Received great care and fast service on a weekend urgent care visit. Friendly and competent folks

Wanted to charge a 3% credit card fee for a $1200 CT scan. I asked if I could run to the bank and get cash, and they totally wouldn't work with me. I could have been back in 10 minutes. I finally agreed to pay the money, as I had no choice, and they decided they wouldn't do the CT scan. To be clear, I was not rude. They showed 0 concern for my dog and we left without getting necessary testing. Shame on them. It has become all about money, and it's obvious. read more

if I could give a zero rating, it would be -0 they killed I went there on a weekday the emergency department he was sick. OK they told me I could have months not days. He didn't have something that required pain medicine. They brought in the room and it was like he was already gone when he walked in there. He was having some breathing problems sound like asthma. I know we had a problem and I age was a factor, but they told me if I gave him this medication that he could have months when I left there. He was a shell of who he was. He wasn't responsive. I asked right away what is wrong? They said the medication they gave off 10 hours hours later 24 hours later still declining rapidly not able to stand lethargic barely responsive. Heartbreaking to watch took him back three days later told me they needed to put him to sleep because he was suffering and all of his organs were shutting down. I said don't give him anything. I want him as hard as he can when I say bye rotten back in the room again gave him some type of medicine and he was breathing all hard and fast look like he was in distress. I couldn't say goodbye with that. they didn't like the candle for They didn't the candle for the lady the next room. It was the most crushing heartbreaking thing and then they wanna come worry about payment. I'll just pay you out so you don't have to worry about it when you leave. It was the most grossing heartbreaking experience I ever have been through. I know most people that have dogs can't have any animals become very very attached. This was my son. He was more than a dog to me. He was by my side every day and he is no longer here and I am so mad. these are all fair and accurate things to say how are you gonna give somebody more time and then take it away why did you need to give him pain medicine for breathing with a heart problems that don't make sense to me you told me he wasn't in pain told me that it was nothing scary that you didn't see anything alarming. Do not take your because he might not come home. I don't want anybody to feel what I feel right now. It's the worst article I've ever felt in read more

the incompetent lady couldnt even give me an answer!!!!! I said I'm looking for a place that does titers testing and answered her question about which ones he would need. dead silence. then asked if I had any other questions. go back to customer service trained golly. read more

First let me say, I was extremely happy with the first visit with Dr Vance, this time was a nightmare. Thought I found an excellent vet for my 4 babies, but saw their true colors tonight. I called at 923 am and was told I would be placed on walk in schedule. Walk in start at 6, I was there at 545 and was told "oh I don't see you in the system, I'll put you in now". I watched as others walked in and were even announced on a speaker. Not me, I just waited and waited, until they took my dog back at 7 pm and asked that I put a $600 deposit for X-rays and evaluation and some one would be out to talk to me. I asked for Dr. Vance, instead I get Doogie Howser's sister, who looked and talked like she drank a case of Red Bull. "We couldn't find anything, just keep doing what you're doing ". They never got permission and did unnecessary bloodwork, he was in there last month and they accepted his bloodwork done the month before from another vet. When I mentioned that, she stuttered about , well things can change quickly-$454.54 for NOTHING! I felt like a fool, waited all that time for NOTHING. You would think they would have refunded more of the $600, my time is valuable too. They charge a fee for Hazardous materials, even if you didn't use any. Do you know how much that comes too charging everyone that $5 fee? Christ on a Cracker, a lot. That's how much. The dog was screaming in pain on the way home, holding up his right paw, but she couldn't get anything out of him? Place is a joke, unless you have money, that's what their bottom line is CHA CH$NG. They sure saw me coming, but NEVER AGAIN. Gone are the days when people worked to help others instead of looking at them with $$ signs! read more

Dr. Vance was wonderful to my bulldog who had such a horrible allergy flare up this week. Not only that but she took the time to get us set up for meds to come to our house on repeat. My dog loves it here, he practically drags me in when we come. Not surprised- I found out they bribe him with cheese and kisses to do his tests lol. read more

Wouldn't take my Nova girl anywhere else! The staff is great, and the Doctors are all amazing ! Cost is the best I can find between Delaware, Pennsylvania, and pretty much any Veterinary Hospitals in the harford area! Homeward Bound Veterinary Service's care about all the pets they come in contact with, you see this just sitting in the waiting room! Thank you all for going above and beyond for my girls health and safety read more

