When I moved into the neighborhood 35 years ago, I heard how great the folks at Hyde Park Animal Clinic were, but was warned their practice was full and they weren't taking new clients. Nonetheless, I phoned to ask, for my 2 cats, and was informed that was the case. I respect a business (especially medical providers) which values quality of service over profits. Wish more health professionals thought the same. I'm sure HPAC gets multiple calls a day asking the same question, and have to answer with the same disappointing news, and it may be frustrating when they get pushback from callers who feel entitled to vent about it - to them. To the staff at HPAC: sorry you hear from folks acting like that. To those who get their feathers rufflled when they hear "no": get over yourselves and move on. So we got into town too late for this clinic, but there are others. Yes, Austin is getting more crowded every day, and demand may be higher than supply - and that IS frustrating. Find one YOU like, establish a relationship with them, and brag to others! read more

I called for availability and was flat out told,"we are very small and haven't taken in any new pets." No wonder they are so small. Why are they even listed as a potential vet option? read more

Great clinic, great vet, so good they can't accept new clients! For all of you whiners complaining that when you call, you are immediately told that unless you're an existing client, they can't see you, please know that they're trying to save time for you and for them. They are very busy. They have loyal and HAPPY clients that have been going there for 50 years or more And they're small, so they CAN take great care of the pets that they already seeing! And thank God for that! AnnE, the vet tech, who knows as much about animal care as any veterinarians I've ever met, is awesome and knows her job, knows animals, and knows what to do! The WONDERFUL house Vet, Joyce is an amazing doctor and has a wonderful heart. She's awesome and Well loved by all animals who come for care. This place is so reasonably priced, really cares for animals, and I would have given them five stars except for the fact that they don't take new clients. (there's plenty of other vets in town to take your money, so quit complaining) I don't blame them for not taking new clients, yes they're small and for the smart ass on here who asked "why are they small?!", I guess she thought they were all about money, so why didn't they grow and get more doctors so they could take more clients . Well, for some people it's not about money, it's about the animals, and the staff at this clinic are the best you'll ever find! Thank God, I'm a current client, and have been for 20 years, always happy. Thank you Anne and Joyce! Julie S read more

You people who are complaining about this excellent vet just need to take your whiney service elsewhere. Also take your prejudices along with you. This vet clinic has taken EXCELLENT care of ALL of my pets since I was in college. The REASON they don't take new clients anymore is BECAUSE THEY ARE SO EXCELLENT. They are taking care of their current clients. They have kept their prices down when most of the other vet clinics in Austin are charging you MASSIVE amount for basic services. Those are the ones you should be complaining about. Sorry you weren't in Austin earlier and could become one of their regular clients. So move it on down the road, jerks! read more

I went to them for 25 years. I'm neither a hoarder (see really bitter, rude, insulting to every Hyde Park client review below) nor family, not even a close personal friend, though I do really like them. I'd still be going to Hyde Park if we hadn't moved out of the area. I wish they were still my vet's office because of the following: Diagnostics talent Surgery talent Cost Friendliness/Compassion Assistance to the community Present Out Of State Vet - "I can't say what the problem is. Let's get 8,00 tests and see 32 specialists. Yes, your cat, well, he (it's a she) has advanced cancer. That will be $2700.00, please." Hyde Park Animal Clinic - "Let us run some basic tests, but it sure looks like your poor baby has advanced cancer. Here's a ton of information about your options. We're so sorry. She's a beautiful cat, very sweet. That will be $165 and you don't have to pay right now if it's not convenient." read more

Unless you're currently a client of HPAC stop reading now. HPAC is so good at what they do they haven't accepted new clients in decades. That last sentence explains my review today. For the services they offer, Dr Joyce, Ann, & the past and present clinic crew are so exceptional they had to stop taking new clients. Otherw they would be infested with a as many customers as a flea bit yard dog in June. My heartfelt thanks and sincere respect to all of you at HPAC for all you've done for my extended family of furson's over the years. read more

