Emily M.
4/5
All the vets have great intelligence and are very kind. However some of the staff is very rude.
My mother was rushed into the emergency room with heart failure on 2/3/25 - 2/11/25 and also has stage 4 cancer. She has not been doing well. My dogs annual vaccinations were also scheduled for that week, and needed to be done. I didnât have anyone to help me or bring my dog in for me. I had just come from helping my mom at the hospital and there was a snowstorm and the roads were terrible so I was about 10mins late. I was prepared to be rescheduled and have to pay for my missed appointment if need be. I understand the rules and will not argue those. However, the woman at the front desk was so rude to me about me being late. She tried to embarrass me in front of another client by making a show of how late I was. She said the doctor may not be able to see me. I quietly responded âI understand,â because I did know this was a possibility. Yet, even my quiet understanding wasnât enough for her.
She was rude enough that the client next to me tried to comfort me by bringing up the storm to both of us and mentioning how bad the roads are. I squeezed the visitors badges from the hospital that were filling my pockets. I didnât mention it. I didnât react.
So she began harassing me about what breed my dog was and implied that I was lying about it. I donât typically say the full breed name because most people donât know about it, and I am afraid of being judged harshly for buying and not adopting as I have been in the past. It is a recreation of a Native American dog breed not recognized by AKC.
My mother is Native and this is why I was drawn to this dog.
So I quietly answered her question with the specific AKC recognized breed I stated on the record (Belgian Sheepdog - mix), and she went on and on saying thats not whatâs in their records. I knew it was and stayed quiet. She finally checked again and saw that she was wrong. Of course, that wasnât enough. She had to say, âIf anything, he looks more like a malamute.â I quietly stated, âHe does have malamute in him.â She went on implying that I was still lying because he looks like a wolf. Heâs mostly a malamute-Tervuren mix with a bunch of other breeds mixed in including Samoyed and Newfoundland. These dogs come in many colors and mixes and are recognized by UC Davis as a legitimate non-wolf breed. I could have gotten a spotted one, but I got one that looked more wolfy because we didnât have problems with his cousin who is more malamute.
Theirs WAS a natural question to ask.
However, when I am asked about this, they never allow time for me to show them the evidence- his parentage, the breeders, his sister, information from UC Davis or anything.
Though possibly the most extreme, this isnât the only time or circumstance in which I have been treated badly by some of the staff there.
Sometimes they are just impatient with questions and treat you like you are dumb.
I would like to stress that it has ONLY been two desk people that are doing this in my experience.
However, the rudeness happens enough to give me anxiety every time I go in.
Iâve never had to deal with rudeness at Pieper in Middletown- EVER.
In summation, you never know why someone is late for an appointment. Maybe they are in an abusive relationship or just had a death in the family. Maybe- like me- they have another chronically ill dog at home that they care for and are caring for a family member. Everyone is struggling right now. Sure, turn us away or reschedule if needed. Even make us pay for having to reschedule so late.
Just donât try to pick a fight and be unappeasable. When your clients are going through something, they donât have the energy to waste on unnecessary conflicts like this.
I love the vets here. They really are great. MOST of the staff is really great.
If you only have to go in once a year and for infrequent emergencies, then you should be fine.
However, if you have a lot of things going on in your life and donât have the emotional capacity for people who pick fights with you. Try somewhere else.