Homeward Bound Veterinary Services - Nova Girl - Veterinarians Near Me - Bel Air, Maryland

I took my dog to the emergency services at Homeward Bound and she was treated with such care! The doctor and technicians were amazing to work with and made me feel very comfortable when my pup was not feeling well. read more

The owners that say "run", listen to them! RUN, don't even go there! Can't leave a 'NO STAR' rating! Four days ago, my sisters' German Shepard was attacked by four of the neighbors German Shepherds. According to the owner, the batteries went out on his electrical gate. My sister was able to beat three of them off with a shovel but one kept attacking leaving gorging bleeding injuries. The neighbors wife eventually got that one off of our pet. My sister immediately took him to homeward bound. He had been neutered by their other dept, so she thought it was safe. Homeward bound, stated they could not touch him until they had payment. She was told the stating cost was over $1600 and could go up as high as $2200. After hours of trying to get together the funds, he was forced to go home bleeding and they charged $120 plus $18 for 'two' tablet for pain. In spite of our family strongly advising her to wait and let us try to find someone who cared, she took him back to homeward bound, because of transportation challenges. They were the closest and her baby was bleeding out. She took him back there and they took him to the back and left her in the waiting area for over 6 hours leading her to believe he was being helped, while she attempted to raise the funds. She ended up bringing him back home overnight. We were able to find a facility close by and they took him immediately and started care. The same care that homeward bound charged $1600-$2200, was only $1100 with Animal Emergency Hospital, and this included follow-up appointments. The staff there was kind and compassionate. They are highly recommended by our family. Our family was able to come up with this amount and our beloved German Shepard is at home recovering well in spite of the negligent and reckless 'care' at homeward bound. I didn't capitalize their name because they don't deserve to even have their name in the category of veterinary care. I wouldn't let them take my garbage out! read more

They do a Great job of trimming my little dog.She smells so Good when I get her back. And they give her a lil scarf to boot. The Staff are Friendly and Professional .And most of all the Price was reasonable.Keep up the Good Work Homebound ! read more

Our dog died hours after surgery. Dr. Vance told us that if she was there, the night of surgery, she would NOT have sent him home as he was given less than 2hrs in the recovery room. He was the ONLY patient who was unable to walk/stand after surgery, and we were assured that it was normal. We stayed up passed 2am, calling emergency services only to be reassured that his post-surgery lethargy was normal and not to worry, went to sleep and woke up at 5am to a dead dog! Amy Merson/Elliott promised a full refund for everything spent in the ER ($3500+) only to later defer to their insurance company to effect a lie of retracting her promise of a FULL refund. We've now lost twice, a cherished family member of 13 years and Amy's broken promise. Dog dies less than 8 hrs after surgery, promised refund, waited over month, for Amy to say, no refund, stop calling! read more

Wow!!! My German shepherd had a stomach flip and ruptured spleen after regurgitating everything for four days. Every single person in this office was so kind, considerate, positive, attentive, and SAVED my dogs life. For $1600 on a payment plan - totally worth every penny. They are so incredible, if your animal needs to be seen TODAY I wouldn't even hesitate to call. It's worth it, I can't believe there are any negative reviews about this place read more

Homeward Bound Veterinary Services - Ozi After Surgery - Saved Life!!! - Veterinarians Near Me - Bel Air, Maryland

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These Mofos killed my Dog !!! I would give 0 stars if I could !!! Dog went in for surgery only had less than 2 hours recovery, they sent him home and I woke up to a dead dog !!! Amy Merson is a liar she said we would be refunded everything we spent in the ER including the $3,500 for the surgery !!! Lying bitch !!! Dr Vance said the day Eli died that if she was there she would not have sent him home !!! He had a low grade fever and when the tech brought him out of recovery we asked her why isn't he walking !!! She said he's seeing "purple elephants" from the anesthesia, she obviously thought it sound intelligent to tell someone that after their dog just had major surgery. Dr Cooley performed the surgery and said it was a success but did she wait to see if Eli was fine no she got the hell up out of there !!! Before Dr Cooley spoke to us, one of the techs ran out to the front to tell the receptionist something about ELI & the tech said OMG !!! Immediately I ask the tech was Eli out of surgery she said she was waking him up from the anesthesia, something happened to my dog in the OR !!! These people are covering their asses and leaving us with a broken heart !!! 13 years we had Eli now he's gone because they were in a rush to go home without making sure Eli was ready to be discharged !!! Had my dog since he was 4 weeks old now my family is beyond devastated !!! BEWARE they only care about your money !!! DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS HERE THEY ARE MURDERERS !!!!!!!!!!!! read more

