VCA Veterinary Specialists of CT

Reviews

• WC

  Walberto Colon

  5 days ago
  1.0
  Worst service ever. My mother took her dog as an emergency this morning at 10:15 am. She was left in the waiting area. Her little dog was suffering. My mother called me and I got the at 12:30 pm. The dog wasn’t even seen yet, while other dogs were just arriving and receiving attention right away. I went to the front desk were there was 3-4 staff members (I can’t tell which one was more useless). They had to wait until someone else comes to go and check. A few minutes after, a guy from the front desk came to talk with me. I explained the situation and asked about the long waiting. He responded, “we get the appointments first.” I asked him what is the protocol for emergencies, because almost 3 hours of wait to receive attention for an emergency is not acceptable. He repeated the same script. I let him know that we were in the emergency area. He said, “since the dog is stable, we take the other cases first”. I asked him how he knows that the dog is stable. They haven’t seeing the dog. They don’t know the dog. He just walked away. They started chatting in the front desk instead of offering a solution. We decided to leave before starting a scene there. I do not recommend this place. The only word that comes to my mind is USLESS.
• CE

  Calvin Exum

  Aug 11, 2026
  1.0
  If I could give this place 5 negative stars I would. It was an horrible experience from the moment I walked and was greeted by a very rude receptionist. After I explained inwas there because my dog wad experiencing pain and a rash she asked why was he breathing the way he was and then before I could answer she very loudly accused my dog of having kennel cough and rushed my dog and I into a room which she made a comment about stay in there and slammed the door behind her. After I completed the intake paperwork on my phone I went out to let her know she was rude and did not appreciate the way I was treated. She gave a phony apology and tried to act as said that I was being over dramatic. Between that and a 3 hour wait, I left and their attitude was like whatever. You have a sign up about treating your staff with respect, you need to teach your staff how to be respectful or hire better staff and more doctors.
• AD

  Andrew Durso

  Aug 6, 2026
  1.0
  I am sure this is an okay Veterinary. I wouldn't know. I was recommended this place by my normal vet but they don't do emergencies. I called ahead to get emergency help with our dog. They didn't ask for any information. Simply said it would be 4-6 hour wait time. I apologize because I was looking for emergency care and I must have wrong service but I was corrected and she told me this is emergency care but they are at capacity. Fair enough but I told her I just go to another animal hospital as this is an emergency. She told me if I show up I will be seen. I asked, will I been seen or will I have to wait 4-6 hours. She said I will be seen in 4-6 hours. I mention Im trying to get emergency care which waiting up to 6 hours isn't really emergency care and she insisted that it is. Realized I'm arguing with someone just doing their job, I hung up as I still need emergency care and I'm not going to argue over definitions of emergency care. To be clear, most human hospitals have a long wait time but are based on the seriousness of the emergency. They never asked me. I told them I am looking for emergencies care for my dog and was told 4-6 hour wait. We simply went to another animal hospital within 4-6 hour drive which saw us after a 15 min wait and a full questionnaire about what happened. This review is for fellow pet owners and not the animal hospital. Please do not respond as I do not care for your response. Zero human decency in a moment of crisis, a misunderstanding of what "emergency" means and a lack of awareness of the other animal hospitals in your area. They didn't even recommend another hospital, just insisted on the 4-6 hour wait.
• MA

  Meg A

  Jul 26, 2026
  5.0
  I cannot express my gratitude enough for this staff. The lady at the front desk with the lovely accent was the beginning. This wasn’t my first time here and I previously tragically lost another dog here during covid. My most recent experience was very reassuring and compassionate. Jill the vet tech was wonderful and showed such gentle love and attention to my senior chihuahua Libby. She communicated with me at intake and discharge so warm and caring. Matty talked with me on the phone a couple times and was so patient, kind and understanding. Dr Adam’s at intake was wonderful. She reassured me and gave me peace of mind about the care and attention my girl was going to receive overnight. Dr Gionfriddo was so lovely and kind when she called me with updates and results from my sweet girls care. She had to break some very unexpected news to me that was very hard to digest and understand. I’m so grateful for this staff that cared for my last living dog. They met me with such a gentle and compassionate manner and communicated with me and never being rushed or disregarded. I know my girl doesn’t have much time left with me but I will forever be thankful that you all left me with this experience in such a challenging and confusing time.
• LW

  Lisa Williams

  Jul 25, 2026
  5.0
  It is truly an honor to write this Google review for the VCA hospital chain. I'll actually be writing two reviews—one for our pet's home hospital in Bristol and this one for the 24/7 emergency hospital in West Hartford. Our 14-year-old kitty has had a rough life. As an adopted shelter rescue, we knew there would be challenges. During the summer of 2020, he experienced his first life-threatening emergency, and we rushed him to the West Hartford hospital late one evening. The staff there were nothing short of kind, professional, and simply miraculous. They saved his life. Recently, our now 14-year-old little guy faced an even more serious, life-threatening crisis. We truly believed we were going to have to say goodbye to our sweet boy this time. While we know our time with him is limited, thanks to the incredible teams at VCA West Hartford and VCA Bristol, we have once again been given the precious gift of more time with our beloved kitty. This hospital chain has some of the most professional, compassionate, and caring veterinary professionals we have ever encountered. From the moment you walk through the doors until the moment you leave, both you and your pet are treated with genuine kindness, respect, and exceptional care. Their patience, guidance, and the love they have shown our furry family member have brought tremendous peace and comfort to our hearts. If you ever find yourself in need of emergency care—or even routine veterinary care—I simply cannot recommend VCA West Hartford highly enough. They, along with the wonderful team at VCA Bristol, have given us precious memories with our sweet boy that we will cherish forever. For that, we will always be grateful.

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