We had to bring our 5-year-old, 15-lb Pomeranian to the clinic after he started gagging and…read morevomiting bile--possibly from eating something questionable around Central Square. From the moment we called ahead to say we were on our way, the staff were incredibly responsive and ready for us when we arrived. They quickly assessed the situation, diagnosed the issue, and carried out the necessary procedures. The clinic itself was very clean, welcoming, and well equipped. Dr. Estes explained everything clearly--what was happening, the prognosis, and what we should do next. The techs / nurses--Kim Nguyen, Kendra Baker, and Jennifer Ducharme--were also wonderful: professional, patient, and very caring. They were attentive throughout the entire process while our Pomeranian was undergoing sedation, and you could tell they genuinely cared. I'm sure they see situations like this every day, but they still treated our dog with the attention and care he needed. Small things like that matter. These are clearly very capable people who could work in many different fields--including human medicine--but they choose to care for pets, and it shows. I would absolutely recommend this clinic and would return again if needed. My one tip: call ahead so they can prepare for your arrival.

They are very detailed to an emergency. My pet needed imagery they don't do that. They did do an…read moreultrasound right there. Everything is out in the open and I appreciate that.

I've taken two cats to VEG in the past 3 years and have had consistently positive experiences. I…read morelove that you can speak to a vet before you come in and that you can stay with your pet the whole time. Staff are kind and compassionate. I also really appreciate that they offer free snacks and beverages. They have a basket of coloring books for kids and feminine hygiene supplies in the bathroom. It feels like they took a thoughtful approach to providing things to make the visit a little easier, knowing that urgent care visits are often sudden and stressful. I'll always bring my pets here for emergencies!

Great place!! Everyone, including Dr. Emma Rose Joffe is incredible. They are caring, thorough, and…read moresensitive to the animals and owners.​

Staff was really great and I was happy with the care BUT prices were astronomical. It's very…read moreunlikely that anyone will walk out paying less than around $500. I also found out after our visit that Blue pearl is owned by the Mars corporation. Corporations buying up vet practices is part of why vet costs are so high and people are having to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their pets or not own one at all. If the staff ever decide to open up their own practice I would be happy to support them, but will be taking our pup to MSPCA in the future for any care that can wait through the 20 minute drive.

I'm heartbroken and extremely disappointed with the care my dog received at this veterinary office…read more Our dog was misdiagnosed with arthritis when the actual issue was bone cancer. We had a procedure that costed us 1,00$ that was not going to help our dog. He then proceeded to get worse. So we went somewhere else. We were given devastating news an advised to put him down from the Angel Memorial Hospital, which we weren't prepared for and caused our family stress, sadness, and grief. I encourage other pet owners to seek other vets instead of going there.

I received a quick appointment for labs. Dr Stokes called with the results. I was able to pick up…read morethe medicine that night. When I called for clarification Dr Stokes called me back and helped me move forward with my cat's treatment.i cannot ask for more. Communication has improved 300%

Took my cat to urgent care locally where he had xrays and blood work done. The vet said he had…read moregall stones and needed an ultrasound asap (they did not have ultrasound capabilities there.) It was Saturday so we did not have many options. Vet called Angel and they said if we got there before 5 they could do the ultrasound. We got there at 3 pm and were not seen until 6:15 at which time all the radiologists had left. They said we would have to come back on Monday and again pay the emergency room fee or they offered to keep him there until Monday at an estimated cost of between 3-5 thousand dollars for observation. So disappointed and now he is so sick I don't think we will be able to save him. My heart is absolutely breaking because they did not do what they said they would do and now he will probably die.