This has been posted to Google as well. I am adding to this page that I would not recommend this office, as there are a lot of options in the Bel Air area. I too had a very similar experience as other reviewers - Homeward Bound won't communicate professionally and doesn't do thorough exams. I provided this feedback to the office directly as well, but have not received comments or a response back. Reasons I did not like this office: -You can't go into the building to check in for an appointment or pick up medications, you need to call from a designated parking space. This would be a good option for clientele that would like to utilize it, but I would have preferred to be in the waiting room and that option is not available. My recommendation would be to make it an option for clients to wait in their car, but not an overall business method. -You can't go into the building for tech appointments, you wait in the car and the tech takes only the animal in. I would prefer to be in the room which would allow for conversations/questions or general concerns about my pet's health/wellbeing. Instead, this made me feel insignificant and irrelevant to the process, and that if I went in, then I was just taking up space. My recommendation would be to make it an option for clients to wait in their car, but not an overall business method for those that requested to go in and be part of the process. -For these types of appointments mentioned above (when you need to stay in your car), you don't get to see the invoice or charges unless you ask for them. My recommendation would be to always have a copy of the invoice/charges when a total bill is presented to the client. -Most of the time there were staffing issues, which means appointments had to be set way in advance. Since I knew this, I just called a month or two before the necessary appointment, so I wasn't late with my pets' exams. -Staffing issues mean that more than often I would be scheduled with a rotating or temp vet. I would have preferred to build a consistent relationship with the permanent staff, ones that could track my pet's health over time rather than always in a snapshot. You feel like to you need to "start at the beginning" or "fill in gaps of their knowledge" especially with an animal that may have a history. -When my dog needed emergency surgery, the conversations were only with the tech. It took a lot of effort to speak to the vet, and I feel that the tech did not accurately relay my questions accurately with the vet, or vice versa. Therefore, communication breaks down fast, especially with emergencies. My recommendation would be for the vet to be the one that handles those "serious" or "emergency" calls, and the tech handles the routine communications, examples follow ups after appointments or negative test results. -When there was a miscommunication about a service provided, I called the office and left +7 messages with either the office manager, pharmacy tech, vet, etc. to resolve it with no response or communication except a letter saying that I verbally abused a staff member and was unprofessional. I never did get an opportunity to understand what prompted the letter or the accusation. My recommendation for the business is to communicate in person with the clients when there are concerns - either by the staff or the client - rather than shutting all communications down. Reasons I liked this office: -Dr Sorum was caring to our animals and an experienced and knowledgeable vet. Had a good experience with her when my dog needed surgery. -They offer mobile vet service, which is convenient, but it is more expensive. After one mobile visit, I opted to take my pets in. read more

Please take your pets elsewhere if you care about them. This place can only take care of already healthy pets. They will kill your pet, otherwise. As other reviewers have stated, they do not communicate properly. They seemed great in the beginning, but now it seems like they just want money. read more

Staff is great, superb customer service! Organized, top-notch care for all fur babies!

Fantastic Vets! Dr. Vance is caring and knowledgeable. She solved an ongoing health issue with our rescue dog. The office staff are terrific too. We also take Hamish to Dennis for grooming there and he consistently does a great job. Would highly recommend him. read more

Thank you for your patience with Holly doodle and her first time at the groomer. She looks great.

