VCA Pacific Avenue Animal Hospital Tacoma, Washington

Please please never visit VCA unless you like be lied to and scammed. I called VCA and was told they would be unable to neuter my cat unless he had a health screening first. Over the phone I was told it would be 100 for a screening and then …

After running out to the store real quick we returned home to find that our boy had a huge triangular gash on his face (we believe he tried to chase the cat and hit it on the corner of a table that was pulled out). I called other vets and was essentially told to pound sand. They got us in here, didn’t get mad when we asked if we could go grab some dinner (we hadn’t eaten), and even let us go home to wait. Our boy was well taken care of and while it was pricey, they got him in on a Friday night!! The staff were all SO incredibly sweet and loved so hard on our boy. Thank you guys!!!

Unfortunately the reason I started coming to VCA is my both my dogs where elderly and needed to have access to a emergency vet… that being said there staff has always gone above and beyond. I have been in with them for the last three years regularly . They’ve helped two animals of mine move on at the right time if there ever was one. Never easy letting a pet go. The staff has always been friendly, straight forward, and helpful.

Was extremely disappointed after going there for about 10 years with multiple animals,spending literally thousands and when our dog had to be euthanized I find out they price gouge you during your time of grief. Since they had been the ones seeing her since she got sick and it was the weekend we took her there. They charged more than double the price of our normal vet and that wasn't even including cremation,since it's illegal to bury your pets within city limits I was shocked that they said "oh your not taking her ?". To be called after leaving and told it's over 200 more for a total of $513 was just shocking and extremely unprofessional in every way. Will not be going there again or recommending them to anyone that's for sure.

You see all these scornful reviews towards the veterinarians here, but they have urgent care, unlike those smaller animal hospitals. This hospital was packed, with only 2 parking spots to spare. The staff here gave many hours of intensive care like oxygen and fluids, for my frail, poor old kitty Job in his final day, but he was 14 years and it was his time, and its never easy to let a best friend go...but it was time. They aren’t cheap, but I called 20 vets before coming, and they were booked out months away when my kitty was so boney, frail, and shallow breathed that I needed answers NOW. If you love your animal and don’t want them to suffer in critical condition, its best to do what you can. VCA on Pacific didn’t turn me away even though their parking lot was PACKED, and had such compassion, doing what they could within their jurisdiction as an employee. I don’t believe good deeds go unnoticed, and I feel reading these dreaded reviews that the bad news is over-represented.

The person answering calls in mid- January 2021 on a busy Saturday night was so incredibly sweet, understanding, and helpful to my panicked questions when my dog suddenly started bleeding from the nose and mouth. She gave me a realistic wait time range and explained the process. When I arrived they were well organized and reassured me that they would take care of my girl. The veterinarian called me while I waited and explained every step and option I had with price estimates. Obviously it was a steep bill but I appreciated the transparency. My dog recovered well and is doing great now! Thank you for saving her life!

Receptionist hung up on me twice, then placed me on an indefinite hold without picking up. All I want to know is if I can pick up medication for my dog.

Always have a great experience at this vet. Whenever something emergency happens with my animals I reach out to this clinic first. Great staff and very helpful.

We called in ahead of time to bring my dog in for emergency care. The receptionist told us that they would triage him quickly and get him in for care in a timely manner whil I waited in the parking lot. Upon my arrival I was informed that the ER doctor called in at the exact time her shift was supposed to start and after she should have already reported to the clinic. I was informed at the time of my arrival that they would not be taking anymore pets in. I asked to speak with management and there was no management personnel there. This clinic is an absolute joke. No doctors, no management. Just a lady answering phone calls in the front for no reason apparently. I'm not sure what kind of "doctor" calls in minutes before their shift is supposed to start, but it's not the kind you want treating your animals. Unprofessional and unreliable. Don't waste your time with this clinic.

Staff has no communication with any Dr or reliable about booking appointments. Wasted so many days just to be called back and told no new clients...

We needed emergent care for our cat last weekend, and due to capacity issues we struggled to find a nearby facility to take him. Thank goodness VCA agreed to see him in right away. The staff were professional and responsive, and the care provided was excellent. We were given care options and costs, and communication was also excellent.

Took care of my buddy Luca during his emergency visit in a timely and professional manner.

Every time I bring my pet here for an appointment, I wait in my car on the hold line for far too long. I watch them help people who arrived after me. They have poor scheduling and poor communication. They tell you they’re doing their best, but they can’t even answer the phone to check in a patient for an appointment that was scheduled months ago. Be ready to waste your day sitting in a parking lot. Writing this while STILL on hold.

I had a scheduled appointment at this VCA for today at 12:20. We just adopted a dog from the Humane Society and wanted to establish care with a local vet since we are new to the area. I showed up at 12:20 parked and called. I was immediately put on hold and left there for 30 minutes. Hung up, called again immediately put on hold and left there until 12:58. I was told that I would be called back shortly so a vet tech could come get my dog and they would let the vet know that I was late because of being on hold. I was called again and told that the vet went to lunch since I missed my appointment (due to a fault of theirs) and that there were no available appointments left in that day. I told them to just cancel the appointment, hung up and drove away. Huge waste of my time, horrible customer service. I will be taking my dog to another vet. I'd rather pay out of pocket for quality care than use a free coupon here any day.