I'm trying to find the right words to adequately praise Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital…read more(MVRH), its staff, and Dr. Kelly Larabee, an Emergency Physician whose compassion and professionalism made an extraordinarily difficult day more bearable. While traveling from northern New Hampshire to Boston, we stopped in Woburn and discovered that one of our very elderly dogs could no longer get out of the car on her own. When she finally did, her rear legs collapsed beneath her. In addition to the weakness in her hind legs, she was breathing rapidly and drooling excessively. As a longtime dog owner, I recognized the look in her eyes immediately--the look that says, "It's time." Fortunately, we were less than a mile from Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital, a Level 1, 24-hour emergency and specialty veterinary hospital. We arrived without an appointment and were met by a team that was immediately welcoming, compassionate, and remarkably efficient. It was clear from the moment we walked through the door that MVRH has built a system of care designed to deliver expert treatment with both urgency and empathy. Our dog was promptly brought into the treatment area and made comfortable. Shortly thereafter, we met Dr. Kelly Larabee, whose kindness, professionalism, and genuine concern were evident from our first conversation. Dr. Larabee confirmed what we had feared but already suspected--that the time had come for our beloved companion to cross the rainbow bridge peacefully. Dr. Larabee and her team brought an extraordinary degree of humanity to veterinary emergency medicine. They treated our dog with dignity, tenderness, and respect, as though she were a member of their own family. During one of the most difficult moments a pet owner can experience, they provided not only exceptional medical care but also comfort and compassion for us. I am not sure the average pet owner--or member of the public--fully appreciates the expertise, systems of care, and operational excellence that make an institution like Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital function so effectively. Having spent much of my career in process engineering, I was deeply impressed by both the efficiency of their operations and the quality of care they delivered. Every aspect of our experience reflected a well-designed system staffed by highly skilled professionals who never lost sight of the human and emotional side of their work. Dr. Larabee and the entire MVRH team were as compassionate as they were capable, and as caring as they were efficient. Their professionalism and humanity turned a heartbreaking day into one marked by dignity, peace, and gratitude. We would all be fortunate to receive the same standard of care in human medicine.

I can't recommend Dr. Armato enough. She operated on my 11-year-old Boxer on April 30th for a grade…read more2 cancerous sarcoma the size of a balloon. Dr. Armato is not only incredibly skilled, but genuinely caring and compassionate. She spent so much time with me addressing every concern I had. Her calm, angelic voice put me completely at peace and gave me total confidence in her. Her assistant Theresa was amazing too. She went over every detail of what to expect before I brought my dog home on Friday, and I was blown away by her kindness and thoroughness. If you're considering surgery for your pet, Dr. Armato and Theresa are exceptional. I picked my dog up at the end of the day on Friday and she's doing very well. I'm so grateful to have my dog alive and well because of them. o

Amazing service. Dr. Aiken really helped our cat. He recommended a simpler procedure that solved…read morethe problem and it is much more affordable than other places we looked. Our cat has since fully recovered, even gained weight to be on-par with sibling. We also enjoyed the service and the hospital was very easy to work with. We are very appreciative!

Absolutely shocking and deeply disappointing experience with Dr. Rebecca Schwartz at Boston West…read moreVeterinary Emergency & Specialty. She was cold, condescending, and completely dismissive, presenting every decision as if it were hers alone and speaking down to us rather than guiding or consulting us as the pet's family. There was no compassion, no kindness, and no sense of understanding during one of the most terrifying moments of our lives with a very sick dog. Her explanations were nonstop, filled with complex medical jargon, as if she's reading from a clinical textbook and offered no pause for questions or clarification. We were left so frustrated and distrusting that we had to use ChatGPT on-site just to research possible causes and try to understand what might be happening -- something no pet owner should ever have to do while in an emergency veterinary clinic. Adding insult to injury, the prices were outrageously high, completely disproportionate to the level of care, communication, or thoughtful evaluation we received. The interaction felt rushed, transactional, and almost robotic, prioritizing speed and cost over empathy or genuine concern for our pet's wellbeing. Additionally, it looks like she recently graduated from vet school yet she was the only vet on staff when she was there. Worse, reading other reviews on both Yelp and Google Reviews revealed a clear pattern: multiple pet owners describe the same condescending, intimidating, and confusing behavior from this particular veterinarian, with alarming recommendations delivered abruptly, leaving families feeling pressured, unheard, and unsupported. This is not an isolated incident -- it is a repeated pattern of behavior. Pet owners deserve honesty, clear explanations, and true compassion when their pets' lives are on the line. Dr. Schwartz fails on all counts, treating owners like they have no voice and prioritizing her own authority over guidance, empathy, or care. Warning to all pet owners: avoid this practice if you value compassion, trust, 2 way communication, and the wellbeing of your pet.

I am absolutely enraged by the treatment my daughter and her beloved cat, Melfyn, received from…read morethis hospital. They gave her completely false hope, leading her to believe that with their expensive radiation treatments, her cat--who was her absolute world--would recover and live a good life. My daughter is a low-income house cleaner, a fact they were well aware of, yet they willingly took the vast majority of her hard-earned savings. Because we live in Pittsfield, on the western border of Massachusetts, she had to make multiple grueling, two-plus-hour trips to the Boston area, paying out-of-pocket for motels for days at a time just so Melfyn could receive care. It feels like an absolute scam. Less than a single month after completing these exhausting and expensive treatments, Melfyn passed away. They drained her bank account and put her through immense stress, only to leave her completely heartbroken and devastated. This hospital showed a total lack of empathy and realistic guidance. I would highly warn anyone, especially those making sacrifices to afford care, to be incredibly wary of the false promises made here.

g was referred to Dr Loft in dermatology. Our current vet retired so I needed to find continued…read morecare in an extremely limited specialty. He and his staff went above and beyond in hearing my concerns and he even studied my dogs history so he could offer his version of a course of treatment. I also greatly appreciated being in the room and he let me see the scope of her ears so I felt more informed than I ever have. So grateful for this practice and that they were able to take us on.

