VCA TLC Animal Hospital

I had a wonderful experience at VCA West Hollywood today. From the moment I walked in, the staff was welcoming and efficient. Most importantly, Dr. Mark Hiebert was exceptionally kind, patient, and extremely professional. He took the time to thoroughly explain everything and made sure my dog felt comfortable throughout the visit. I left feeling confident and reassured about my pet’s care. I definitely plan to have Dr. Mark Hiebert as my dog’s regular veterinarian moving forward. Highly recommended!

I will never bring my pet here again. There is obvious favoritism between patients depending on what their animal is (or maybe their race). My first impression here was being overlooked and ignored while another person was attended to with stellar customer service even though I had an appointment before them, unfortunately I have never received the same. I should have never returned but it's the closest vet to my home. My pet is a rescue and has nervousness when handled in certain areas. I tried to explain this to the first vet I saw, who is no longer at the location, she decided to take it upon herself to terrorize my pet by grabbing those areas and then putting her on the cold examining room floor where she was terrified and tried to find somewhere to run and hide-- and then made notes that she is difficult. She didn't even explain why she was doing these things? Why was my pet put under what looked like a stress test when she is already stressed? I was overcharged for unnecessary diagnostic tests that dragged out and then I was overcharged for someone to interpret the tests also. I left with a bad feeling but I thought it was a one off and I told myself next time I would advocate better for my pet. My next visit was a nightmare and solidified I will never be returning again. Dr. Mark Hiebert is rude and cold. When I tried to explain to him my pet was a rescue and nervous he cut me off and told me he already knew it was a poorly behaved animal because he had it in his notes. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Every single groomer loves her because she is so soft and easy to handle, you just have to be gentle with her. I tried to advocate on her behalf and he cut me off and shut me down. My pet had been seen at a hospital a few weeks prior and he aggressively questioned me why the vet there had chosen the course of medications and treatment that they did and then condescended to me when I explained I didn't know why? I am not a vet. He didn't address any of my concerns, he just brushed them off as nonsensical. At one point he compared the condition my pet was enduring to his child and how it wasn't a big deal I was just shocked he even had a child, I cannot imagine this person caring about anyone more than they care about themself. Please do not waste your money here. They only care about their bottom line.

⸻ I’ve been a customer of that clinic for almost 10 years. Base on my experience LATELY , I have no issues with the doctors, but the real problem lies is with the front desk staff. They are the ones who decide whether to treat you with kindness and compassion when it comes to my dog. If you ever voice a complaint, they will label you as a difficult customer and make things harder for you. Thats my experiences even now, especially when it comes to refilling medications. They don’t care if your pet has recently been checked at a VCA Hospital branch. What matters to them? That you bring your pet again for another check-up before they refill the medication. They show no compassion with my dog even his struggling without its necessary medication. Every call and interaction with them, I feels frustrating because I know they will treat me like a complete and new customer. Their employees need to undergo training again. This year, I’ve decided—I’m definitely looking for a new vet clinic. VCA TLC CLINIC HOSPITAL BRANCH in Sta Monica are simply NOT WORTH staying with anymore.

Dr. Hiebert and the whole VCA team took such great care of my bully. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. The care was top notch, scheduling was a breeze, and the advice was sound and straightforward. Will return with my other pets and definitely recommend!

It’s taken me a while to write this because reliving that day feels like waking up inside a nightmare I can’t escape. On April 10th, I brought my dog to VCA TLC early in the morning after he was hit by a car. There was no visible bleeding, but I could see it — he was in shock and clearly in pain. I was terrified, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I rushed him to the nearest veterinary hospital, believing they would help him. Believing they would save him. But they didn’t. Instead of urgently transferring us to a facility that could handle real emergencies, they kept us there for over an hour — running tests, bloodwork, and x-rays while every precious minute slipped through our fingers. They never once warned me how critical his condition was. They never told me his lungs were at serious risk of collapsing — a situation that required immediate, life-saving intervention. Instead, they told me he was “okay.” That he was stable. That I could transfer him to another hospital where he could be monitored for a day or two. They made it sound routine. Safe. What they didn’t tell me — what they should have told me from the moment I walked in — is that VCA TLC is not an emergency hospital. But they didn’t say that. Not when it mattered. Only after wasting over an hour did they casually suggest I drive him to MASH, another facility across town, where he could get further treatment. Still, there was no urgency in their tone. No warning. Just a quiet reassurance that he was “fine enough” for the drive — that the small leak in his lungs wasn’t a big concern. That we didn’t need an ambulance. That it was only 10 minutes away. He died in my arms on the way there. If they had told me the truth from the beginning — if they had just said, “We aren’t equipped for this. He needs immediate emergency care,” — I could have gotten him to the right place in time. But instead, they wasted his final hour running tests they couldn’t act on, while giving me false hope that he was stable. They let me believe he was going to make it. But he didn’t. I’m not just heartbroken — I’m furious. Because this wasn’t just a tragedy. It was avoidable. It was preventable. He could have lived. He should have lived. But they weren’t honest. They weren’t clear. And they weren’t prepared. How dare you call yourselves a “hospital” when you cannot perform basic emergency procedures? If you are not a true emergency facility, you have a responsibility to say that immediately — not after wasting critical time while a dog is dying in front of you. Your negligence cost my dog his life. And his death wasn’t peaceful. It was sudden. It was terrifying. He died scared, gasping for air, in the arms of the person who loved him most. And now I have to live with the unbearable guilt of trusting a place that was never capable of saving him. To anyone reading this: please — do not bring your pet to VCA TLC in an emergency. Go straight to a 24/7 emergency hospital. Don’t wait. Don’t assume. Don’t trust the title “hospital” without asking what they’re actually equipped to do. Don’t make the same heartbreaking mistake I did. Shame on you, VCA TLC. You failed my dog. You failed me. And you should be held fully accountable for the pain, trauma, and loss you caused. My dog deserved honesty. He deserved urgency. He deserved a fighting chance. He deserved better than what you gave him.