I won't get into the details, it is too upsetting. If you love your pet and need answers, please go to a different professional vet. PET ER or VCA. Homeward Bound won't communicate professionally, act like you are inconveniencing them, won't go over tests with you, don't do thorough exams, expect you to meet their needs not yours, take short cuts on meds, make mistakes and won't compensate for them, and lack compassion and respect. They don't even change their behavior after a bad reviews. AVOID. read more

I tried to talked with the manager about the X-rays that two of my dogs had taken on Saturday. The doctor didn't go over them with me at all she just said one of my dogs is going to have 3 pups snd the other 4-5. I asked if they could send the X-rays to me so I could look at them and they said yes. I mentioned it to several different people. I had to call on Monday to ask for the X-rays and this is what they sent me. Poor excuse for X-rays. I tried to talk with the manager and explain to her that these are poor quality images you cannot see anything. I asked for her to have someone show me where they saw the 4-5 puppies in this blur and she said they don't even recommend xrays they recommend ultrasounds so no. And no they are not refunding me. I told her I showed another vet these images and they said they weren't even diagnostic quality. The manager said then why don't you just see them. Well I will but they don't do c sections. I will never be using homeward bound again. The manager was extremely rude, unprofessional, and didn't put any effort towards trying to find a solution. She also said that my dogs was over weight. They are giant English mastiffs and yes may be a little over weight but should that really make an X-ray poor quality? The least she could have done was go over them with me when I asked. And in the few visits there I found that it's an unorganized mess. I called to let them know I was there and the message was never relayed so I waited 25 mins until I called again and they said they didn't know I was there to pick up my dog definitely not a huge deal people make mistakes but that manager needs some serious training in professional people skills read more

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We've been taking our dog to Homeward Bound for almost 2 years now, since we rescued her as a puppy. We've been very happy with them for the regular vaccination appointments as well as having her spayed. Because of COVID I had never gone in an appointment with my pup. My daughter's dog was not feeling well and needed to be seen and she couldn't get in for nearly a month at her vet. We were able to get her an appt the next day at Homeward Bound even not being a patient. Dr. Sorum was extremely thorough and you can tell that her and the tech genuinely love animals. We had a full blood panel performed, examination and got a prescription in less than an hour. I was very impressed seeing first have the care they give the animals. read more

This place cares about one thing only...:.money. We had a terrible experience with my dog's ACL surgery. It began prior to the surgery when during a consultation we were quoted a price for the surgery that turned out to be nowhere near as expensive as it actually was. When we received the official estimate it was nearly $1500 more than we were originally told. When we asked why it was so much more expensive, they acted like they never quoted the initial price, then when we called them out on that, they said the person who gave us that initial quote didn't know enough about the procedure to give an accurate estimate. They immediately put pressure on us to pay a deposit to book the surgery immediately, which we ultimately did because we felt it was in our dog's best interest. The day of the surgery, we were lied to several times when we called to check on her status. We were told on multiple occasions that the surgery was either getting ready to start or had started, only for that not to be the case. Our poor dog was there all day waiting and had horrible anxiety, so bad that she ripped her catheter out Twice. We didn't know any of this until after everything was said and done. They had zero compassion. The follow up and recovery was horrific. Their customer service was nonexistent. Not once did a doctor actually call on their own in the days following the surgery to check on my dog. He had to practically beg for someone to return our phone calls. We had to take her back a week following the surgery to remove bandaging that we asked them not to use in the first place. Of course they charged us for that too. When we took her in, it was as if they had no idea why we were even there. The people who work there had no knowledge that my dog had just been through a major surgery a week ago and could still barely walk. They proceeded to misidentify my dog and manhandle her and caused more damage and bleeding, which, of course they lied to us about and said the bleeding was normal. She had several complications to which their only response was to charge us more money for more medication. We were scheduled for her 8 week follow up with the surgeon, and when we took her in for the appointment, once again, they treated us very poorly and manhandled my dog to the point where we left without ever seeing the surgeon. Neither the surgeon nor the vet ever called to apologize or offer a follow up appointment. They overcharged us on several occasions, and if it wasn't for us thoroughly checking, it never would've been Rectified. I still don't know if they actually ever refunded us the appropriate amount. This was our one and only experience at this vet, and I will never recommend them to anyone. In sharing our experience with other vets, they were shocked at some of the things we told them about what had happened. read more