I made one of the hardest decisions of my life today. I adopted my dog from a shelter in Southern…read moreCalifornia on March 10th, 2010 and they estimated he was 1-2 years old at the time. He saved my life many times over, I adopted him when I was still active duty in the Marine Corps. The last few months were tough, I'd equate it to hospice for a dog. I dreaded making the decision, and I came close at least 6 times but every time I said give it one more day he would bounce back, go for a walk, do his business, eat, drink, ask for treats. This morning I woke up and I felt something was different. He wasn't moving well, he didn't finish his food, and then his head was stuck turning to the left at almost a 90 degree angle and he fell on the floor like that. I picked him up and laid him down on his other side on my lap hoping he just had a bad cramp, but after an hour I tried putting him down in front of his water and he collapsed. I held him for another 30 minutes and then he had an intense seizure for at least a minute, his whole body was tensed and stretched out, and his mouth was wide open gasping for air. He came through the seizure but he had no strength in any of his legs - even at his worst in the months prior when he bounced back he could at least support himself on his front legs, but he had no strength and his breaths were long and slow. I dreaded making this decision, but I couldn't allow him to suffer. I called a few vets in the area and no one could take us. One of the last vets I called recommended I reach out to VEG. I called them, they said they could help. I walked in and was immediately brought into a private room with my dog. The receptionist, the nurses, and the doctor were so comforting during one of the hardest times of my life. I'm going to bed tonight without my best friend for the first time in 16 years, but the compassion that the staff shared with me knowing it had to happen was above and beyond. I don't know if I'll ever have another dog, but if I do this would be my go to veterinarian for any issues. And I hope no one has to make the decision for your animal, but if you do, I give the VEG staff the highest recommendation I possibly could. Thank you and your team for your compassion on one of the worst days of my life. God bless you all.

We love the VEG in Newton and have used it several times. They are always quick kind and efficient…read more The Peabody location was the exact opposite, no one cared when we walked in, we filled out paperwork ahead of time, did not speed up the process. Had my cat sitting in her own urine for 60 minutes before being triaged then we were told that they would be right back in. 75 minutes later nothing had happened, our cat began to perk up so we felt comfortable leaving to transport her somewhere else. Don't know if it's because they are new but it was horrible and we saw 3-4 other pets waiting, in their own urine and blood. Not cool at all VEG Peabody. I will only go to Newton again from now on.

Waited long time…read more They had emergency that took up vet time It would have been great if they told us, many people were waiting, that there will be a delay

Read before going there!…read more I had a very disappointing experience at VCA South Shore Animal Hospital, Weymouth MA. My husband brought our cat in on May 27 and waited from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., yet only one test was performed and no diagnosis, treatment plan, or meaningful care was provided. The next day, I returned and was presented with nearly $5,000 in additional tests. Initially, I was told the ultrasound specialist was unavailable until the following day. After I declined some of the recommended testing, I was suddenly told the specialist was available immediately and the ultrasound could be done right away, which raised concerns about the necessity of the recommendations. Staff repeatedly discussed the possibility of cancer and even chemotherapy for pets (my cat is 11 month old), which put me under significant emotional pressure. I agreed to a biopsy, but afterward I was told to go home and wait for a call that never came. My husband later had difficulty getting our cat discharged, and we did not leave until around 11 p.m. No veterinarian discussed the results or treatment plan with us, no medication was provided that night, and our cat came home in worse condition than when we arrived. The lack of communication, questionable recommendations, and poor patient care made this an extremely stressful and expensive experience. I cannot recommend this hospital based on our experience. AVOID this place.

Michael was great!! This was our first time. He made our Archie look great; he followed our…read moreinstructions to the letter. He came recommended by a friend, and we will be going back in one month Thank you Michael

Juan has been our dog's groomer for a few months now. He does a great job every time and he seems…read moreto really like the dogs. We request Juan for every appointment. Our dog, Les, was a bit difficult to work with for nail trims but Juan was patient with him and now it goes pretty smoothly! We've tried other groomers and Juan has been, by far, the best we've found!!