Banfield Pet Hospital

Amazing and kind staff! Our puppy is in such good hands with the staff at Banfield. Very friendly staff, knowledgeable, monthly wellness plan has been great, highly recommend! Our Isla is in good hands here

We’ve had our older dog with them for almost 6 years and just got a puppy. We’ve always had a wonderful experience with both animals every time!! I like that I can make an apt online and there is usually a decent amount of availability. The receptionists are always super nice too. We love the location we go to on Mission Gorge!

Tried to call Banfield to discuss wellness plan—57 minute hold time 1. Called El Cajon clinic to follow-up on appointment from 2/23 — cat not improving — no call back 2. 2/23 made 1:1 appointment online and it was confirmed. When called facility they said the online 1:1 appointment system was not working. 3. Called several others in San Diego for a 1:1 appointment and on hold for at least 20 minutes at a time, per call 4. 1:1 Appointment visit finally set for 4p and we waited nearly 60 minutes to be seen; no reason given why the delay. No one checked in on us while waiting. 5. We attempted to use pet chat, and it was utterly ineffective — could not access my recent visit or discuss anything that would help solve the problem

i made an appointment for my injured dog to be seen and when i arrived (3 minutes before my appointment time) i was told i was in luck because the vet MIGHT be able to see me. after the 5 minutes it took to check with the vet, i was told i could wait 2 hours and MAYBE the vet would see me after that. i will note that the staff member at the desk was very kind and tried to find another banfield location that would see me. i was told the online appointment scheduler has now at of knowing their availability. in the 4 years i have been using banfield, no locations have ever refused to see me with an appointment scheduled online. it’s not worth the time, energy , and stress to your pet to make an appointment and not be seen

UPDATED REVIEW (3/3): ****/***** After my negative experiences show in my last two reviews, the manager, Jessica, reached out again to address my concerns and made an effort to make things right. She explained that the veterinarian who saw my dog was a fill-in due to the main veterinarian being unavailable, and she reassured me that this specific veterinarian was asked not to return. I appreciated her transparency and apology. Jessica and her team quickly scheduled a follow-up appointment with Dr. Sorensen within the same week, and from there, communication improved significantly. This second visit was consistent with my past positive experiences at Banfield, and I felt that my concerns were genuinely acknowledged. Regarding the earlier issues with phone communication, a staff member informed me that staff had made several attempts to contact me, though I never received any missed call notifications. During my second visit, the front desk staff tested my cell phone by calling it, and as expected, “Banfield Mission Gorge” appeared on my caller ID and later showed as a missed call. The staff acknowledged they sometimes experience phone issues, which could explain the lack of connection. Given these recurring phone issues, I would suggest Banfield consider offering text messaging as an alternative communication option. It would provide a reliable backup and help avoid potential miscommunications in the future. While my initial experience was frustrating, I appreciate the effort Jessica and the team made to resolve the issue. I look forward to continued improvements in their services. _________________ UPDATED REVIEW (2/3): */***** After leaving this review, leadership contacted me on Friday to apologize and said that a doctor would call me back to explain the abnormal lab results. No call was made on Friday. I called 8 AM on Monday and was told that someone would review and explain the labs with me and to follow up at 3 PM if I haven’t heard back. I called again at 3 and was told that I should receive a call around 6 when the doctor is done seeing patients. I called again at 8 and the office was closed. I suspect that this corporation overworks and understaffs their facilities for profit. This is not a sustainable business or healthcare practice and the other negative reviews seem to support this. _________________________________ REVIEW (1/3): */***** I dropped off my dog at 8:30 for a check up covered by Active Care Plus + an anal gland check. I called around 3 PM and the vet hadn't seen my dog yet. The receptionist said that she was next and that I'd get a call from the vet with an update within an hour. I waited 2 hours and called to follow up- the receptionist said she was ready and that I had 45 minutes to pick her up before closing. No apologies or explanation or any actual word from the vet. I'm used to the longer wait times compared to traditional offices, but this has gotten progressively long. If the vet is so overbooked, then why are appointments being offered? I would have rather waited a few more days to be seen if it meant avoiding an 8 hour appointment. For $70 monthly, this is insane. On top of everything, my dog’s labs are abnormal and the doctor never actually called and the documentation was falsified saying that a voicemail was left for me to pick up my dog. I have zero record of any missed call or voice mail but I do have record of my calls to check in on my dog.