment and she rolled her eyes and slammed the door on my face. It was my mistake ever thinking this place was going to work out. It felt as if their receptionists are told to except and tell everyone to come in to the door to make sure they get filled to capacity. You are only a number and a dollar bill then. I hope others read this and don't come. Not professional and if we were to lose our pet because of their incompetence, then that would be great. Wish the system had "0" star option. DO NOT COME TO IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS. Thank you for reading if you did.

Outstanding service.    No need to search further. We have utilized this office since we adopted our puppy approx.. 5 months ago.   The staff, especially, Milly, puts pet parents at ease with a warm smile and gentle eyes. She really cares about each and every pet. My first phone call to schedule a wellness visit came with advice on what not to do with an 8 week puppy (not to walk her where other dogs are walked UNTIL she has her course of vaccinations. I had no clue that doing so could cause a serious illness and the staff was mindful enough to share this pertinent information over the phone,  knowing it is important for new fur moms who may not be aware). Taking the time to care is rare in this fast paced world. I absolutely love the veterinarian Dr. Alanna Chesney-Manz, her demeanor and rapport with my dog is top notch. She spoke to me over the phone back in December of 2020 for 10 minutes when I brought my dog in for her first vet visit. She went over everything regarding Mina's health and well being for that day and for the months to come. Her voice and confidence when my answering my (many) questions made my first vet visit ever as a fur parent calming and secure.  I will only come here now that I found this vet office. I don't live in the area and the traffic-parking is cause to pause at times, but we still make the trip here for all of my dog's needs.

In all honesty, it's difficult for me to rate the quality of veterinary service since I am a relatively new dog owner. So my rating is completely objective based on facts of my experience and what I did after the fact. My dog started to develop some schmutz around her eyes. Similar to how we have crust around our eyes after waking up. Except it happened for her multiple times a day. Hmm, that doesn't seem normal; off to the vet we go. Uncharacterically, Google cannot answer my questions. Nothing out of the ordinary happened when I scheduled and went to the appointment: I got what I asked for lol. Fast forward: I am given a bag of eye drops and I'm asked to pay. I have no prior context of how much a vet visit and eye drops cost so I happily pay. Anything for my sweet pup. Her eyes eventually stop developing schmutz. Life is good. Guess what? Since we go to the dog park, it's reasonable to think she's at higher risk of any unfortunate event. Anyway, her eyes started to develop schmutz again. But wait a minute. What stopped her eye schmutz after the first time? It was the eye drops, not the veterinarian. A quick Google search of the eye drop label revealed to me that I could purchase it from a pharmacy for about $20. That's about x5 less than my initial cost. That's about x5 in straight profit. Touche.

TL,DR: horrible experience. They used to call you when it’s your turn. Now they ask you to wait outside. If you ever leave and they call your name and you are not there, you need to check in again. So waited outside for 1.5hr for my turn. I asked if I can come in as It’s easier to talk to the doctor directly about the pet’s issue as I can show the doctor where the problem is. And I got response before I went and the desk ppl said yes I can come in. After waiting 1.5hrs, I called and told them I might need to leave as my phone was dying and I needed to go back to the car to charge it. Desk ppl said I shall stay as my pet is the next. I said alright I can wait for a bit longer as I was assuming I can go in. Then I got a phone call shortly from the doctor. I was quite surprised. My phone had 5% battery left and the desk ppl obviously know that. First, why can’t you let me talk to the doctor directly face to face with mask on. When I went inside and I saw there are pet owner talking to the doctor with masks on and stay in distance. Second, lucky my phone wasn’t dead when I got the call but the doctor obviously had trouble finding the problematic area on my pet. If I can go in, I could just show it to the doctor. Third, when it’s time to pay, they just tell you the price. Shouldn’t you show me how the thing is being charged? Overall. Horrible experience REPLY ON COMMENT: There is a difference between being allowed in to pay the bill V.S. allowed in to talk to the doctor. Agree? Also, instead of focusing on contacting me multiple times on trying to let me take down the comment, you can speed up on giving me my pet's test result which was given two weeks back......

They are located Downtown Jersey City, on the up and coming trendy Newark Ave, you and your pet can sit outside with chairs and fresh air, and you also right in between two great restaurants.

Thank you to Downtown Veterinary Associates for providing great care and service- highly recommend!

Took my pet for the first time here, everyone was super friendly and took well care of my Bruno. They were very attentive with him. It’s pricey but it’s worth it for the service provided.

