Duca might be getting a little bit old and a little bit honorary, but he's always done well by our pets. He's accurate with his diagnosis and he's fair with his prices. read more

We have brought our cat and dogs to Dr Duca for over 30 years. He has always been excellent diagnosing our animals with whatever is bothering them. I like it that he doesn't sugar coat what is going on with the animals and is honest with us. I agree he lacks some bedside manners but that is why he works with animals and not people. He is more concerned with the animals. I always get him to crack a smile or laugh no problem. read more

A minus rating . This douche of a person should be shut down. My wife brought our 18 year old cat in to get her shots and nails clipped. The Doctor's attitude was not professional and totally in bad theory of animal care. I hope when you need help Dr Mengela you get the same shit treatment. DON'T BRING YOUR PET HERE!!! read more

We switched to Dr. Duca almost two years ago after a horrible and mis-diagnosis from a prior vet in Stoneham which ended up in over $7k worth of surgical costs for our puppy. We are SO glad he is seen by Dr. Duca now. Dr. Duca and his staff are always willing to find an appointment for our giant breed dog and answer our questions. They also take care of us by finding ways to get our 2.5 year-old pup (who weighs 200 lbs.) cost effective, but efficient flea/tick control and heartworm medicine. Appointments are easy, and affordable and we are 'sold' on unnecessary items, charges or medications. Most vets mark up the preventative medications $$$ and we are happy to shop locally with Animal Center because they do not. We have googled and shopped online and the prices at Animal Center are cheaper than anything we've found. The same has gone for some prescriptions for our dog as well. We feel confident in filling everything with Animal Center because we know they are not taking advantage of us. So happy we made the switch and our dog is happier too! read more

The veterinarian was the worst I have ever experienced in 30 years of owning pets. He has no bedside manners. He never got back to us about our puppy having worms and he charged $78 for stool sample. Melrose Vet charged $48, go figure. He changed us $175 to take the puppies temperature! Literally. He should retire and stop stealing people's money based on our love for our pets. THE WORST Veterinarian in MA!! Stay away read more

If I could give negative stars I would. This was the worst experience I have ever had with a vet (or any doctor). First impressions of this practice were terrible. It was dirty, birds in cages everywhere, caged rats and other pets. I should mention- I am used to veterinary practices having cats hanging around so this was not unexpected... but the overall condition of the building did not seem great. Dr. Duca was rude, inconsiderate and dismissive from the very beginning. I relayed some medical information about my cat when I got there and he used that opportunity to make a negative comment about the previous doctor I had worked with. Additionally, he did not appear to have much experience with pets, given his cold presence. He lacked any form of engagement with my cat and expected me to force my cat to stay on the exam table the moment we entered the exam room and quickly uttered "we should probably reschedule this [new patient appointment]" within a few minutes of us being there, because my cat was reasonably hesitant (this was our first time there)- he was in the corner of the room on the ground sniffing around. Dr. Duca picked my cat up very aggressively, to the point that I reached out and took him away. He suggested mixing two of the vaccines that were due for my cat (one of them being rabies...which you cannot mix with another). He seemed to have zero professionalism. I have never heard my cat cry, growl or hiss and he did all three within 30 seconds of being near Dr. Duca. The way he handled my cat was rough, and got him so worked up that he physically was sick multiple times when I left and brought him home (also never happened before). I left the office in tears. Upon my exit Dr. Duca was nowhere to be found but shouted from the other room "call me to reschedule" (had no care in the world that he was losing business). This was supposed to be a wellness visit to establish care as we moved to the area. At this point I am planning to travel over an hour each way to see our previous vet because of his compassion and expertise with animals. Dr. Duca should NOT be practicing. read more

I've waited a few days to write this review. First of all please please do not send your fur babies here. Do your research and find someone that will care for them and have compassion for them if they pass. I brought my baby girl there last Thursday to get spayed. They did not do any blood work prior to the surgery, doing research this is something that SHOULD be done before any anesthesia. We dropped my baby girl off and left. 3 hours later I get a phone call that my perfectly healthy 6 month old passed away. No compassion, no sadness. I was in shock and my husband grabbed the phone and they had words. We drove there and Dr. Duca was standing behind the counter and he and my husband had words again, my husband asked him what happened. He said "I really don't know but you can get an autopsy done" and I look and my baby girl is laying on the table alone in the side room with a paper blanket on her. I lost it. Let me say that the 2 women that work there were AMAZING and tried to console me while I was losing it. I kept hearing the doctor and my husband talking and Dr. Duca asked him what he should do. What my husband should do?! We are grieving, help US know what to do! No compassion, no I'm sorry, he did not even ask us if we wanted to take her, have her cremated. No pawprint. Nothing. My husband grabbed me and carried me out while Dr. Duca sat in the chair behind the desk and didn't say a word while we left. Flash forward a few hours later my mom came by and looked at the Facebook of Animal Center and found this post it is the MOST unprofessional post I have ever read. It basically states that "Things like this can happen and it is unfortunate but they do. They had a death today and they are sorry but we as per owners need to be aware that these situations can happen. We need to be able to ask the right questions and understand that it can happen. If your pet died in the hands of a vet, be honest, how would you respond?" My husband shared it and we saw a bunch of people go on and say how unprofessional it was, how this is not the first time this has happened, how he is not good with animals, how he has misdiagnosed many animals. He has ONE positive comment. It was the only one that they commmented on. The post was deled the following day. Please, please, please if you love your baby the way I did. Please don't do come here. I am not the first person who has had problems here and please do not be the next one to have problems here. My heart is shattered and Dr. Duca did nothing to help or make the situation better at all. He made it worse and more painful. I understand things can happen to your babies during routine surgery, but it's the way a vet handles things that help. If you read this whole thing, thank you. read more