The vets and staff at Hyde Park are top notch. As Leann mentioned, while they will accept new pets of existing clients, they don't accept new clients altogether. They aren't trying to grow the business - they are focusing on providing the best care possible to the animals in their care. Hyde Park Animal Clinic is a beautiful example of why I love Austin - people doing what they love to do, to the utmost. They are successful, they make their clients happy and they keep our pets in great shape. read more

Honestly there is ABSOLUTELY NO POINT in this place even having a Yelp page in the first place, as they so rudely explained to me that they "have not accepted new clients in over 35 years." She made the place sound like the Harvard of Vets, and she sounded gleeful at denying me. F this place, don't even bother. read more

I'm with Guy M. and the other happy clients below. As everyone has noticed, the only negative reviews are from folks who didn't actually receive any services from HPAC and are angry about their no-new-clients policy. So they go on Yelp and whine and cry and give them a 1-star review for revenge. ...Clearly those people have zero chill, so I, for one, am glad not to share the waiting room with them. Anyways, I love HPAC and will give them their deserved credit. My parents and I have been taking our pets to see Joyce, David and Ann since 1975. Like other reviews mentioned, they are an incredibly small practice and they care so much about your pets, not about profits. Hence the reason they don't accept new clients. It's not because they're mean or "rude" - it's because their clients are lifers, and they are literally at capacity and have been for a decade. They are honest, more than fair with their prices, and incredibly compassionate. Under their care, my family and I have had nothing but happy, healthy cats and dogs that all lived to a very old age. And, not to sound morbid, but I'm going there - when it came time to say goodbye to our 15-yr-old lab mix and our 18-yr-old kitty, Joyce, Ann and David could not have been more caring about their passings. They cried right alongside us. They truly love your pets, and I have yet to find another vet as wonderful since moving away from Austin. It's unfortunate for the people that don't get to experience their services, but don't bash HPAC for being amazing veterinarians and enacting a policy to ensure the top-notch quality of service that they provide. read more

As others have mentioned, it feels mean to write a review about how great this vet is because they don't accept new patients. But...I'm going to anyway because they need to be acknowledged for how awesome they are. For starters, they're honest and minimalist, they function on a walk-in basis which is nice (though seem to appreciate a phone call in advance), and they only charge patients for what absolutely needs to be done. Being able to walk out after only paying $10-$20 is unheard of at most vets, but since they don't charge an office visit fee (most vets charge you $30-$50 just for you to walk in the door!), this is a regular occurrence here. It's obvious that they're not in it for the money - they're in it because they deeply care about animals and they want to give them the best quality of care possible. I live a few blocks away so it's also very convenient for me to take animals there, but I'd drive across town if I didn't just to know that they're getting such compassionate care. All the one star reviews this vet has received are from people who haven't even taken their pets there!! Hyde Park Animal Clinic seems to work with a lot of animal rescue organizations and independent rescue workers, which is why they have a constant flow of patients and don't have room for any more. They can be abrupt sometimes (especially over the phone) and I can see how one might mistake that for rude, but I really think it's just because they're so busy. They're great people who deeply care about animals. As a proud Austinite who is a little disgruntled by all the recent changes in our city, this place feels like Old Austin to me. It makes me really happy to walk in the door and interact with such a down-to-earth people. My only complaint would be that they don't open until 10:30 and they close early on Wednesdays (but of course they work so hard when they're open that they definitely deserve the breaks). A few times in emergencies I've had to to go to different vets just because they happened to be closed when I needed them. And going to these different vets is what made me realize just how lucky I am that my dear cat is a patient of theirs. read more

Amazing vets, great place, great folks !! Always doing the job in a careful and expert manner, and for less than most ! read more

boooooo!!!!!! called in about getting my dog caught up on shots and was immediately cut off by the 'receptionist' asking if i was an existing client?? before i could respond she again interrupted me to let me know they hadn't taken new clients in 35 years. OK, that's great!!!!...here's an idea.....remove your info from any site which references vet services? CANNOT stand RUDE customer service!!!...especially from old people that always complain about younger generations lacking manners. POT, MEET KETTLE! read more

Today Annie of Hyde park animal Clinic without fanfare or hesitation reached into my kitty's mouth and pulled chunks of plaque off his teeth! She's pretty amazing ! Old customer and so glad! read more

Exceptional! I won the lottery with getting this clinic for my family of dogs and cats.

