Broadway Pet Hospital

EXTORTION. Plain and simple. TL;DR - They held my dog hostage until I gave them money.  I have been a client of BPH for a couple years now. My two dogs and I actually used to stop in once or twice a week just to say hi as we were also neighbors. Then with COVID came new procedures that had been in place a couple months before we had our first very awkward appointment. It was difficult because the new processes and flow that they had implemented still had some bugs that needed to be addressed. I wrote it off as just the same painful adaptation that we were all going through at the time. About a month later, I had to bring in my Mastiff, and it became clear that this dysfunction was their new normal. It's important to note, at this point, that he is a Certified Emotional Support Animal and we both tend to get a little anxious when we're apart. That said, I was still prepared to wait outside for an hour or two while the vet saw him. The system is set up through phone calls. You call them when you arrive, they call you when they're ready for the dog, they call you when the exam is over, call when treatment is finished and finally, they call you again for payment. Then, ostensibly, they bring out your dog. The system failed.  After my dog's visit had concluded, I spoke with the vet and I began waiting for the 'payment phone call', in a hot car, in the middle of summer. After what seemed like an excessive amount of time, I called. The phone tree machine placed me on hold several minutes before someone picked up. I asked what was happening and they said they'd call me right back. After another extensive wait, I called back again, same result. I waited more. The third time I called back, I just said, "I don't mind waiting to pay but, will you please bring my dog out to me while I wait to pay. He gets very upset when we're apart like this." The person on the other end of the phone said, "No, we won't be doing that." At this point, my anxiety level escalated exponentially. The voice said, "We can't release your dog until we receive payment." Now, to be fair, I'm not entirely sure of the legality here but, I'm fairly sure that even if someone does owe you money, you can't then arbitrarily take something of theirs until they pay you. I felt like he was being held hostage for a ransom. I asked to speak with the supervisor on staff and she basically supported the policy and also refused to release my dog. I hung up in disbelief and shock, but a few minutes later, my dog was brought out finally, well over an hour after his appointment ended. I then received a call from the specific vet that cared for my dog who apologized for the mishap. We chatted for about 20 minutes about the situation and about my dog's condition and I felt much better about the whole thing so I left it at that. Despite the phone call, I was still unnerved by this event for about a week afterward and I heard nothing from BPH regarding the incident since. Cut to today, I submitted an online request for a new appointment and received an email stating that they wouldn't care for my dog any longer. After tormenting my dog and I, they are now telling us to go away. It just feels like petty spite. They dropped the ball and they're blaming us.  When COVID hit, hospitals rightly banned all visitors. However, obvious exceptions were made for parents of children. Because the thought of being separated from our children while they are suffering is simply unbearable and unacceptable. For many of us, our pets ARE our children. They tormented us, in the name of money. That's the opposite of compassion. That's not what I want from my vet. 

I CANNOT IMAGINE TAKING MY PETS ANYWHERE ELSE. THE STAFF IS PERSONABLE, COURTEOUS AND KNOWLEDGABLE. ALL OF THE VETERINARIANS AS WELL AS TECHNICIANS ARE CARING AND TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS NEEDED WITH YOUR PETS. ANY OTHER EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD WITH ANOTHER PET HOSPITAL PALES BY COMPARISON.

I would say the biggest thing is depending on who we are talking to there at the time, and we’ve been there several times, communication is not always good and it’s not consistent.  We get like different information from different vets.  It’s hard to be comprehensive about all we are doing for our dogs when we keep getting kind of different stories from them.  And also, I think we’re still suffering although I don’t know that they would be any different than anybody else, we’re suffering from sticker shock out here in California about how much it costs compared to what it costs somewhere else. But I am guessing that is probably across the board out here.  I can’t really compare them to other providers in this area, just what we were used to elsewhere.

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I like my vet. I have multiple cats. They can be a little on the pricey side but the level of care is very high. They very open to the latest and greatest research that's out there. They work with me very tightly on the care of my animals. I have a lot of them. They are very clued into what you need and what you want as well as being very well educated and informed on the latest techniques and treatments.

They were able to drain a lot of liquid out of her lung and they didn't find any cancer cell in the liquid. That was okay with us. But in the winter, they could not drain the liquid anymore and they are going to charge us $1000 for the surgery. It was not their fault it's just that the liquid was so thick and couldn't be drained. They were very pleasant and did not make us wait too long. However, we stopped using them when we had some price comparison.

I've used them for 15 to 20 years. The staff remains the same, which is a very good sign in my book because it means they are treated well and they have a lot of expertise, which they do. The head of the hospital, Dr. Arnold Gutlaizer is excellent and very smart. If he doesn't know something, he'll know it by the end of the day. He is a good surgeon. He is excellent with the pets. He even came to my house when my 18-year-old dog had to be put down. When I had to have her on the hospital, he was away for the weekend but he called everyday even though he had to come in from the wilderness area to get his phone to work to see how she was doing. I trust everybody in there to care for my pets and that is the only place I would go for pet care. You may spend a lot but when you see his facility, it takes a lot of people to run a place like that.

The service was great.

I was happy with them. They had a kitten package that included all of the booster shots so I got that. The price could have been better but it was pretty comparable to other places that I called. They have great customer service, both on the phone and in person. They were very informative, helpful, and pleasant. The whole office was efficient and it was an overall good experience.

I found this practice to be satisfactory. I felt that they were very courteous and helpful. I would probably go back.

After an extensive conversation with me regarding Denny's 11 yr history the vet examed Dennis (Denny) and spoke about exposure to common maladies dogs contend with in the West compared to East Coasts. It was an invaluable lesson about Denny; his coat, ear infections and parasite infestations, where to take Denny to do his business, where to and not to walk. Doc was patient, understanding and I certainly felt quite comfortable having Dr. Gutlaizer as my most important friend's doctor! (I hope I'm speaking for Dennis as well!) Dr. Gutlaizer wants to see Dennis for a recheck in about 1 week and at the same time I will have Denny groomed. I think this is all reasonable treatment and would not return if I didn't feel it necessary and worth every penny to keep Denny healthy and happy!

Our cat was injured in a fight with another cat. Broadway Pet Hospital gave him wonderful care. The vet on call was SO warm and sympathetic. She gave him a thorough checkup and antibiotics for his wounds. They boarded him for 3 nights to make sure he recovered well. He apparently loved his vacation! Plenty of parking. Great Staff. Clean facility.

I have been going to them for over twenty years and have been very pleased with their services and pet care. The doctor is a very compassionate and caring person that cares as much for the person as the pet.

Everyone at the vet was just as nice as can be. And the price was reasonable. I would recommend them!

They do a really good job and I would refer them to others. They handle my feisty animals very well. The vet there managed to keep my dog calm, which is a big chore. They have average pricing and are very knowledgeable.