Dr. Barker and his staff are wonderful! He has been treating my dogs since 2008 and I have had nothing but positive experiences with every visit. He is always so gentle and thorough. He has many years of experience and it shows in his knowledge and the way he has always handled my dogs. He is especially patient my girl now, who is a little on the apprehensive side at the vet. Whenever my dog has an issue, the staff always follows up to check on her after her visit. read more

My experience at Colonial Animal Hospital in Locust was, by far, the worst in terms of customer service and compassion. The front desk staff, particularly the woman I spoke with at 7:00 a.m. on 3/26/2025, was just as rude and indifferent as many other reviews have described. My dog had been a patient of Dr. Barker for over six years, but in the last two, this clinic has declined sharply. Today, my mom faced the heartbreaking decision to put our beloved 14-year-old Boston Terrier to sleep. When she called yesterday to request an emergency appointment, she was told the earliest available slot was three days away and advised to take him to the Kannapolis emergency vet in the meantime--and then told not to call back. There was no urgency, no compassion--just complete disregard for the situation. As his condition worsened, I called again this morning on my mom's behalf, hoping to secure an earlier appointment. After requesting an emergency visit, the woman at the front desk coldly asked, "Who is this for?"--as if she was deciding which pets were worth seeing. In that moment, it felt like they had completely turned their backs on us when we needed them most. When I pressed for an earlier appointment, she rudely stated they had openings between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., but it was first come, first served--offering no guarantee of care. I explained our circumstances, hoping for at least some understand or compassion, but all I received was indifference. No sympathy, no effort to accommodate--just a dismissive attitude that made it clear my dog's life didn't matter to them. After years of loyalty to this clinic, it was devastating to realize that when it truly counted, they simply did not care. Let me be clear: you will receive no empathy from this staff. What should have been a moment of kindness and care was instead made even more painful by their unprofessionalism and coldness. There was no warmth, no reassurance--just a rushed, impersonal process that left us feeling like an inconvenience. That's why we took him elsewhere, where he was treated with the dignity and compassion he deserved in his final moments. We are heartbroken, and instead of support during one of the hardest moments a pet owner can face, we were met with indifference. It is beyond disappointing to see what this clinic has become--and even more unacceptable that Dr. Barker has allowed such awful behavior to continue for years. If you truly love your pets and want them cared for by a team that values their well-being, I strongly urge you to go elsewhere. No one should have to endure what we went through today. read more

Dr Barker and his staff are amazing. He has been my vet for over 16 years and I recommend him all the time. I have had horrible experiences at other vets and he has always been honest, upfront, never taken advantage of his services and suggested more than what needed done. His compassion, kindness and friendliness to myself, my family, and our pets is genuine and matchless to any other veterinarian services I have ever received. Highly recommend! read more

DO NOT RECOMMEND Colonial Animal Hospital in Locust. Details: Made an appointment for our new puppy weeks in advance of picking her up. That appointment was supposed to be today. Over the weekend she was experiencing some symptoms that were consistent with parvo. I took her to Cabbarus Emergency Vet, where they admitted her because she indeed tested positive. They only can care for pets until 730 am. Picked her up this morning and took her straight to Colonial per their instructions. BIG MISTAKE! Not only was the receptionist very rude (not the first time I've witnessed this over almost 1 1/2 years bringing our other pets here), Just the first time personally. When the vet tech came out she started off the conversation like this: "You have Lilly this morning"? I said, "Yes". The next thing that comes out of her mouth is, "we can't do anything for her". Not, we can't do anything for her because XXX. She (VetTech) would be better suited working in a morgue. ZERO compassion. ZERO personality. She never even offered another solution, or recommended another vet office/hospital that would be best suited to take care of our puppy. Did I mention how cold this individual was? Unfortunately, she represents the entire business, just like the receptionist. We liked Dr Barker, he just has very bad ambassadors working on behalf of his practice. Thank goodness Cabarrus Emergency vet after hearing what happened this morning recommended a hospital to take her and immediately you could tell they love their job and want the best for all of their clients. Colonial Animal Hospital in Locust DOES NOT! read more

My animals have been brought here for years. Sad to say they are lacking in service and compassion and will be looking for better care elsewhere now. Check your bill! Last visit was charged for an undelivered vaccine. read more

