Riverdale Veterinary Clinic

We got a new puppy and were in need of follow up shots. I scheduled and placed a $49 deposit for an appointment later in the week. Unfortunately, not realizing we had an extremely busy week with pre-scheduled commitments that couldn’t be rescheduled. I called to cancel TWO days in advance and was told I would forfeit my deposit, despite a well in advance notice. This isn’t the kind of money hungry place we’d even want in care of our dogs. We cancelled despite the charge and contacted our credit card company who also couldn’t believe their “policy”. Life happens, and charging people for changing with ADVANCE notice is a disgusting way to run a business. We won’t ever take our dogs there, and hope to help others make the right decisions for their family too.

When I called to book an appointment for our female cat, who might have a UTI, I was first told the earliest opening was two days away—but that I should try calling a different vet instead. I asked if all clinics were probably booked out that far anyway, and the person on the phone seemed unsure and a little hesitant to even schedule us, even though we’ve never had any issues with them before. I didn’t say it was an emergency, just that she needed to be checked out. Eventually, they did offer me the appointment but quickly made sure I knew there would be a $49 fee if I canceled too close to the time. While waiting, I gave our cat some over-the-counter medicine and switched her food, just trying to keep her comfortable—and it actually seemed to help a lot. A couple of hours before the appointment, I called to ask if it might make sense to reschedule since she was doing better, but they said no and that I’d still be charged even if I wanted to rebook. It just felt like it was more about the money than the care, which is really sad. It’s getting hard to find a local vet where the staff is both kind and professional. Looks like I’ll be driving a little farther from now on to get the kind of care our pets deserve.