We have a new puppy and used to go to a vet's office up north. Now we live in Hyde Park and thought we take the puppy to a place right around the corner. I was in for an unpleasant surprise. They don't take new clients because it's a 'walk in' only basis. This to me is seemingly due to laziness, because it appears that the only Dr. there is the front desk person too. Not only is she taking calls, writing on charts, but seeing the animals too! In addition, they 'don't take credit cards'. This is out of an effort to save money because cc companies take a percentage of what gets charged on them. That's cheap and inconvenient in our modern world. The worst of it is: not only does the office offensively smell like dog/cat piss, it is dirty, unorganized and really needs a 'spring cleaning'. Also, the employee wreaked like cigarettes. I was put on 'the wait' list and promptly walked to my car and left. When I was contacted by the front desk person/Vet, I told her I was put off by the condition of her office and she said 'looks like you need to find another vet'. I told her 'I already have, thanks!' I made an appointment with our old vet immediately. Guess it's well worth the drive. So, I was never a client there, but based on the odor/condition of the office, the disorganization and 'old school' (cheap) way of doing business, I would never, ever do business with these folks. I am quite frankly surprised they are even still in business. In my opinion, the people who do give good reviews are either friends/family or live like hoarders or something and are apparently unable to notice the condition of this office. If I walked in to a human doctor's office, I would have had the same response. Blech...... read more

These folks have cared for my pets and those of my children for many years. They are compassionate and expert. They are reasonable and work with me on payment for the occassional "my daughter is bringing the cat in, can you put it on my bill." situation. My animals live to be old and do so in good health. Can't ask for anything better. The clinic does limit new humans, but you can ask to be put on a waiting list. (At least I've heard tell of this wonderful occurrence.) No credit cards may be inconvenient for some but keeps the cost down for all. Anne is indeed the hardest working person in vet medicine, but she isn't the Vet. There are two vets there and they are anything but lazy. Keep up the great work. read more

Never visited this place despite living down the road for 10 years with a boxer. i have tried to add him to their elite roster of patients for years, to no avail. What kinda business has no interest in additional clientele? Why not hire another vet? Are all the pets on their roster going to live forever? And they're rude as hell about it too.! Why even have a business listing? read more

I almost feel mean writing this glowing review because, due to the decades of loyal customers, they no longer accept new (human) clients. They are the best: knowledgeable, compassionate, patient, incredibly reasonably priced. They have seen me through the lives of my animals, with all the joy and sorrows. Bless you! read more

The people here are the best! They are very knowledgeable and have genuine care for the animals. You and your pet are seen as yourselves, not a price tag. I wouldn't chose another clinic to care for our furry family members period. A few things that should be noted. They do not take new patients. (a review suggested they should be removed from yelp and the like but that makes no sense, people who do use the clinic need to have access to their information just like any other business.) They also do CASH or check only which is fine and keeps things like bill payments simple. They also do not do x-rays etc so for bigger procedures your pet will need to go somewhere else. As said before, they are the best and I feel blessed to be able to trust them with the care of our furry family members. read more

I am one of the fortunate ones who have been a client of this wonderful clinic since the 1980s and want to commend Joyce, Ann and David for their compassionate and excellent care of all the pets I have had over the years! The two vets are excellent and Joyce (Dr Taylor) is particularly caring, and Ann, the amazing vet tech, might as well be a vet herself, she is so knowledgeable! I cant say enough good things about them - tho, as others have mentioned, they are full up and cant take new clients, so I feel bad recommending... but i just had to tell Austin what a treasure this clinic is, and how great the medical professionals are here! read more

The veterinary staff are highly compassionate, dedicated, thorough and no fuss. The same veterinarians that opened Hyde Park Animal Hospital are still at the helm and have been in business since the 1970s. My family has had many pets and all have been well cared for here. As I look at what other vets charge for similar services and how profit-driven they are, I am happy to drive all the way across town to bring my pets here and know they are getting top notch care. read more