I have been going to Downtown Veterinary Associates for 4 years, and they are terrific! The entire staff - vets, techs and receptionists - are caring and professional. When I first went I was amazed that my cat Nelson was so relaxed with Dr. Heilpern; he is a real cat whisperer. Dr. Heilpern continues to give my 2 nine year old cats wonderful, expert care; he answers all my questions and concerns, and is thoughtful and thorough. Downtown Vet has stayed open throughout the pandemic. Now they are busier than ever, especially since they take everyone without an appointment. With contactless care, now you call when you're outside and put your pet on the waitlist; you might have to wait a bit, especially on the weekend, but the staff are helpful and polite, and the vet calls during the exam so you can discuss diagnosis and treatment options even though you are not in the same room. A shout out to their office manager Jane, who always goes the extra mile to coordinate visits, helps with getting prescriptions, and answers my questions before I ask them. I'm so thankful to have found this great vet office after moving to Jersey City 4 years ago. I highly recommend them!

I literally just called to have my new puppy checked out and they could not tell me what the visit included. Very rude and unprofessional.

This is a great vet. Our other one can never get us in when our puppy is sick. This one we just show up and they take her. Care is always first rate.

I sat for an hour waiting for my fur baby to have basic care while over hearing the receptionist I believe her name was Janet/Janice, continue to dismiss the fact that I was intentionally being avoided for an unknown reason. The LACK of professionalism is out of control. This establishment seemed very unorganized as for the life of me, I can’t understand why and how this occurred. I love my fur baby and I will continue to PAY for the BEST service , but not HERE.

Just called on Friday 3/12/21 at 1:35PM to check out the pricing for a first time visit as I am new to the area and my dog needs a new vet. I was told in a very rude manner that I cannot be told prices unless I am a client and it is "TACKY to price shop". I could not believe that and i'm supposed to trust these people with my pet?! You know what's tacky? Having inappropriate unprofessional people working in healthcare period. IN RESPONSE TO THE MANAGER: My review had nothing to do with the pricing or what I was told but the manner in which I was told. To have staff at a vet clinic of all places belittle you for a simple question is not going to get you new clients. Went to Newport Veterinary Center instead and they were great! If anyone is reading and thinking about coming here.. don't.

This is the most atrocious place. There have been people coming for neuter/spay, and the puppy dies. This place manages to take down 1 star reviews where people share their most heat broken stories. Don’t come here unless you want to risk your pet’s life. I am aware of my CRFA right.

The staff are doing their best to deliver great service and care during a time that is trying for everyone. The walk-in system allows people to get care for their animals that otherwise would be scheduled several days out at other clinics. They keep the whole process moving. I was able to get an exam and meds for my buddy, Sounder, and I feel better knowing that he's getting the help he needs NOW. Thanks to the staff and the affable doctors who are generous with their time and explanations.

4.5 Stars if I could. We took our new dog that we got from the rescue this past week. The vet we saw was incredible with our girl Lola! So sweet, patient, and kind. No complaints about our visit or quality of care. Note that they are drop in ONLY! So go early (and by early, like before they open). We came at 9 AM sharp (when they open) and waited for an hour and fifteen before we were seen. Luckily they have a great front patio area that people can wait in and it was sunny that day.. but if it was colder the wait would have been less pleasant. They only allow a couple families in the wait room at a time to ensure social distancing.

My first time taking my pet there, the vet I feel was pretty good. Explained what she thought was going on really well and made me feel better. My pet is a very active dog and he’s big so he is a handful but his original vet had no problem with that I just needed him to be seen ASAP that’s why I went here. One of the male employee came out and actually asked if I take my dog out, that he acts like he’s never been out. That was kind of inappropriate. My dog is a mixed breed and is very friendly, he thinks he’s a puppy still he’s just 1 year old so he still has a lot of energy. They are on the expensive side but I wanted my pet to feel better and I think he’s doing well so far. Will continue with my original vet.

I needed a USDA accredited vet to take my pet out of the country for work relocation. I just moved back to Jersey City last year and have a history and documentation with a different vet where I used to take my pet closer to where I lived (who is not USDA accredited). My pet is healthy and up to date on all shots. I sent via email all the paperwork in as requested and was told after review that since I'm not a client and the pet has no history with this vet, they can't sign the required paperwork. Not every vet is USDA certified, it's not easy to find one and I had all the required paperwork and documentation. You don't want my money, fine. I'll take it someplace else.