Has no issue taking 100s of dollars and then when you return with the same problem they give an excuse and then tell you they can't do anything else but same treatment, I stated I could not pay too much more when the treatment failed not once but twice and who ever I spoke with said, I don't know what to tell you, it was rude and uncaring, here I am scared and worried about my pets treatment and I have other pets who might need care so I lost money for NOTHING but failed treatment, at first I thought they were great, price was not too high until the issue was not resolved and had to pay more again. I was not too upset at that point things happen but then a second time I went back to only be sent home to deal with my pets issue the best I could with a change in home treatment that seemed like a brush off, turns out there was another treatment for the issue that was 90% successful not 50% and I would have paid only 300.00 more so now I am out 100s of dollars and dealing with my pet at home to see if the issue goes away on its own, if not I will be paying out 100s more for a major surgery totalling about 1600.00 !! I did not even get a diagnosis as to why my pet was so sick . read more

They killed our cat. She died of sepsis last night after a routine spay appointment. Felt entirely ignored and brushed off after bringing her back twice and told it was just a mild reaction to the stiches. Emergency Vet last night was appalled when we showed her pictures of Catalina's stomach on the day we took her back to the vet the last time, and she questioned if anyone actually looked at her during that trip. read more

My mom made an appointment for a visit for one of her cats to she seen in home. Next thing you know, her other cat was having issues with licking all its hair off. A month later, she takes the cat in to another vet and they tell her that the indoor cat has fleas which means both cats now have fleas and my Mom is besides herself because of this massive hair loss and discomfort her cat has gone through. She has been having to use harsh chemicals and vacuumed for hours! Contracting fleas from a vet has her reeling! read more

So impressed. Everyone is super kind , knowledgeable and informative! We recently rescued a kitten who is sick. Obviously having our other cat we had a lot of questions and concerns. Not only have they been helpful with the new Baby Jax - squeezing him in for an appointment to see him right away, they have also been very helpful with advice on how to ensure our Luna girl doesn't get sick too. They answered all my questions and made sure we understood how to care for Jax to help him recover quickly! Bonus- the price point is very reasonable compared to other vets. Thank you everyone at Homeward Bound! read more

Took my puppy for a break and although the Vet was excellent, and provided care and subsequent treatment for splint bandage change, there is a definite breakdown with the staff and office personnel going forward. I provided the shot record and My puppy was due for her last puppy shot only . At the age of just 4 months and they went ahead and gave her a rabies shot , which i never ordered, I never mix shots at that age. I called and Karen, office manager, gave me short and abrupt answers stating, "it's the law" for rabies. "Yes, but not at the age of 4 months i said" and I never gave my permission. The tech, Taylor, said she called me and left a message to gain my permission, not true, even so they went ahead and gave the shot anyway. The point is that they never should have given my puppy the shot without my permission. These people lie and cover each other's mistakes. I will never recommend and encourage to look elsewhere. read more

What great service from a fantastic vet that I never got to meet but spoke on the phone with twice. These times are a bit more trying with the COVID and the office is doing curbside pickup and delivery. I had never been here before but the ER vet down the street called them and asked them to help my cat that had a nasty gash in his thigh and needed stitches. I was lucky to get him in, stitches up and back in just over an hour. Amazing. My cat is home resting now and I am so relieved. read more

My dog had a grand maul seizures I took him to homeward bound when we pulled up he started having another one, they took him in and told me to call in 3 hours they wanted to keep him for a few hours they texte dme said his blood work was fine and I could pick him up at 5 when I picked him up they gave me no info on his situation no papers saying there dx no guiadnece on when or how to give the medication no info about the meds they had already gave him nothing just here let me take your money and here is your dog. I got home about a hour later he had another seizure I ended up having to take him to the er vet where they euthanized him the vet there said from his symptoms it was pressure on his brain more like a brain tumor. I had to have my baby's who I've had since he was 6 weeks old he's was 13 now put down very disappointed in homeward bound they just seemed like they just didn't care read more

Homeward Bound Veterinary Services - Veterinarians Near Me - Bel Air, Maryland

I cannot express my gratitude for saving our puppy Charlie! After my regular vet and ER couldn't see us right away, a friend said to call Homeward Bound and they got us in right away. They saved our boys life! The entire staff was kind, compassionate and patient. Every call, email was answered. Even late night emails were answered. I am so thankful for all of you! Charlie will not be going anywhere else for his check ups! I felt that they treat you not like a client but a friend. Thank you!!!! read more

