I have been going to another animal hospital up in Smoketown for over 26 years and love my regular…read morevet up there. Awesome care that (at least used to be, before they were taken over by VCA) was more affordable than anything closer to home. However, it's 45 minutes away and sometimes I'd just rather go local for the simple things and also to have someone I've established a relationship with for emergencies. Hence my relationship with Thorndale Animal Clinic. I have been using them on and off for several years now, and I can honestly say that my only not-so-great experiences have always been with one particular receptionist there who always seems rushed, curt, short and not very caring at times. Other than that, the techs and vets have been wonderful! My first experience ever was with Dr. Armstrong, who is now Dr. Haiko. My beloved rottie of 10 years had perforated her intestine and was very sick, and of course this happened on a Sunday morning at 4 am. I called and she answered from home. She offered to meet us in there right away. Sadly, Nala died on our way in to the clinic. Dr. Armstrong listened to her heart to be sure and then was so kind as to help us schedule a private cremation for her to be done later in the week. Since we didn't know the exact cause of death and really needed to, I called my own vet on Monday, who offered to do a necropsy for me. Dr. Armstrong was so kind to allow us to go and pick up Nala's body and then deliver her to Dr. Hall, who gave us our answers. (It was a perforated ulcer caused by all the meds she had been on for several years for Addisons and a herniated disc.) Dr. Armstrong also credited back the full cremation fee that was charged, and didn't charge us one penny for the emergency visit, even though we woke her up and interrupted her plans for her day off. Fast forward a few years and we started seeing Dr. Yarnall with our elderly cat ("Simba", of course!) She was always supportive and compassionate in helping us make some tough decisions with his treatments and care. (He finally died at home at the age of 18 with thyroid and kidney disease, blind and deaf, but still happy until the end.) And then today. I called to see if they could possibly euthanize a rescue (fancy) pigeon that I was fostering and trying to rehab. He had severe deformities of his legs and after a week of splinting with no improvement, I realized he would never walk so would need to be put to sleep. Now I know many people that "cull" pigeons on their own, but I could never bring myself to do that. So I called around to a few local vets. I was quoted everything from "we can't do it" to $135 but no appointments until at least tomorrow. Then receptionist Nikki called me back from Thorndale and let me know that Dr. Haiko would take care of things humanely and at n/c since it was a rescue. WOW! This was so greatly appreciated. Especially in these times where it is so rare to find someone with true heart and not just out to make a buck and go home. Thank you to everyone there at Animal Clinic at Thorndale for being such caring people. Keep up the good work... you are very much appreciated!

This is a message for all local pet owners to be aware and for Animal Hospital at Thorndale to…read morereflect on... I'm not one to post on fb often but I feel this needs to be addressed. **Thorndale Animal Hospital** I am writing this message in utter devastation and fury over how my desperate call for help was treated on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 4:43 PM. Our beloved dog, Chubbs, was suffering through a terrifying seizure episode, and I felt utterly helpless as I reached out to your clinic for assistance. During my call, I was pleading for immediate help, clearly expressing the urgency of the situation. I could hear my dog in distress and asked if you could hear her too. I was assured that you could. Yet, when the receptionist returned after putting me on hold, I was met with an infuriatingly cold response: I was told to monitor her and take her to an emergency room if the seizures continued. When I begged to bring Chubbs in for immediate care, I was told that I couldn't come because your clinic would be closing at 5 PM. In that moment, my heart shattered, and rage consumed me. I was sobbing uncontrollably, struggling to understand how your clinic's closing time could possibly outweigh the urgency of my suffering dog. I could have made it there by 4:50 at the latest, yet my desperate pleas were treated as if they were nothing but an inconvenience. **my call with your clinic** Me sobbing and begging "please please let me bring Chubbs in. I don't know what to do for her and I have two young kids here. Your clinic "if she continues to seize being her to the ER (Blue Pearl in Malvern) Me "please! You are only 3 minutes away from me! Malvern is a good 20-30 minutes and it's rush hour now! I just need her to feel calmer for the ride. Please help me" Your clinic "you can't, sorry, we closing soon" Then I hung up on her. After that heart-wrenching call, we had to wait for Chubbs to calm down enough to get her into the car. Tragically, she suffered three more seizures during the ride--two in the carrier and one just as we were entering the emergency room. The sight of our precious baby being rushed away by the emergency staff, with them frantically shouting for medications and treatment permissions, will haunt me forever. I understand the severity of cluster seizures; I know that what Chubbs was experiencing was critical and there's not much your clinic could have done to prevent the outcome of her passing. But I firmly believe that her suffering could have been alleviated had we been allowed to come to your clinic, even for a moment of care. So you can give her some thing to calm her down, enough for the ride to the BluePearl ER. Instead, the last hours of her life were filled with anguish and terror--not just for her, but for my entire family, including my two young children, who were left helpless and confused. I tried to explain to you that we will be at least 30 mins away and it's also rush hour.... I am not upset because the vet couldn't save her; I am furious that we were denied even a chance to help Chubbs find some comfort. I am convinced that if the vet had allowed us to come in, those additional seizures in the car could have been prevented. The cold indifference shown during such a critical moment is absolutely unacceptable. It felt as if your clinic's schedule, you clocking out on time, you making it for what ever dinner or after work plans were prioritized over the life of a suffering animal, and that thought infuriates me even more. I urge you to reflect deeply on how your policies impact those in desperate situations. No pet owner should ever have to endure the agony of being turned away when their beloved animal is in such distress.