Complaints

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 brought my dog to Wickiup Animal Hospital during a behavioral emergency. Instead of receiving compassion or help, I was dismissed, talked over, and treated like I didnt know what I was talking about. I asked for specific supportbased on veterinary guidance I had already receivedand was degraded and told to abandon my dog at the shelter. No alternatives, no empathy, just disrespect. Then they closed my account without warning.What makes this worse is that their ****** Business Profile only shows ******** reviewsreviews the business can curate or remove. This creates a misleading public image, which hides situations like mine. Its dishonest, and it puts other pet owners at risk of going through what I did.This experience was traumatizing, and Im reporting it here because I believe other people deserve to know how this clinic really operatesbeneath the carefully filtered reviews.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,

  Last week ***** walked into our clinic without an appointment and without his dog stating he needed acepromazine to provide chemical restraint because his dog was escaping and putting his other dogs life in danger. Our client services representative inquired if any dogs or people had been injured, bitten or otherwise. ***** stated no but this was an emergency because he had been in a mental crisis for several days after Onyx escaped and he had to pick him up from the humane society. He stated he needed enough sedation to keep him drooling on the floor so he couldnt run away while he found a new home for him over the next month or so. Otherwise he threatened he wouldnt let him out at all. Our CSR advised ***** that the veterinarian was with another patient at the time but that she would relay his medication request and get back to him later that day. 

  
  Two hours later ***** called the clinic irate that he hadnt received a call back yet. Our CSR again relayed that the doctor was with other patients but she would try to get more information for him. We have to triage patients based on medical emergencies, not behavior that has been going on for months. In order to help ***** in as timely a manner as possible, our CSR relayed the doctors instructions that acepromazine was not an appropriate medication for this case. Acepromazine as a solo sedative agent can increase aggression, decrease bite inhibition and cause a false sense of calm with an unpredictable startle response. This could put Onyx and the humans handling him in a dangerous situation. ***** interrupted stating he specifically didnt want trazodone, although that was never mentioned by our staff. Regardless of the medication requested, we hadnt seen Onyx in nearly a year and had never prescribed sedatives or behavior modifying medications for him before. It is illegal to prescribe medication for a dog without a valid Veterinary Client Patient Relationship, which requires appropriate examination. ***** declined to schedule a behavior consult examination against medical advice. 

  
  In further attempt to provide ***** with options to help Onyx,  we recommended that ***** get Onyx neutered right away and be kept on leash or on a long tether when he goes outside to prevent him from running away. We offered to provide a list of local trainers to help with his behavior. ***** stated this was absolutely not an option and if the veterinarian refused to provide his requested medication he would keep the dog kenneled and not let him outside to use the bathroom until he found him a new home or he would have him euthanized. 

  
  Threatening to harm an animal if he didnt get the specific medication he wanted is grossly inappropriate. Keeping a dog in a kennel without being let outside to eliminate is abuse. Drugging a dog to avoid working on his natural behavior is inhumane. Onyx is a 4 year old intact male Belgian Malinois. These are high drive, high energy dogs that need a significant amount of mental and physical stimulation daily. Intact males are notorious for escaping to try to breed as they can smell females for miles. ***** was offered several different solutions to try to help him and Onyx in this situation. Throughout his interaction with staff he consistently used combative, profane language, which is not tolerated behavior in our clinic.

  
  Since ***** had stated he needed to find a new home for Onyx, we suggested he take him back to the humane society so they can get him neutered, vaccinated, keep him safe and comfortable, and find him a new home. We also attempted to provide a list of working dog and malinois rescue groups in the area that could help with rehoming. ***** proceeded to use combative, malicious language and demanded to speak directly to the veterinarian and hung up on our CSR. 

  
  I called ***** later that afternoon to address his concerns, reiterating that acepromazine was not an appropriate medication for Onyx in this situation and that we had other, safer options to use. ***** interrupted stating that he had heard from other sources that ace was ok to use. I then advised that ***** was welcome to work with another veterinarian and seek a second opinion if he was unhappy with my recommendations. ***** was alerted that his account would be inactivated and his medical records would be sent to the clinic of his choosing based on his behavior towards staff and myself. ***** said that sounded good to him and he hoped I had a terrible day. 

