Animal Emergency Center

The vet on duty (Carlynn McNulty) was very nice..on both occasions. Sadly, two of my three dogs passed away within days of each other. The first was Jazzmine, 7-year-old cocker and then Jafare, 15-year-old English Cocker. It’s too much to tell all the details in a review, however I would like to share the level of care I personally experienced at different emergency clinics, esp regarding end of life and cremation services. There is a BIG difference! The Animal Care Clinic fell short in a big way. The front desk staff is disheartening at best. I understand that you have to keep your feelings aside, but wow…won’t even help an owner at the door struggling to hold their 32-pound dog howling in pain. Then she stands there while I don’t know what to do, obviously in destress about my dog howling in pain. When I asked her what I do next she said, “I’ll take your dog.” Ugh. He passed over within hours of arrival. When I went to pick up the ashes, the front desk attendant barely acknowledged me. After about 20 minutes, she looked up the name and then handed me the “bag” as if it was some ordinary purchase. Not a “sorry for your loss”...maybe I expected too much, especially after the beautiful presentation, certificate and “bag” of memories I’ll have forever about Jazzmine after she passed at Coastal Animal Referral Emergency in Williamsburg. After leaving Animal Care Clinic I cried all the way home to Smithfield after picking up Jafare’s remains. I was overwhelmed by how little care was taken by his passing compared to the beautiful reminder of Jazzmine’s passing when picking up her ashes at Coastal Animal Referral Emergency. The staff at Animal Care Clinic just didn’t seem to care. The candle on the front desk? After Jafare passed, the candle wasn’t lit so don’t let it fool you. It felt more like a business than a caring environment. Maybe they are understaffed. I’m willing to accept circumstances, however it still hurt my heart. My snugglebug for 15 years is now a bag of ashes presented in a cheap cardboard box. Serious heart-jerk! I’ve included pictures to show the difference in the presentation.

We came here since the other emergency vet isn’t open 24/7 anymore. The staff was very friendly. We were seen in a timely manner. The veterinarian took his time with us, took a detailed history and discussed with us in detail her X-rays. Wonderful team.

This was our very first visit to any emergency vet, and we had and amazing experience. I came home to my sweet 3 year old red heeler throwing up all over the house and super lethargic. After going to her primary vet we were transferred to this facility where they took such good care of my girl. She able to be discharged from the hospital 12 hours later and the doctor there was so thorough and truly made me feel safe to go home and rest while she was in their hands. Dr Crist was amazing!!!

We had to euthanize our dog today. We brought our dog to this hospital before the decision was made. The doctor was so caring and so was the staff. My daughter brought our dog in alone and was having a hard time. They kept watch over our dog until she came back to pick me up. The staff offered us comfort and support. The doctor evaluated our dog and gave us her prognosis. He was very honest and empathetic to our situation. The process was so comforting and calming. I love this place.

On December 25, 2024, Christmas Day will forever go down as one of the worst days of my life. My husband and I brought our dog here around 7 am for concerns of altered mental status. When we got there the receptionist did not ask any questions and briskly handed us paperwork to fill out. She then took our dog back for only a few minutes and said she checked her oxygen levels and said, "she fine." When we got there our dog was still able to get in and out of the car. We waited for an hour, meanwhile our dog laid on the floor appearing to get worse and more lethargic. I could hear people in the back laughing and giggling. No one came out during that hour to check on her status. Finally, the receptionist came out and said that there was another vet coming in and there was about to be a shift change. We thought we were about to be seen because of this, we were the only ones in the lobby. After shift change, I asked the new receptionist how much longer it would be, she went in to the back to check and came back to say "it shouldn't be much longer." More time went by, the receptionist came back out and said that it would be another 45 minutes to an hour before our dog could be seen and that another vet has opened down the road we could go to. During this time no one checked on our girl. I really feel that if someone properly triaged our dog she may not have subsequently passed away at the other vet. When we left, our dog was substantially worse, we had to carry her into the car. Upon arriving to the other vet, they immediately came out with a stretcher and emergently brought her back. They in contrast immediately acted and began asking questions and starting their treatment showing care and concern. I can't help but wonder if she had received immediate medical attention she might still be with us. Our girl was diagnosed with anaphylaxis, which is a life threatening emergency that requires IMMEDIATE treatment. I am terribly disappointed in the care that we received at Animal Emergency Center. If I could give a 0 rating I would.