Dr. Shuman and the entire staff at Westside Animal Hospital have been real lifesavers for my dog…read morethrough a recent extended illness that has been difficult to diagnose and treat. Dr. Shuman did emergency surgery on my dog when she was a puppy (she ate a bungee cord), and helped her make a complete recovery. He also did her spay and annual check-ups. More recently, he has put in a lot of time explaining where we are at while we methodically ran through tests, as I continue to navigate a chronic condition and early valve disease (including getting outside consultation), while continuing to treat my pet. I'm not happy to have a sick pup, but given the situation I know that I am in the very best practice in Santa Cruz. Dr. Shuman is calm and kind -- he is the best vet for taking care of your pet from puppy to adulthood. And, his staff are compassionate and always there to help when emergencies occur.

Taken care of my dog until 19 yrs & had to euthanize. And that was handled with empathy…read more. we now have a "rescue dog. Came to us with perforated ear drum. Again Westside Hospital Vets are excellent.

Just had my best friend sent to the Rainbow Bridge. This place handled everything well. They even…read morehave a comfy couch area to hold your friend to the Rainbow Bridge. I'm glad I chose this place, instead of the BC vet. BC Vet wouldn't give me an estimate, after the thousands of dollars I have spent there. Furthermore, I could hear Dr. G talking shit in the back ground! Shame on you, BC vet! Anyway, My buddy went out in peace and compassion, as he deserved....this vet is the best to take your pet to the Rainbow Bridge.

We had a pleasure of meeting Dr. Martinez For the first time today. what a caring, compassionate…read moreAnd coupled with outstanding clinical expertise.. Granted, our dog was in for what could've been a simple ear infection but turned out to be a grooming issue. Many thanks to Dr. Martinez and.Alandra At the front desk for taking such good care of our older pooch. We look forward to having her as our permanent vet moving forward.

This is a fantastic clinic for urgent care and emergency needs. While they won't necessarily…read morereplace my primary vet, they are absolutely amazing at what they do. Be prepared for potentially long wait times in the middle of the night for low-severity issues. I was recently given an 8+ hour estimate due to several major emergencies ahead of us. However, their triage process is incredibly fast. The on-duty triage nurse quickly assessed my pet, gave me clear facts that put my mind at ease, and didn't even charge for the triage. We ended up taking my pet home and returning during standard business hours. The prices are reasonable and fair. They aren't cheap, but they are a great value for the high quality of care. Every single doctor, nurse, and front-desk staff member was kind, friendly, and helpful. Do I wish the wait was shorter? Of course! But I completely understand that critical emergencies must take priority. Overall, a great clinic.

Saying goodbye to our sweet Miley, who was over 17 1/2 years old, was one of the hardest things…read morewe've ever done. The staff at Pacific and Santa Cruz Veterinary Specialists made it as gentle and loving as it could possibly be. They got us in right away, so we barely had to wait, and brought us straight into a calm, quiet room where my daughter and I could be with her. They never rushed us. We had all the time we needed to say goodbye, and Miley passed peacefully in my arms. and the whole experienceIt was clear they knew exactly what they were doing and did it with real compassion. They even let us leave through a back door afterward, which gave us privacy at a moment when we really needed it. We can't say enough about how kind, generous, and caring everyone was. If you ever face this decision for your own pet, I can't recommend them highly enough. Thank you for taking such good care of Miley, and of us.

So so so thankful to have found Marc, Christine, and their team for care for our senior cat. They…read morewere amazing to work with for any appointments or procedures she had and were always willing to answer my questions over text when I needed to check in on something. Such a blessing after dealing with typical vets that want to charge you for a full vet visit every time you have any questions. When we sadly had to put our sweet cat down recently, Marc came to our home and was so kind and present during the process with us. He made the experience very calm and sweet and had an amazing bedside manner for being alongside us during that process. Couldn't have asked for a better care team for us and our cat at the end of her life.

I've been lucky enough to be a client of GVE since they first opened their practice. They…read moreconsistently go out of their way to help me and my pets. They're the best vet in the county period.

Dr. Wells was very acknowledgeable, gave us options on what we could do for our Vizsla , and gave…read moreus the final say so, staff was caring and polite . My pet seems very comfortable even though she knew what was going on. Highly recommended. Will go back if needed.

I recently brought my dog Mickey to Harbor Veterinary Hospital to see Dr. Wells and her wonderful…read moreteam. Every visit reaffirms how fortunate we are to have such compassionate, knowledgeable care right here in Santa Cruz. Dr. Wells communicates with warmth and genuine concern it feels like talking to a trusted family member who's fully invested in your pet's well-being. The front office staff were pleasant and direct, even taking the time to show me how to give Mickey his medication and sharing helpful troubleshooting tips. I left feeling grateful and at ease. In today's world, where quality service and fair pricing are hard to come by, Harbor Vet consistently exceeds expectations. I've been a loyal client for eight years and wholeheartedly recommend them to any pet owner looking for exceptional care.

Dr. Kuty was so gentle and helpful with helping our sick cat pass peacefully at home on his…read morefavorite bedding with me cuddling him. This is so much more civilized than having the vet experiment on your dying cat and then have to put him to sleep in an operating room without you there.

When it was time to say goodbye to our sweet 12yr old German Shepard, Hannah, we knew having an…read morein-home option was a must for our family. Dr. Maria Kuty was such a blessing during a difficult time and her staff was responsive and understood that we were making a very difficult decision. She arrived on time, and walked us thru the whole procedure, which helped us know what to expect. Even though we feel so raw inside, we know having Maria by our side and her care for Hannah meant the world to us.