  
  In response to Dylans statement about our reviews, we have ****** reviews submitted from clients that are viewable by the public on our business ****** page as well as ******** reviews on our public clinic ******** page. Public business pages cannot edit their reviews per ****** and ******** policy. Only ****** and ******** can remove reviews if they are not in accordance with their rules. Dylans statements regarding our reviews are simply false. Below is an excerpt from ********* review policy. 
  Incentivized Reviews: ******** prohibits offering rewards or incentives for reviews, unless disclosed as part of Branded Content. 
  Manipulation: Reviews cannot be manipulated to falsely represent a product or service. 
  Irrelevant Content: Reviews must be relevant to the business or product being reviewed. 
  Graphic Content: Reviews should not contain excessive or violent content. 
  Spam: Spamming or posting irrelevant reviews is prohibited. 
  Community Standards: Reviews must comply with ********'s general Community Standards. 
  Business Reporting: Businesses can report reviews that violate Community Standards. 
  Review Visibility: Reviews are visible to others on ********, and businesses can reply to them. 
  Business Ratings: A business's rating is based on reviews and recommendations, and only businesses that enable recommendations may show a rating. 
  Review Removal: Reviews that violate Community Standards can be removed by ********. 
  Customer Interaction: When customers interact with ads and make a purchase, they may be asked to rate and review their experience.

  
  As much as we were saddened by Onyxs situation in a home that could not give him the proper enrichment and training he needs, we recognized Dylans wish to rehome him and attempted to help him do that. I will not prescribe a medication that may cause harm to a dog or those around him simply because an owner yells and cusses at me and my staff demanding I do so. Such behavior is inappropriate and will not be tolerated by clients of our facility. We attempted to provide accurate, helpful information in a timely manner despite his belligerent behavior. ***** was not satisfied with our efforts because we did not meet his demands, so we encouraged him to seek care elsewhere.  
  We will continue to serve our community by working diligently to provide education to our clients so they can make informed decisions regarding the best care for their pets. We will not tolerate abusive, threatening treatment from clients and have the right to refuse service to anyone doing so. I stand by my decision to decline his acepromazine request as it was not the safest choice for the dog, would not solve the behavior problem at hand based on my nearly decade of experience, and we did not have a valid VCPR. ***** refused to take advice regarding better recommendations. I stand by my decision to fire him as a client based on his combative and coercive behavior towards myself and my staff. Furthermore, we have grave concerns for the welfare of Onyx based on the retaliatory behavior ***** displayed and possible abuse that was threatened to the dog by his owner. I am available for any additional questions you may have regarding this situation. 

  
  Sincerely, 
  Dr. ******* ******
  Wickiup Animal Hospital
  ************

  To Whom It May Concern,
  Thank you for your inquiry into the complaint from the client of Wickiup
  Animal Hospital. We take any complaint seriously and strive to understand
  the complaint and then to resolve it.
  
  This client requested that the attending veterinarian, ******* ******, DVM,
  provide him with prescribed medication for his dog Onyx, without her being
  able to examine the dog or to offer a better drug of choice that would be more
  suitable to the issues at hand. Dr. ****** chose not to fulfill his request
  because in so doing she would have been in violation of State of ******
  practice laws. I support her in her decision. I also support her responses and
  advice that she provided to the client on behalf of the well being of his dog,
  Onyx. We all are greatly concerned about the welfare of Onyx but we have to
  work within practice law constraints and what is also the best medicine for the
  dog.
  
  I also support Dr. ****** and the staff at Wickiup Animal Hospital by
  advising them that they do not have to tolerate or work with clients who
  become verbally abusive. Dr. ****** and staff are at Wickiup to provide the
  best compassionate veterinary care for clients pets and they deserve to be
  treated with respect.
  
  If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** R **********, DVM