I didn’t feel like they care for any animals health I called in the morning and they told me that they are opened To midnight that I can come and just park and call, and I did and I was told but nobody answered my calls, only to say that they don’t have any doctors at the moment . I ring the bell and no doctor was available to help us not even a sorry was given for not be able to provide the emergency care as they advertise.

They took Good care of My Gucci ( chihuahua puppy) But they mistake our love for pets as a ATM Machine ! I have never seen such outrageous Prices ! I understand Business they are not here to loose money but I don’t believe in their prices . And the wait and telephone services . I waited all day I understand they busy but this was outrageous. I will not be back .

My puppy had an unfortunate injury while playing fetch. We are a military family and new in town so no one was accepting new patients. VCA took her and gave her excellent care. Yes, we had to wait a long time but once care began I felt very confident that they were appropriately caring for my baby.

We were out of town and our 16.5 year old black lab started to fail and needed help passing away. She was suffering and needed help. I called 5 or 6 places and they refused to help any new patients, which was heartbreaking. But finally i was referred to VCA Pacific and they took my dog in with care and sympathy and were so kind to her. They did not guilt trip us or try to extort more money for needless tests, they just helped us to allow her to rest. They were very kind and compassionate to us. And now she is no longer suffering, and we very much appreciate their help.

Yesterday, our sweet 1-year MinPin/Doxie, collapsed and wouldn’t move. She was suddenly lethargic and panting and we had no idea what had happened. This was not her typical behavior so we rushed her to VCA on Pacific. Everyone we encountered was professional and empathetic. From the person who took our call, to the folks who brought papers to fill out, to the doctor, all of these folks were heroes and we felt so lucky to have found this place, even though it was for not-so-great reasons. The doctor followed up after she had been discharged and I would definitely recommend VCA Pacific to anyone who has a pet in distress.

I haven't actually gone into the clinic but my 5 1/2 month old French Bulldog Ava. Broke her leg last Tuesday when I called to see if they were taking any new patients on an emergency situation. The lady on the phone was so sry that they weren't taking new patients. She stayed on the phone with me as I was very upset & worried about Ava. Her words her genuine sympathy were so amazing & reassuring. (I'm sry I didn't get her name ) but the fact that she took the extra time to help me to clam down & her genuine kindness was so amazing I won't soon forget it.

Its Memorial day weekend. My cat was having breathing problems. They were super busy but when I just showed up out of desperation they looked at her an took her in immediately. They were so kind and thorough. And very happy to find out it was allergies/asthma and not something else. She is home and Im very grateful to them. ❤❤❤

We arrived with our newest addition Jeeves this morning around 7:30. He returned to us with a bad limp after disappearing for a few days. The office staff informed us that there would be a 2 hour wait. This is very reasonable for an urgent care, during a pandemic...and after we were turned away by 2 other hospitals due to being at capacity. All veterinarians in the area are impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, so consider that and don't take it out on the kind and caring staff. (Some of these reviews are so nasty!) The wait was less. Dr. Gintz was very professional and thorough. They took great care of Jeeves so he can be upgraded from garage kitty to lazy house cat status. Thank you guys!

We first found this hospital online with our husky had Pavo, at first they had us waiting six hours before they even came out to let us know they can see him, the pricing was outrageous but we had to do what we had to do for our sweet baby boy. And today we came in to take care of our cat, they had us bring him in I was before our appointment, and still six hours later they still haven’t done anything, so I think the theme is six hour wait time with no resolutions to your pet needs. As the world is turning into chaos people are losing jobs money is tight they want to charge over $800 just to do some test and a cat swollen leg. Not worth the time definitely not valuable in price and the rude. So I have to wait for 6 1/2 hours to get my cat the lady had the nerve to tell me she’s doing us a favor by see him in the first place even though we had an appointment so yeah save your money save your time. Do not bring your pet to the hospital if you value them in anyway

..I didn’t plan to spend as much as I did but under the circumstances at that moment I’m not at all complaining. The staff and doctor was very sympathetic and showed so much compassion for me having no alternative but to have my precious baby euthanized. Josephine Manibusan-Punzalan

We had attempted multiple locations to get our dog in for some treatment and VCA got us in just as I was losing hope. They gave us great care and got our Buddy all taken care of. We even received a follow up call asking how things were going. We are so pleased with our visit. Thanks for taking care of our needs!!!