They always remember my name and my pets when I stop by. I get great service and really appreciate the concern they show for my animals. They always take the time to explain my options and what they recommend and why for treatments, vaccines, food, etc. read more

While I'm sure they give good care, since they "haven't taken on new clients since the 80s", they were super rude on the phone. After they told me that, they said, "So, good luck finding someone." When I asked if they had any recommendations since I'm new in town they said, "No." and ended the call. Seems they could at least have a couple names to give people out of general courtesy. read more

Nita: since your review begins "I've never actually been to this clinic... ", I don't think you can imagine the level of mutual rapport, respect & confidence established among the staff, clients and pets here. I wish these vets were MY doctors. read more

We have used Hyde Park Animal Clinic since 1980 with all our pets. I can't say enough good things about this "clinic family". The 2 vets and the tech are all very caring intelligent individuals. Only one time did I go somewhere else because I thought well maybe another vet could help my dying standard poodle who had cancer and I did not want to accept the diagnosis. Going to another vet was a mistake on my part, the outcome was the same,I spent alot more money and regretted ever going elsewhere. That is the only time my pets have been anywhere else and never will I make that decision again. Hyde Park goes all out to care for pets and it is very obvious they are in the business because they care for the animals. I definitely give them a 5 star rating. read more

In the late 70s, I took a neighbor's kitten to an emergency vet after she got hit by a car. The ER vet said there would have to be extensive and expensive surgery which I could not afford at the time. I took Sugarfoot to Hyde Park where Dr. Shook put a pin in her hip, charged me very little, and she became my cat and lived in my house for 20 years. I took countless feral and semi-feral cats from Travis State School for neutering and vaccinating to Hyde Park in the 80s and 90s to get control of the cat population boom out there and help guard against a possible although unlikely rabies epidemic. For $35 each (YES $35!!), they spayed/neutered and vaccinated every cat. They charge pretty much the same now, although almost all other vets will charge over $200 per cat and charged exorbitant rates, too, in the 80s and 90s. None of those cats had any complications following their surgeries. 10 of them I brought home where 3 are still living out long lives. Grey Baby was a wild kitten at Travis who got into a car engine. I took her to Hyde Park and asked Dr. Shook to put her to sleep because she appeared to be so badly injured as well as covered in mud and fire ant bites. He said, "I think I can save this kitten." I remember his words like they were yesterday. Grey Baby was on IV s, had stitches, was spayed and vaccinated. Her cage had a note on it, "Caution, very WILD". She was a difficult patient to handle. After a month she was well and I went to pick her up, expecting an enormous bill. Dr. Shook said that there was no charge because I had brought her in to be put down, and it was his decision to try to save her. Grey Baby lived to 19 years of age. All of the folks at this clinic put the welfare of the animals FIRST and not their own income. They enable poor people to have pets and keep their pets healthy. They have made an enormous dent in pet over-population. Dr Shook, Dr. Taylor and Anne are GREAT people. If other vets really cared about over-population and keeping animals healthy, they would reduce their fees, especially for neutering/spaying. Note* My review was filtered. According to Yelp's website, Yelp filters reviews 'to protect consumers and business owners from fake, shill or malicious reviews.' I don't know why Yelp believes that my review meets that criteria. I probably know more about the veterinary care at this hospital than ANYBODY, and took cats and a couple of dogs to them for decades. I do not have a personal relationship with any of the employees and they certainly did not ask me to write a review. I wrote it after reading the negative reviews submitted by people who have never used the services at this clinic. I wonder why these 2 negative reviews were not filtered?? Maybe Yelp has its own agenda. read more