A very tough day putting down my 16 year old Bichon, Gretchen. Dr. Ravina not only showed me the…read morecompassion and care I needed, she treated Gretchen like a dear friend. Dr. Ravina has that special touch with people and furry babies, that puts you instantly at ease. She was at total ease with my sadness and grief and was so reassuring that I was indeed doing the right thing by my pup. She created a ceramic paw print right on the spot. That meant a lot and now I will treasure that forever. Although it was a heartbreaking day, Dr. Ravina helped me and my pup through the final moments of her life. And for that I'm eternally grateful. Thank you so much, Dr. Ravina.

Dr. Ravina was a complete blessing as we laid our sweet kitty to rest in the comfort of our home…read more She has such a lovely, calming and compassionate demeanor that makes you feel at ease during a sad time. I fully recommend her to anyone having to navigate this difficult time. Thank you Dr. Ravina.

We lived in LA for the first 10 years of our dog Tater's life, and veterinary care was always…read morestressful. It could take three weeks just to get on the schedule, which wasn't acceptable care. Moving to the Aptos-Capitola Veterinary Hospital has been a breath of fresh air. They can see Tater the same day or next day if needed. Unfortunately, our dog has been in a lot recently, which has really shown us how wonderful the entire tech and office staff is. I want to give an additional callout to Zach, who is a technician there, and Georgia at the front desk. I also cannot praise Dr. Hage enough. I can tell she genuinely cares for our dog and always advises us on the best course of action. She is compassionate, easy to communicate with, and we trust her completely. They never try to upsell us, Tater's health clearly comes before a bottom line. We are thrilled to have found a place we trust for the rest of his life.

This was the most horrible veterinary experience I have ever had. I have a 10-year-old indoor cat…read morewho had never really been sick before. After switching his food, he developed what appeared to be a food allergy and became very sick. Before bringing him to Aptos-Capitola Veterinary Clinic, I specifically called and told them he did NOT have a rabies vaccine and asked, "Can you still see him?" They said YES, no problem. We went in, they treated him, recommended different food, and we left happy. Fast-forward about three months. My cat was still having problems and had been vomiting for months. I had recently spent approximately $5,000 at an emergency veterinary hospital in Monterey trying to figure out what was wrong, and we still didn't have the answers we needed. I brought him back to Aptos-Capitola hoping for help. The veterinarian who met with me was extremely cold from the start. I reminded him that my cat had been through a lot and explained the months of vomiting and emergency visits. He didn't seem to care about my story. He began palpating my cat's abdomen with what seemed to me like an excessive amount of pressure, and my cat began VIOLENTLY SHAKING. I was shocked. My cat had been examined multiple times at the emergency hospital and had NEVER reacted like this during an examination. Throughout the exam, the veterinarian repeatedly brought up that my cat wasn't vaccinated for rabies. I explained that he is an indoor cat and that I was refusing the rabies vaccine. Instead of focusing on why my cat was sick, the conversation became increasingly aggressive. In my experience, his tone was rough, he raised his voice, and he continued insisting on the rabies vaccination before thoroughly examining my cat. Meanwhile, my cat continued shaking. I finally said, "I am refusing the rabies vaccine. I am here because my cat is SICK. I have been here before without this being a problem. Why is this suddenly a problem today?" The situation became so upsetting that I left the clinic CRYING with my sick, shaking cat. I actually wasn't planning to write a negative review. Then recently, I received an extremely long letter from the clinic informing me that my family and I were no longer welcome because of this situation. I found the letter threatening and upsetting. Even more concerning, the letter referenced California law regarding rabies vaccination. That is what prompted me to contact my attorney and research the law. What I learned raised serious questions about what I had been told. California does not have a statewide law requiring cats to be vaccinated against rabies. Local jurisdictions can have their own requirements, but I have been unable to identify a California law that simply prohibits a veterinarian from examining an indoor cat because it isn't vaccinated. If this clinic has its own vaccination policy, SAY THAT. A clinic policy and California law are NOT the same thing. If you tell a client something is required "by California law," you should be able to identify the law. I have had animals for decades. Years ago, when I had a working farm, I worked with the veterinary program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where veterinary students worked with and studied my animals. I have also spent many years researching vaccines before making my own decisions. People are entitled to disagree with those decisions. What I will NOT accept is being pressured and spoken to aggressively while my sick animal is visibly shaking, especially after this same clinic previously agreed to treat him knowing his vaccination status. My cat needed help. Instead, I left crying with a sick, shaking animal and later received a letter telling my entire family we were no longer welcome. I will NEVER forget this experience, and I absolutely cannot recommend this clinic.

I took my kitty to the Cat Clinic for the first time because she had a lump on her mouth. The…read moreentire staff from the receptionist, vet techs and doctor were incredibly kind and friendly. I got a lot of information and they performed a biopsy the next day, ensuring I would get the least expensive options while maintaining a high level of care. My cat also seemed the calmest she's ever been at any vets. I highly recommend taking your lil one here!

These vets and vet techs are amazing! I was fearful my dog was going blind or had a neurological…read moreproblem. The lovely lady vet did a thorough exam and said my pup needed her nails clipped to make walking easier. No vet has ever been able to clip my pup's nails! My dog has her life back. Walking, seeing and happy. I am so impressed with the level of professionalism. No up selling. None of that. I brought my other Golden Retriever in last year and received the same level of treatment. I can recommend Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital on 41st 100%.

Dr. Rahm is the best in the business for care, empathy, attentiveness, and skill. Unfortunately the…read morepractice that surrounds him is trash at paperwork, customer service, and organization. Only go to this vet if you personally have the organizational skills to compensate. We're only in it for Dr. Rahm.