I really wish I were able to give zero stars as 1 star is too much. I want to be clear that this isn't a rating for VCA hospitals in general, but for the unprofessional staff at this particular hospital. We have a Labrador Retriever that required knee surgery on both her hind legs. Each surgery was $4400 and had to be done months apart. The first took place in November, 2020. This surgery required 5 visits which was covered in the $4400 payment. The first was for X-rays and lab work, the second was the surgery, the third for broken stitches (unplanned), the fourth to have staples removed and the fifth for a post-op follow-up with X-rays. The problem I have is EVERY single appt resulted in arriving at the hospital and having at least an hour or usually longer wait in their parking lot with no communication from the staff. It didn't matter that we had scheduled appts. If it wasn't an emergency, you were immediately cut off from your conversation and put on hold or hung up on. Apparently, we had the misfortune of arriving minutes after a high volume of emergencies EVERY TIME. On the third visit when she needed her broken stitches replaced with staples, a staff member met us at our vehicle. She watched me take off her cone and put her on a leash to go inside. An hour later she was brought back out to us with a new cone and they charged us for it! Now fast forward to March of this year. Same surgery, different leg and the exact same unprofessional service. The day of her surgery she had to be at the hospital by 8AM with no food or water from the night prior. At 3:30PM that day we called to see how the surgery went just to be told " she's about ready to go in now". Yes, 7 1/2 hours after she was dropped off. We received a call from the doctor around 5PM saying everything went well and we could pick her up at 8PM. We got there at 7:50PM and must of just missed another "emergency" (Are you seeing the pattern?) because we didn't leave until 9:40PM. By the way, they were so busy that Uber dropped off food for a staff member and I could see her eating and laughing at her desk with co-workers when I looked through the door. Today was her post-op appt and it was the last straw. The appt was scheduled weeks ago for 8AM. My wife made arrangements for work just like any reasonable person would. The staff took it upon themselves to change her appointment by text message with less than 24hrs notice. She verified the change first thing this morning and arrived just before 11AM where she sat in the car until she called back at noon. Then they finally came out to get our dog. She waited in the car until 1:15PM before she called and asked what was the status. Now she was told our dog hadn't even been seen yet and was told she could leave if she had thing's to do. She called at 3:40PM and was told everything is done and we could pick up our dog. She arrived at 4:10PM and waited (of course) until 4:40PM before they brought her out. That's when she was told today's visit would cost $457 for her discharge. You have to be admitted before you can be discharged. She was there for an X-ray appointment. My wife said no, this surgery and all follow-ups had already been paid and we have an itemized receipt that proves it. That's when they said they'll look into it later. Look into it all you want, we'll see them in court if they try and send us a bill. Look, I'm a reasonable person and understand the procedures due to Covid-19 and I know emergencies pop up, but this was EVERY single time and if you read the reviews, this is their go to excuse they tell everyone. So don't reply with "the staff is sorry or disappointed with your review" like you have to nearly everyone else. Sorry's only go so far when you hear them over and over again. Fix the problem! If you're under staffed, hire more people. If you treat your paying customers this way, one can't help but wonder what type of care our pets receive. It's very unprofessional and the reason we'll take our three dogs to another vet from this moment forward.

I took my cat in for mastitis, and she was rightfully treated with the proper antibiotics. But they told me that she was going to need surgery because she had necrotizing tissue. They quoted me $4000. I was devastated. I resigned to accept the fact I may either put her down, which was cheaper..but her tissue was not rotten, it didn’t stink like necrosis would. So I finished the prescription of the antibiotics to at least rid the infection and she healed up on her own and the damaged tissue either fell off or scabbed over and healed completely. At this point I feel like it is absolutely necessary to have a 24 hour hospital service for all animals, I also feel necessary to point out that is possible they may be price gouging desperate people who truly care about their animals and perhaps performing unnecessary surgeries. My cat healed on her own and I could have potentially out for 4000$. It is highway robbery Find another 24 hour hospital animal hospital.

Called and said my dog was puking multiple times. They took my info and said it would be a 2 hour wait time. I get here and am put on hold for 5 minutes only to be asked if I can be put on hold again. When I gave my phone number I wasn’t “in the system” even though I called 30 minutes before. Once that got figured out I was told the wait time was actually 5 hours. Just seems disorganized.

Do not bother. We arrived and called to check in for a walk in as directed, and were told we'd have to wait and call back as they were too busy to check us in. We waited and called back exactly at the time we were told to, only to be to then be told 1) that we never called (we did, it was the same receptionist who said her name was Gabby) and 2) that the clinic was now at capacity for the day and wouldn't be able to see us at all. We wasted an entire afternoon while our cat was in severe pain. From other reviews it seems this place doesn't even actually treat anything but direct people elsewhere anyway. You should be ashamed. A disgusting scam, perpetrated on vulnerable people worried about their pets is all this is.

Don't waste your time here. They aren't 24/7, and they don't tell the truth about their availability. They don't seem to actually be an urgent care place? I was told that no appointment was needed and when I got there, they said to come back in an hour and a half and that they couldn't check in any appointments or urgent care until 3pm. We returned at 3pm only to be told that they were at capacity. This is not ok.