The LifeCentre

I’m writing this review to share a very upsetting experience I had with The Life Centre emergency veterinary practice. I brought my 2.5-year-old French Bulldog to their emergency department for urgent care. After an initial assessment, the veterinarian informed me it would cost $3,100 for one night of monitoring, after which she could be seen by the neurology team located in the same building. I told them I simply couldn’t afford that amount for one night and that I planned to bring my dog back in the morning to try for a walk-in with neurology. At that point, the veterinarian told me I wouldn't be able to get in to see the neurologist and said she would “call them and tell them not to take you.” I was shocked. I asked, “Are you really saying that if I don’t pay the $3,100, you’ll make sure my dog isn’t seen by neurology?” She said she wasn’t blackmailing me, but then repeated that she would call them and report that I was being belligerent. To be clear—I was upset and emotional, but not belligerent. It was only after she told me she would block my dog from receiving care and falsely accuse me of being a problem client that I lost my temper. I called her a name out of anger, and I regret that—but I was reacting to what I believe was completely unethical and retaliatory behavior. Veterinarians are supposed to advocate for animals, not punish owners who can’t afford an overnight bill. This was one of the most heartless and unprofessional experiences I’ve had with any medical provider—human or animal. If this is how The Life Centre treats people in crisis, I would strongly encourage pet owners to seek emergency care elsewhere if possible.

Brought my sick dog in multiple times who was losing weight and not eating, but the doctors had no idea what they were doing and the receptionists were rude and unprofessional. The first time I called in to the LifeCentre, I was directed by a rude receptionist to go to another ER, and she would send me the list of alternative ERs, but she never sent it to me. When I took my dog into the LifeCentre to get checked out, I was told by another receptionist to go to Annandale (about an hour away) even though the wait room was completely empty. I eventually was able to get my dog into the ER there in which the head of the ER Dr. Erika Friedrich saw her and had no idea what was going on with her. But she was insistent on keeping my dog in the ER for some time so they could make $4800 off us with no guarantee that an IM specialist would see her! We said we couldn't afford that, so she sent us home with a few medicines and some generic instructions after we paid $1,629 for her terrible medical care. Fast forward 2 weeks later and our dog is getting worst. We have no choice but to take her again to the ER, and of course Dr. Erika Friedrich is there to see her. Same thing once again, she doesn't know what's happening to my dog, but she gives us medicines that don't work and also a bill of $1738 for her terrible examination and medicines. We were also met by a rude Dr. Sienna Church who didn't seem to care about our concerns and just wanted to get back to whatever work she had in the back. After continuously asking for an Internal Medicine appointment as soon as possible from the rude receptionist staff, we were finally granted one on 1/16 to see a Dr. Robert Justin who was no better than Dr. Erika Friedrich. After doing his clueless examination he sent us home with some more useless medicines, generic instructions, and a $575 bill. He also mentioned that she does not have long to live and insisted we do an endoscopy. After agreeing to do the $6100 endoscopy, they scheduled it for 5 days later instead of asap. Well the inability of the IM team to schedule the appointment earlier even though they said she doesn't have long to live, didn't help our poor baby because she ended up passing away 2 days before the endoscopy. We rushed her to the ER the morning she passed away but they were unable to do anything other than give us another $500 dollar bill for their pathetic "life saving" efforts. This place is filled with rude receptionists and clueless doctors. Everyday we saw pets passing away there, and the staff didn't offer condolescences to any of the parents. They really need to do better.

We decided to let our senior dog go at 4am this morning. The staff were very gentle with us and considerate of our feelings. We have always had good experiences with the LifeCentre. I am GRATEFUL for the staffs’ bedside manners and that they are willing to work the overnight shifts to help care for our beloved furry family members when in need. Thank you for allowing us the time and space to say goodbye to our first fur baby.

We took our pup there for two surgeries, 2 years apart. Each time the staff was welcoming and polite. More importantly, my pup showed no anxiety in returning after either trip, which tells me she was made to be comfortable before and after her surgery.

I cannot say enough great things about The LifeCentre. They properly diagnosed and treated/cared for my 13 year old cat who was very sick. They called me at least once a day to keep me informed and updated with the treatment and progress. When I was able to bring my cat home, they went over his discharge paperwork, medication and showed me how to administer his insulin.