Brought my 15 year old daughter and her new rescue cat for the first checkup. Dr Duca ignored me and instead spoke directly to my daughter grownup-to-grownup about *her* responsibilities for rearing her new charge. Absolutely perfect - 6 years now, and my daughter has been an incredibly responsible cat person. My new rescue dog now goes here as well. Rates are quite reasonable (unlike the prior clinic I went to); meds prices are identical to those online. Staff are friendly and a clear effort has been made to make the grounds wildlife friendly. read more

Dr. Duca was not only rude but dismissive and did not address our sick dogs issue. By far the worst experience ever and I would never recommend him to anyon. read more

After seeing so many negative reviews I'm surprised. I knew I had to write something about Dr. Duca. Dr. Duca has been taking care of my animals since I was a kid. He took care of my cats and currently sees my dog. He is always kind and professional and I think he is amazing with the animals. He always talks to them and does his best to make them feel comfortable. I like Dr. Duca because he is always on time (unlike every other vet place I've been to) and he is quick as well as thorough. Will he charm you and wine and dine you? Probably not. It's not his style and I don't really care as long as my pet is well taken care of. He's very good at what he does and that's why I have always taken my animals to him and I wouldn't take them anywhere else. I did once and came right back. If it's important that your pet see a qualified service provider that will take good care of your furry friend, take them to Dr. Duca. If you're looking for a sweet talker, that's just not Dr. Duca. I guess I'm just used to people being straight up with me. read more

I see a lot of and reviews but I've never had a problem in the 8 years I've been bringing my cats here. Regular care, 3 surgeries, 2 abscesses and a missing toe that he had tested for cancer and it was. Maybe he doesn't have the best personality for some people but he doesn't gouge you. His visits and products are so reasonably priced. read more

One word- RUDE! If you like being spoken to in an inconsiderate, condescending manner, this is your place. Wish I checked these reviews sooner before bringing my pet here! read more

:up until recently I have always liked Dr. Duca and recommended him. But my latest visit soured me on him and I have know him a long time. It was very bad and I will never gk there again. He was mean and rude. Very unlike him. read more

I'm surprised by all the negative comments. Dr. Duca and his staff are fantastic! They take really good care of their clients. When my puppy, Jackson got fixed at 6 months they took amazing care of him! Jackson loves the vet tech so much & looks forward to seeing her and Dr. Duca every time we enter the parking lot. He genuinely gets excited at the vet and I couldn't have asked for anything better! read more

Dr. Duca and his staff have been providing great care to our cats for many years. Dr. Duca was recommended to us by the Melrose Humane Society. He and his staff are all animal lovers: They give advice about taking care of your pets and genuinely care about animals. Appointments are easy to arrange and reasonably priced - we have not been kept waiting. Plus, they provide homegrown catnip to the cats at each visit! read more

This guy had me wanting to wring his neck. As another poster said, (and for some reason the review is hidden?) He's got a terrible way with dogs. The guy would be better suited as a cobbler or in a profession not dealing with people. Never really even acknowledged the dog and started poking around in an uncaring manner. Told me the issue I was there for didn't exist. later on as it persisted I brought him to another clinic that confirmed there was in fact a long standing issue and got the needed care to correct it. I wouldn't bring an animal there if it was an emergency. I don't know if he ever had a fast ball, but if he did, it's long gone. One of the most annoying and pompous dinks I've ever come across. read more

Not sure if the Vet Dr. Duca has a bizarre sense of humor or if he's really just as rude and unprofessional as many others before me have stated. This Animal Center has a 1 Star rating on Yelp and it's High rating of 4.2 on Google is highly misleading. Sure the vet techs are very kind, but the overall experience is ruined by Dr. Duca's dull like personality. I brought my pet over to see Dr. Duca and mentioned that my pet was having discomfort on it's tail. He asked me if it hurt when I touched it, and I confirmed that it did. His response was "Then Don't Touch the Tail Then!" (With a serious look on his face) Now, I'm not sure where Dr. Duca got his education, but to me it's common sense that one must examine a pet or person to see if there is anything wrong or hurting them. Touching is part of an examination. How would I have known my pet had any issues if I didn't touch it around it's body to see if there were any areas with abnormal sensitivity? As if his attitude wasn't bad enough, his care was completely unprofessional as well. The main reason I brought my pet there in the first place was because it began getting sores around it's ears and body. I asked him why my kitten was getting these sores out of nowhere and his response was simply... "I don't know... it'll get better on it's own.. just wash it out with cold water..." His suggestion was simply to just wipe it with cold water and that's it... 5 minute exam, $80 gone, and a horrible overall experience. 2 weeks later my kittens tail sore got so bad I had to take her to the BanField Animal Hospital. Her poor tail now needs to be amputated and it's going to cost me over $1000 to perform the surgery. They said the sores were a result of my kitten having bacteria in her blood and that she needed to be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible and not just cold water... Dr. Duca is a horrible vet. If you love your pet and want it to get properly taken care of go as far away from the Animal Center in Saugus as you can... read more

