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Business Profile

Animal Hospitals

VCA Animal Hospitals, Inc.

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Animal Hospitals.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for VCA Animal Hospitals, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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VCA Animal Hospitals, Inc. has 337 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 166 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 63 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/27/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Kinzi was admitted to *** on Tuesday January 21st due to anemia. Dr ***** ******** was the admitting physician in the ** he discussed her condition with us and said to plan on her being there through the week and likely discharging Friday. However, it was not disclosed that no matter the critical nature of her care that she would have to be out by Friday because the hospital closed at noon and locks their doors. I was not notified of this until Thursday January 23rd by Dr. ********* Kinzi was still very critical and we had to take her to ********************* to continue her necessary care. If this information was provided when we first took her to the hospital on 1/21/25 we would have likely made the decision to take her to ********** who is open 24 hours as a critical care hospital should be. In addition, there were several charges on the bill that were not quoted such as taking the dogs blood pressure. These charges were removed when I pushed on the billing team. Kinzi was discharged on 1/24/25 and was taken to ********** for continued care due to her critical nature. In addition, she had a follow up appointment scheduled for 1/27/25 depending if she had not went to another facility for care over the weekend at 1:30 pm. I called at 9:30 am and advised *** that she is inpatient at *********** and I was advised that I needed to pay for the cancelled appointment because it was not a 24 hr notice. Which the facility was closed until Sunday January 26th at 4 pm so there would have been no way to provide a 24 hr notice.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/23/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Our dog, Pickles, was dying, so we took him in to the ************ in ***************. The doctor and staff were wonderful with him, and we finally had some extra funds to try to get him better. With the amount of visits we had to go back for during this whole process, they suggested signing up for the care club to help lower the cost of the follow-ups. The treatment actually worked and Pickles started getting better. We had to go out of town for human medical reasons, and when we got back he had an ear infection and some strange bumps on the inside of his leg. We took him back to the vet and found out he had cancer. Super aggressive, terminal cancer. He didn't last long past that diagnosis, and we had to put our baby down. I requested at that time for them to cancel the care club mostly so I didn't have to do what I am now doing and fight them about it. Apparently if your pet dies, you are still on the hook and they want almost $300 to cancel it. This is absolutely horrific for me. That dog was a family member and we are still grieving the loss of him. I am so disappointed and hurt and angry. I just want it cancelled with no strings attached. They could have told us if he died this would be a problem but of course they can't say things like that to clients.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/15/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      A mobile groomer came to my house. My 1 1/2 year old pug was perfect before he went in to the mobile truck, 5 minutes later he comes out (after getting only his nails cut), coughing and over the next few hours develops a 104 fever. We immediately took him to the Vet in question and their first guess after we explained it's probably an allergic reaction to something in the groomers truck was to try to charge us upwards or $2,000 for various tests. We explained that it happened extremely fast so it's probably an allergy and not all test are necessary. We agreed on fluids for $184.33 + their $247.95 exam fee. When we left there an hour later we still had no answers. When my wife and I got home, we noticed the pups fur was not smooth like always and noticed he had developed hives all over his body just beneath the hair, but visible IF the Vet tech did actually do an exam of our dog. That night we gave our pup 1/4 pill of ********, and in the morning it was like nothing ever happened. It was an allergic reaction like we told the Vet, and I even called the next day to explain it to them. They asked me to send a picture of the hives, (which I did), to the email on this notice. After that, I filed a dispute with my credit card for the exam fee of $247.95, which I won and the credit card company credited me back that portion of the money. A few days before the dispute decision, the hospital manager called me to explain it's still necessary to run all the test, and we don't give refunds. My question is, I won the dispute, now ******* is sending me bills and threatening to send me to collections for the $247.95. I thought when you win a dispute the file is closed and they can't harass me anymore. What do I do? Thank you. ***, I've never had to dispute a charge or file a complaint before.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/15/2025

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      They continue to try to collect payment for wellness program for services started in April and dropped same month upon violation of teeth cleaning contract malpractice. Multiple techs assured me teeth would NOT be extracted without my permission IF i did the cleaning. They took out 1/3 of my 4 yr 11 month chihuahua's teeth, which just moved when they tried to clean them and they claimed may otherwise eventually fall out on their own. The removal created an unneccessary handicap for a pup prematurely who enjoyed playing with small toys and now struggles to carry even the smallest as the bottom front teeth all taken. They called me AFTER listing 12 teeth they took WITHOUT my consent that (not emergencies), said I had to pay almost $1000 more than what would be covered in the cleaning in order to even pick her up that day. I had them cleaned 2021 they called me an gave me the option of 1 tooth during. When doing that wellness plan I said I planned to not do the cleaning again yet because of risks and didnt want teeth taken more often. They told me they call before IF any, I can do a cleaning without taking out teeth, that it actually prolongs the life of her teeth if i do often. I asked another tech when I dropped her off they said the same. On the contract (attached) it said I'd be notified I beleived it as the prior time. I told them I was very upset and did not plan to go back. I did not utilize my "wellness plan" with them the other 11 months no further visits or vaccines beyond the initial "$534 value" from 1 visit 4/5. I did pay the $900 to get her after the cleaning and the 4/23 wellness auto payment of $112. Total for year would have been $1,344 with other visits and vaccines and the dental cleaning. I paid over 1k towards for 1 month. They did not prove necessity nor consent of the significant extraction, other professional opinions suggested it was lazy vs cleaning ****** off her small teeth. I would pay 10x as much to have her teeth back.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/15/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My pet's care plan was renewed in December. The previous plan was ***** a month, but on renewal, it increased to *****. I was never informed of the increase. When I called the *********************************************************************************************************** what the plan offers.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/15/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Basically, we have issues with multiple visits with my dog ***. Starting off, they never told us we needed to bring in his urine for pre-op blood work, were actually never even told why they needed it either. Got a teeth cleaning done mainly to get a better look at holes that were in his mouth, but were told they didnt see any - when you can clearly see them when he is panting. An x-ray to look at a bump on his snout (which determined it wasnt bone. A needle biopsy that claimed it was epithelial cell proliferation but needed and bigger sample to determine specifics. And finally a tissue sample which also came back as inconclusive but claimed no cell proliferation. What they said they would refund was only the portion that the tissue analysis at an outside lab cost. We experienced terrible care thoughout - having to repeatedly call to get any information, being told wrong or incomplete information and just bad communication overall. They always assumed it would be cancer which was disheartening but after all of they we decided to get referred out to get a CT and follow *** and it was determined to be an autoimmune skin disorder.After intensive arguing on the phone they told us over the phone they would refund only $397. For which I got a statement by email of the refund but never actually received it in my account. A month of 2 later I wrote a review on Yelp (can be found for VCA ******** **) which received a reply from the Business Owner - told me to contact ***************************** which I did (12/31) and sent a follow up email as well because no one has responded to me to this day. I also asked in this email if they could send me all of his records (visits, test results, procedures) along with any internal notes made by the staff. Any decent and written communication would be appreciated from them Would gladly post my original review here with all the details but it severely goes over character limit.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/13/2025