I've never actually been to this clinic, but my encounters with them have been less than pleasant. They do not accept any new clients, but if you became a client in at some point in the past when they were accepting clients, then you are a client for life. One of my friends was a client of theirs back in the late 80s or 90s. Elroy was having mild diarrhea everyday and I was getting really concerned. I had taken him to several vets-one indicated that he had some sort of rare parasite after examining his fecal matter and two others said nothing was wrong with him. After taking some really expensive meds that the first vet had prescribed, he still had the diarrhea. Because my friend said Hyde Park Animal Clinic offers low cost services, he said to take my pet there and just said it's his dog. So, I tried calling them and I believe they suggested I go elsewhere sorta rudely. They were fine with me taking in a pet for one of their clients, but they just didn't want to offer the service for some reason. I brushed it off and didn't think anything of it and decided he didn't need to see the vet since 3 had said he was fine. When something else came up, I decided to give them a second try and they refused to see me because they said that my friend had been incredibly rude to them when he was there recently and slammed the door when he left-this did not happen, as my friend had not been there any time recently, so they clearly had confused my friend with someone else. They were adamant that it was my friend who had done that and refused to acknowledge that they may be mistaken. read more

I am one of those incredibly lucky clients that got "in" in the 1980's. Joyce and Ann are the best and I cannot say enough great things about them. They have taken the best care of my family's pets: Pepper, Whiskers, Chelsea, Lily, Molly, Baci and Olive over the last 25 years. Through each health crisis they remained professional and supportive. They were always emotionally available when the difficult decision had to be made about assisting a sick and dying pet in crossing to the other side. They treat your pets like their own. I've always felt secure entrusting them with the care of my furry babies. read more

Not one person who gave Hyde Park Animal Clinic a one-star Yelp review knows a dang thing about the service that Hyde Park Animal Clinic provides their clients. I know from 35 years' experience that these guys know what the hell they're doing. Straight shooters, too. read more

I left after decades when my elderly dog with a heart murmur and cough was diagnosed with kennel cough. The medicine I was given made her much worse. Sad but I love my dogs. Fine for vaccinations. read more

The internet can be a very angry place. I don't understand why comments turn ugly so fast. HPAC currently has one vet and one assistant. The assistant answers the phone, gets patient records, takes payment, gets medication, administers medication, takes care of animals in the back, cleans up after our animals and probably 20 other things. Not surprising that she has limited time for phone calls. She is actually a very nice person. Every small service business has to make a choice when deciding how to provide service. A dermatologist told me they could schedule me in 6 months (my rash would be long gone), several doctors were not taking new patients, and one doctor overscheduled so badly that I was seen 2 hours after my appointment time. HPAC chose not to grow, so they only had two choices - They could take any and all clients and get overloaded. Eventually enough people would be pissed off by bad service that the load would reduce to a manageable level. Or, they could make good service a priority and limit the number of clients to a number that they could reasonably service. They made the second choice. It is disappointing if you want to be a new client, but understandable. I became a "new client" by marrying a woman who has been going to HPAC since the 70's. I recommend that approach... These are dedicated care givers. Please don't punish them for that. read more

HEELLOOO-they don't accept clients because they're so damn good that they are ALWAYS overbooked. Older clients keep sending their new pets to them. I love their down to earth approach and their down to earth fees. read more

The folks at Hyde Park have been part of the family for years, offering good health care to all of our dogs and cats, gosh, since the mid-70's! They are very reasonably priced (read: cheap) and offer care that is competent, compassionate, and timely (read: walk in, no appointments). What they don't offer is really sophisticated scans, etc. Which is perfect for those of us who love our animals but don't have the resources for huge vet bills And yes, Dane and Nita (providing very negative reviews, while never having received services here), they aren't accepting new cients. read more

Hyde Park Animal Clinic is just one of the many reasons Austin is the best places in the world to live. Affordable, kind, and compassionate, Joyce and Ann are totally, and only, about the animals in their care. I was lucky to bring my animals there back in the dark ages when Austin really was a small town... the waiting room was often an animal party! Over the years they have taken care of many of my rescued cats, and when the difficult times come, and pets have to be put to sleep, they are incredibly supportive. I am sorry they no longer take new clients, but truly, it feels like family when I go in there. Only the old die hards are left, and I'm so grateful that they have continued to keep the clinic open. read more