Took my cat for a visit concerned regarding some strange behavior and thinking he may have injured his back or legs. Got there and was greeted kindly by Bridget who thankfully assisted during the exam. However immediately when I inquired how much the exam was she was saying a range and he yelled out from his office where he was sitting watching tv to correct her. He spoke down to me and the staff. I had to ask them to shut the doors during the exam. There were other loose cats in the office and my cat is not socialized. I had no idea how he would respond in the environment and didn't want him to run. First I showed a clear video of the behavior my cat was doing that concerned us. He said he had never seen anything like it and then said what are you here for? Ah help? Suggestions maybe? For someone with knowledge of animal anatomy to give me advice? The five minute exam ended with a rabies shot and me getting two pamphlets to go elsewhere from the vet. In addition I asked them to trim his claws. He said I could just do it at home. So I insisted and said just the front paws. He did the front then reached for the back paws. Had to stop him. Charged in full. Total bill 113.00 for 7 minutes and no relief for my cat. Oh he has a cavity apparently but I wasn't told what to do about it. Never again will that man get near my precious pet! read more

Terrible bedside manner. Not interested in spending quality time. Not thorough in explaining details. Seemed almost irritated by my asking questions and quite rude when answering them. Would not reccomend........ read more

If they allowed negative stars I would have put that. The other Yelp review was flat on the same. I almost dove across the desk and choked him. The most uncaring pompous person with no knowledge or concern for anyone but the bill. My dog was in pain and suffering and he said "What do you want me to do?" in a tone I was inconveniencing him. I had to demand a certain test, and I was right. He refused to call with the lab results, he said, "You call me, I don't call you." Again, like a pompous jackass. Take your animal to Petco before going to this guy. read more

I have been bringing my dogs and small pets to Dr Duca for over 9 years. I have background working in a large animal hospital and I foster for a rescue. I can not say enough good things about Dr Duca. What I like about him is he actually expects you to do what is best for your pet. If he tells you the pet needs to lose weight or anything else he expects you to do it. Why else would you waste your time, his time and your money? He is great with animals and that is why I go there. I find him quite amiable and nice. read more

I have been bringing my dogs to Dr. Duca for over a decade. He has a very dry sense of humor and personality but I'm not there for his comedic genius, I'm there for his animal expertise. He is thorough and thoughtful and his love of animals is evident. He has the BEST team of techs I have ever met. I recommend Duca to everyone I meet. I'm shocked by these 1 star reviews that are based on his personality and not on the care their pet received. read more

Dr Duca may not have the best bedside manor, but we did not bring our pet to him to socialize quite the contrary. After several unproductive, expensive visits elsewhere we went to Dr Duca who was highly recomended for his expertise without putting us in debt might add. needless to say our pup was up and happy in no time. Since then we have recommended him to many of our friends who now would go to no one else. We take care of our pets, and do the recommended preventives which most people don't. Don't expect your pet to be miraculously fixed if you only bring them to the vet when they are sick !! We don't need a veterinarian to stoke our ego just to take care of our pets. We found that in Dr Duca read more

On February 2 I brought my cat Mystic to Dr. Duca at the Saugus Animal Center with what I thought may have been signs of a Urinary Track Infection, Dr. Duca told me Mystic was fine and was just irritated from excessive cleaning due to possible stress and as long as he was releasing some urine he would be fine (he was horrible wrong) and prescribed him pain medication, while on the pain medication for 3 days Mystic seemed to be in alot less pain (because he wasn't feeling anything) but really he was getting worse. As soon as his pain medication ended he began to show that he was in pain again but only worse this time, now there signs of blood in his urine, I gave Dr. Duca a call and asked if he could take another look at Mystic because I think something more serious might be wrong, Dr. Duca took offense to me saying I think he may have mis-diagnosed my cat and told me that he would prefer if I came and got my records and take Mystic to another vet because he was right. I took Mystic to another Vet that same day and they instantly told me Mystic had an Urinary Obstruction and was on the verge of death, they also told me that this should have been seen by Dr. Duca and could have been caught sooner, not only did I almost lose my not even 3 year old cat because of Dr. Duca's lack of knowledge and stubborness but I also had to pay almost $4,000 in Medical Bills on spot for a 50-50 chance at that point to save my cat, I was also told by the other Veterinary clinic that this was not the first time an animal has been mis-diagnosed by Dr. Duca and brought to them, Thankfully Mystic survived and is doing well. Giving Dr. Duca even a 1 star rating is way to generous. Please share this post so people are aware of this doctors lack of knowledge and so this doesn't happen to another family's pet! read more