More than 5 years ago, my 12-yr old cat was missed diagnosed by 3 different vets. Dr. Vance was my 4th vet in 8 months. She was wonderful. She properly diagnosed & treated my cat. I only wish I found her sooner. Recently, my 4-yr old cat became suddenly & seriously ill. Dr. Vance & Dr. Morrison, along with the entire staff at Homeward Bound went above & beyond the call of duty to help him. Without their involvement, I don't think he would be with me today. The manner in which they managed my cat's illness & eased my concerns was impressive. Knowing they will continue to monitor his health status gives me peace of mind. Their help & support, along with their compassion, dedication & devotion to their profession, their furry clients and their owners is outstanding. Dr. Vance's unique mobile services make it so easy on me, my precious fur baby & her other clients. I have been a grateful client for more than 5 years. I highly recommend their services. read more

Last fall my English Bulldog, Diesel, stopped eating, slowed down drinking water, and had a nasty discharge coming from his mouth. I called Homeward Bound and they came out the next day. After a 10-minute inspection, I was charged $100 and told to get Diesel to the ER immediately because they were "99% sure" he was in kidney failure. I took him to the ER right away on their advice. $400 later? He had an easily-treatable infection in his mouth. 24 hours later he was back to normal. While I'm sure some pet owners value the convenience of having a "vet" come to their house, buyer beware. Every vet I've spoken to since agrees that 'kidney failure' shouldn't be suggested until the proper blood work has been performed. I wouldn't recommend Homeward Bound for anything more than routine vaccinations. Other than that? Stick to the real professionals. read more

Everyone at Homeward Bound has been amazing. I've been taking my pets here for about 3 years now. You can always expect compassionate service. They have always been available to explain everything and answer questions. I just can't say enough good things about them, especially Dr. Vance. She is incredible! See all of the other 5 star reviews. All true! read more

Poor care! Outrageously poor communication. No follow-up. Missed diagnosis. Infection after surgery from poor post-surgery care. WAY overpriced for care plan. Never used home visits except to get meds that I was sent home without and to tell them NEVER USING THEM AGAIN. I can go on and on, but what's the point? Ask around. I wish I did. I heard more bad stories than good about Homeward Bound. read more

Dr. Kristen Vance is a good, caring veterinarian. I'm surprised that she can continue in practice as the communication by her and her staff is atrocious. Over the years, more times than not I ended up fuming by the complete lack of follow up by her and her staff. I had multiple instances that I had to go to other vets for urgent care due to the Doctor's unavailability during regular business hours. read more

I was more than a little nervous at first... I have a very large, very anxious dog who believes his goal in life is to protect me, and he's only became more determined since I became pregnant. He was due for an annual exam as well as some booster shots and basic heart worm and flea and tick medicine. They handled my 80lb anxiety ball like a breeze, pleasenty suprsing my husband and I. On top of that, despite being a mobile vet that comes to you, their pricing was even better than my previous vet. It's defiantly a service I recommend to any pet parents. read more

Wow....I am so impressed. Dr. Howell and Amanda from Homeward Bound just left my home and it was a prayer answered for me. I have a little dog that has been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and is at great risk when she gets frightened or too excited. It became a real issue when we would take her to the doctor for blood work or follow ups. The last time she was so scared at the vet's office her heart rate jumped to 300 beats per minute and she was at risk of sudden death. So I scheduled an appointment with Jessica at Homeward Bound for someone to come out and examine her and do her blood work and to make sure everything was okay considering she is on so many medications. They were absolutely wonderful. Instead of Katie shaking uncontrollable and panting and being in a state of complete terror, she was licking their noses while they drew her blood! She was calm and relaxed and it was a wonderful experience for all of us. They did a thorough exam and hugged her and loved her as if she was their own. Katie stood at the door and watched as they drove off. I would do this again in a heartbeat! As a matter of fact they are coming back next week with the mobile truck to do an x-ray of her chest to confirm that Katie is free of bronchitis or pneumonia and to confirm that she is stable and doing well. I highly recommend this service! read more