Banfield Pet Hospital

Reviews

• TQ

  T Q

  1 day ago
  1.0
  I want to begin by saying that throughout the many years we have been clients of Banfield (Ofallon, MO) - we have generally received excellent care and service to our pets. The front desk staff, techs., and veterinarians have Always been compassionate, caring and professional. On average we spend between $600.00 and $900.00 annually for pet care; and despite more often than not seeing the same veterinarian was a typical experience at Banfield. Additionally, we have generally felt that our pets were well cared for and our concerns taken seriously despite often seeing a different vet each visit. That is why our most recent experience was painful and disappointing. Yesterday, my husband and I faced one of the most difficult decisions a pet owner can make; deciding on whether or not to help our beautiful 12 year old furbaby cross the rainbow bridge. I initially scheduled a euthanasia appointment with Banfield the day prior for the next morning. However, our sweet boy had a surprisingly good morning, so we began questioning whether or not we were making the right decision. Struggling with our thoughts, I called Banfield because we were truly at a loss and had some basic questions. When I called, I explained to the woman who answered that I understood a veterinarian could not provide diagnosis or specific medical advice over the phone, and I described how we were struggling and that we had basic questions after taking a couple of Quality of Life assessments online. This young woman was very kind and compassionate. She told me that she would speak to the vet (Dr. Albert) and see if they had a moment to speak with me. After a few minutes she came back and explained that Dr. Albert would not speak with me on the phone because Dr. Albert had never examined our dog before. It is understandable that a vet would not feel comfortable making a medical determination over the phone with any pet they have never seen - that is NOT what we were asking Dr. Albert to do. We were simply asking for few minutes of compassionate conversation - to ask some basic questions that would help us think through an incredibly difficult decision. Instead, I was told that we would need to bring our dog into Banfield for an examination before the vet would speak to us. I cannot adequately express how cold and hurtful that response was and how much it made us feel our pet was nothing to Banfield. And... I do not blame the receptionist, she was merely the messenger! We were not looking for free treatment or consultation. We were a family struggling to determine if it was time to say goodbye to our beloved pet, and we reached out to our veterinarian practice that we have trusted for years. We respect that veterinarians have boundaries and ethical responsibilities. However, the manner in which this was handled by Dr. Albert left us feeling dismissed and a deeply disappointed at one of the most vulnerable moments of pet ownership. As a result, we cancelled our Banfield appointment and contacted a nearby emergency veterinary facility that (ironically) had never seen our dog before. Their staff was immediately willing to listen, answer our Very basic questions, and respond with comfort and compassion that helped us work through our uncertainty. Ultimately, we realized it was indeed time to say goodbye. We chose to have our sweet baby cared for by the emergency facility and their veterinarian, even though the cost was approximately $300 more than the Banfield fee. What they gave us, however, was something Far More Important in that moment: compassion, patience, understanding and the feeling that our dog's life and our grief actually mattered. Our sweet furbaby is at peace and in a better place, but you can rest assured we will NEVER go back to Banfield!
• EH

  Eva Heward

  Jul 17, 2026
  5.0
  The clinic closed unexpectedly on 7/17/2026, but Shannon was so amazing and helpful, she took care of transferring 2 prescriptions that I needed and really made me feel like a valued customer!
• AC

  Alex Cavin

  Jul 1, 2026
  5.0
  Ashley is who our dog Marley needed. She has been so supportive with our girl who has cerebella. We can’t recommend her enough. Thank you all for taking good care of us and our girl.
• DM

  Derek Metcalf

  Jun 14, 2026
  5.0
  The took great care during a super difficult situation today. Thank you
• JE

  Jacqueline Ellis

  Jun 9, 2026
  5.0
  Dr. Ashley Pickett is by far the best vet we have ever worked with. After years of intermittent illness and subsequent misdiagnoses, she figured out our dog had Addison's disease. She took her time with us, helped us develop a plan that not only was best for our dog but that worked best for us as her owners, was very informative, and you could tell she truly cared.

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