Review for River Road Animal Clinic
(I know I'm writing this…read morefrom a place of deep grief, but I've done my best to make this review as honest and accurate as possible.)
We began using River Road Animal Clinic about two years ago, after switching from Weems Road Animal Hospital in search of quality care at a more reasonable price. At first, we were impressed. Dr. Houston was kind, attentive, and wonderful with our anxious dog, Luna. She also did great with our senior girl, Rudie, even getting on the floor with them to help them feel more comfortable. We truly believed we had found a new veterinary home for our furbabies.
But on June 20, 2025, everything changed.
Our senior dog, Rudie, started refusing food, which was very unlike her. That morning, she ate only half of her usual meal and some sweet potato. By early afternoon, her breathing had grown labored and her belly seemed to spasm with each breath. I knew something was seriously wrong and that she had to be seen immediately.
I called River Road at 1:30 p.m. and spoke to Savannah and described her symptoms in detail. She called back around 2:00 p.m. and told me they wouldn't see her because Rudie likely needed emergency care or a quality of life assessment and they referred me to Auburn. (Almost an hour drive from our home.)
I called Auburn and they warned me that Rudie might wait for hours and may not even be seen in time as a walk in. (Meaning she would lay there in pain during the drive there and then who knows how long of a wait she would have had to be seen. She would have probably died in our laps/arms in pain.)
I called River Road again, desperate, begging them to reconsider. I knew Rudie was dying. I was terrified. They still refused.
They were less than 10 minutes away, and it was only early afternoon. But they wouldn't make time. They turned us away when our Rudah Girl needed them most.
We ended up at Northside Animal Hospital, who despite being busy; welcomed us in. Within thirty minutes they took her blood samples, took an Xray, and drew some of the fluid from her belly, they confirmed she was in congestive heart failure. They gently recommended euthanasia.
We knew it was the right thing.
Rudie passed away surrounded by love, comfort, and dignity but only because we found someone else willing to care.
The entire process took less than 90 minutes!! And that includes the time we took sobbing over the loss of our baby!
We checked in at Northside Animal Hospital at 5:05 p.m., and upon our departure my credit card receipt was time-stamped at 6:08 p.m. In just over an hour, their team made time to evaluate Rudie's condition and compassionately help her pass peacefully.
River Road's refusal to help not only caused us immense emotional pain, it prolonged Rudie's suffering. I will never forget the helplessness I felt, holding her in those final hours, knowing she was slipping away and that the people we trusted to help take care of her when she was sick or in pain had chosen not to.
I can no longer recommend River Road Animal Clinic. Our pets are family, and when it truly mattered, they weren't there for Rudie.
No one should have to go through what we did!
If your pet ever has an emergency, which they all do at least once in their lives, don't count on them to be there to help. Hopefully your dog only gets sick when it's a convenient time for them.
