If you are in a situation where you are struggling financially, do not attempt to receive services…read morefrom this business. Cold hearted, money driven - they are not there to help everyone, just those with loads of $$$.
My dog had a puncture wound from running in the woods - an 8in long scrape with a very deep 1.5in puncture wound right in the middle of the scrape. The puncture itself was at an angle, and beyond anything I have ever treated on a dog. It was located on his chest extending down to his ribs. He was bleeding, and needed stitches.
After almost 3 hours (a 40+ minute wait in the parking lot plus the 2+ hours they had him) I received a call about his status. He had not been evaluated because "he didn't like them very much" (snippy from the fear and the pain he was in). They placed him in a kennel, did not muzzle him, did not look at his wound, and provided no treatment. YET, the call was to discuss how I was going to pay (estimated between $900 and $1900). When I explained I could not pay anything near that in full, he was refused any treatment.
The most disheartening piece of this whole thing is that they already knew this before I brought him in. I called ahead driving from about an hour away. I told them what happened, my concerns, that he would likely be snippy because he is pain so please muzzle him, as well as the fact that I would only be able to pay the $185 emergency fee, and need to do a payment plan for the rest. If that was not an option, then why even take him?
I could have treated it myself sooner, or attempted to find someone or somewhere else where he could receive care. The demeanour of the entire staff shifted the moment they realized I was not going to be able to pay. I was treated as a second class citizen, and forced to sign an AMA stating I consented to the refusal of care - which I did not, I just had no other choice. They delayed his care by 4 hours for something that could have been life threatening. There was no "bedside manner" - they even had the nerve to rub salt in the wound and say "hey, its not because we don't care."
They don't care - not about anything but money. They offered no options, no help, and no treatment. My dog could have died - I have never been so disappointed with an establishment or its staff. I used them before for my other dog, but was financially stable at that time and had no issue. To have experienced such a drastically different response, SOLELY because of money, is inexcusable.
I was lucky enough to get him into his regular vet 2 days later, and get him the proper treatment, antibiotics etc, for $160 - and after sharing with them my experience at LAVES, they too were in disbelief. "If you care, you would do something" - I couldn't agree more.
For all you fortunate souls who are not in a situation of financial struggle - disregard this review. It serves not to slam the establishment, but to warn those who may be in similar shoes, so they do not have to go through what I just did.