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      The vet almost killed my 7 lb dog, they prescribed her medication she didn't need. They hurt her, she went in for one issue and we left with several others. They hurt her mouth so bad that she couldn't eat, she still has trouble walking and limping and eating almost a year later. They grabbed her so hard from my son's lap she yelped. They ignored me when I asked why she was crying and yelping when I touch her face. They tried to convince me she had an issue she didn't have. We left without ANY answers at all. I called another emergency vet less than 6 hours later and they had to fix everything that the aurora vet hurt her with. I called them the Monday morning after, spoke with the office manager who apologized and then the vet called me a few days later. Said I would be reimbursed. I still haven't been. I called back to speak to the manager, she wasn't in. She left me a voice mail when she returned from vacation stating I would be reimbursed. I still haven't been and it's been almost a year. She was very rude to me when I contacted them and raised her voice and hung up on me. That isn't the way a business should handle ANYTHING. There are over 400 reviews stating how horrible they treat animals and how much they over charge. I need this handled as it is affecting my credit as well. They need to be held accountable for what they did to my dog as well as many others.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/03/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Misleading ********* Membership and ********************* I signed up for the ********* membership after feeling pressured during a visit where my senior cat needed an expensive surgery. The membership was presented as a way to save money on necessary recurring care, but I later discovered it only covers preventative services, not procedures like dental work, as implied.From the start, communication about the membership terms was unclear. My account became frozen after my card on file was canceled due to a move, but I was still able to pay for my cats $87.70 arthritis (Solensia) shots. Despite being told the account was frozen, the ********* app continues to show that my membership is active, and no invoices appear for me to pay.The confusion escalated when I tried to bring in a stool sample at my vets request, only to be told it couldnt be accepted because of my account status. Ive tried repeatedly to contact *** headquarters, but every call goes to voicemail, and their callbacks leave no extensions or direct **************, after paying for my cats arthritis shot, I was informed that my account is about to go to collections for $780. I explained that *** already reached out to headquarters multiple times without resolution and that the app shows my membership as active with no balance due. The staff offered for me to pay at the desk, but I felt uncomfortable doing so without clarification, especially since this hadnt been offered previously.I initially joined the ********* because I was told the app would make managing my pets care more convenient, but it has been a major disappointment. The app doesnt allow me to make payments or request tech appointmentstwo of the primary reasons I visit monthly.This experience has been extremely frustrating. The lack of transparency, poor communication, and inflexible processes have made caring for my cats harder, not easier. I deeply regret signing up for this service and would not recommend it to anyone.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/03/2025

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      The vet didnt even care about my dogs well being! I explained in detail about my dogs health and about which medication will help him to stop his lose stool but he continued to ignore it and refused to prescribe him antibiotics! The next day I visited another animal hospital and they had no problem in giving antibiotics to my dog and my dog is feeling much better now! This clinic has bad reviews on Yelp! My dog didnt get the treatment that he deserved.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/04/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have a coupon from an animal shelter where I adopt my cat,in the coupon paper it says it provides a free first exam,and it charge me 138$ for appointment. After this,it doesnt recognize the coupon and give me refund. In the coupon,it doesnt say only can be used in specific vca animal hospital. When I pay for the appoinment,I ask the front desk to check the coupon but she just ask me pay the deposit and say refund will be returned after the health exam. But after the exam, they dont recognize it. Then why dont check it before when I pay for the deposit? I wouldnt pay the deposit if you tell me coupon cant be used here, I came because its free. And I use the coupon exactly as what the coupon paper certificate instruct. What the hospital do is totally misleading for asking me to pay for the deposit without checking my coupon first.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/04/2024

      ***, we're sorry to hear about your experience regarding the coupon use, and we would like to make sure your concern is addressed. Could you kindly specify which hospital you visited so that we can properly route your message?

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/06/2024

       
      Complaint: 22625726

      I am rejecting this response because: its the one in ****************************************************************************************

      Sincerely,

      *** ***

      Business Response

      Date: 12/10/2024

      Thank you for taking a moment to clarify, ***. In order to allow us to address this further, please contact us at ********************************** We value your communication and the chance to address your concern.

    VCA Animal Hospitals, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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