This vet is great if your pet has a wellness visit or just need some shots. I would not waste my time going there if your pet is sick or injured in some way, though. My 10 year old black lab developed very concerning symptoms back in March that included a sudden inability to stand or walk unassisted, and problems using the bathroom. Something was very wrong with his back legs. He was knuckling (walking on the tops of his feet) even as they walked him into the vet's office. Since it was COVID precautions, we could not go inside with him. A vet tech took him inside, and about 10 minutes later brought him back out. She said "It could be arthritis or it could be neurological. Give him these pills and see if he gets better." We never spoke to an actual veterinarian, and have no idea what they actually did when he was inside. No X-rays, no bloodwork, nothing. We immediately made an appointment with Mint Hill Animal Hospital the next morning. They came out with a stretcher to take him inside instead of making him walk. They had their vet call us on the phone as she was examining him, they did multiple tests, and ultimately recommended we take him to the emergency vet. They were in constant communication with us outside in the car, explained everything, and answered all our questions. After an MRI at the emergency vet, turns out he had spinal tumors that were putting pressure on his spinal cord, affecting his ability to walk and use the bathroom. Our experience with Mint Hill Animal Hospital was a complete 180 from dealing with Colonial. We were disappointed to say the least, as we had gone to them for years when our dog needed shots and checkups. There was no compassion or real effort made to help our dog. In addition, when I tried calling to refill a prescription we originally got from Colonial, they didn't want to fill it at the 300 mg gabapentin dose since the original instructions were to start with 100 mg, and work our way up to 300 mg over a few days. They acted like I was trying to get stronger meds than the prescription read when they're the ones who told me to gradually increase the dose to 300 mg so it didn't make him sleepy. They were also supposed to refill his tramadol prescription at that time, but I got so frustrated with them about the gabapentin issue that I called Mint Hill Animal Hospital and asked to transfer all my prescriptions to them so I didn't have to deal with Colonial. When I called Colonial back to tell them not fill either the gabapentin or tramadol scripts, the receptionist very rudely said "We know you called the other vet and are filling the tramadol with them so we're not filling anything for you." I honestly felt like they were accusing me of trying to double fill a narcotic prescription for personal use or something. I said, "Yes ma'am, that's why I called you back because I am filing my prescriptions with Mint Hill and not with you." Overall, I do not recommend this vet. We had good experiences with Dr. Barker for the healthy years of our dog's life, but when it came to a serious medical issue, nothing was handled properly or professionally. I would say that the problem lies with his ancillary staff, but if he is the one who saw my dog for those 10 minutes and sent us on our way, then he is also to blame. Take your business elsewhere. read more

Scammers. I scheduled a nail trim and ended up charged for a vaccine as well. Their response, "it's only $18!". So tone deaf, it's not the money it's the trust they broke. Would you like to take your car for an oil change and when you pick up your car it has a new paint job because THEY thought your car needed it. No thank you. My card is reversing the charge as fraudulent bc I had the proof I only authorized a nail trim. read more

Colonial Animal Hospital - Snapshot of the appointment I made for a nail trim. Snapshot of the receipt they charged me for a vaccine I didn't request and a nail trim. - Veterinarians Near Me - Locust, North Carolina

We like Dr. Barker but we've had issues with the staff making rude comments. Specifically Andy is very condescending, and has been rude every interaction we've had. It's fine to come here for shots and well visits but for health issues I'd go elsewhere. read more

I take all my babies 2 dogs and 8 cats to colonial and they are the very best. I can't say enough about all the staff and vet Drs there. They take awesome care of my babies. I highly suggest taking your babies to them they will be in great hands. read more

I've been going to Colonial Animal Hospital for about a year and can speak very highly of the business. Dr. Barker takes great care of our dog and never rushes us. The staff is helpful, quick on prescription refills and is welcoming. read more

Personally I've always had a good experience here. Expect to wait 20-30 mins past your appointment to get seen. Assistant at front desk was unhappy with angry customer who called, she got off the phone and gossiped about the customer with other techs using foul language. My only complaint. read more

Dr. Barker is amazing! Megan at desk and vet assistance are awesome! Only thing I'd warn you about is some bald man (manager maybe) comes out from time to time with the nastiest look on his face, never greets you and just looks at you with pure disgust. I'm keeping 5 stars because of Dr and staff, that guy would get a negative 10 if possible!! read more

Dr. Barker really is the best. If you want a vet who is genuinely caring towards your pet, this is the place to go. Also the staff is always very friendly and ever accommodating of my cat's needs. If it wasn't for their dedication to the field they are in, my cat may not have made it. They really go the extra mile here. I can't thank them enough for their compassion and attention to detail. read more

Great folks to work with. Honest. Professional. Don't try to sell stuff you don't need. My dog loves them so they must be pretty good.