I have an older diabetic dog and I had a lot of trouble finding a good vet. I went to 2 different private equity owned vets and they were terrible. Lake's vet was the opposite in every way. They don't try to up sell you on unnecessary procedures, they don't spend 20-30min going over every imperfection in your dog hoping you'll order a test, they only charge a slight markup on medicines over what online pharmacies do (the private equity places were charging more than double), etc. They provide good straight forward competent care not focused on squeezing every last dollar with extras. One particular incident that incited me to leave my last vet was they pressured me multiple times to bring him in for an overnight visit simply to monitor his glucose curve. This was after him being on insulin for 8 months with no incidents and well control fructosamine levels. We had already done a 12 hour glucose curve when he first went on the insulin. I explained to him that he is a very old blind dog and would not do well being in their facility for over 12 hours over night and considering we had a curve and a history of how he was doing on his dosage I couldn't see the point. But they wouldn't stop pressuring me to do it. I don't mind them padding the bill with extra tests or charging more for whatever, I was just concerned with getting my dog care. But if they were going to pressure me into something that would cause him stress or harm for something they made clear to me was just their blanket policy and that was all that was behind it I was out. Lake's vet has never done this and is willing to work with me on what would be best for the dog over corporate policy designed to maximize the money they make off of him. The techs are also very good. My dog cant have blood drawn from his paws so we have to get it from his neck. Previously I had vet techs who were either too rough with my dog or too tentative allowing him to fight and struggle, both of which made the experience more stressful than it needed to be. The techs at lake's were very quick and firm with holding him, but not rough or in a way that stressed him, but they also didn't give him wiggle room to struggle and it made the whole process go very smoothly. They were also good at giving reassurance after to keep his stress down. I can't recommend them enough. read more

I went one time with my older dog. all the Vet wanted to do was focus on extraction of his teeth. I had to ask him to please take his temperature and also asked him to weigh my dog. for a first visit I would have thought this would have been a normal protocol so they could establish a baseline. I left very disappointed for having to pay for nothing.. and then the same Vet was arrested a week later for sexual harassment of an employee...and same Vet works there today... so many other very caring Vet's in Branford, go elsewhere!! read more

My dogs have gotten great care at Lakes Veterinary for several years. We're very happy with Dr. Malek.

I have been taking my other dogs here since they were babies. We absolutely love Dr. Malek. In specific, he and his team had to perform emergency surgery on my 1 year old puppy who had gotten into the trash and ate a lot of garbage. They were able to take him in first thing in the morning, called us during the process, and took the best care of our boy Armani. Thank you to the team for always taking care of our kids. read more

Lakes Veterinary Services - Veterinarians Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

My pets have always been very well taken care of and Dr. Malek and how whole staff have been extremely gentle and competent. I've brought 2 cats and one large dog with chronic ear infections due to food allergy. Yes, he's less expensive, and he's also great with my pets. read more

I was in a jam and needed a last minute urgent care appointment for my dog Teddy and our regular vet was booked up. They referred us to Lakes. I called this morning and they were able to squeeze Teddy in today. The woman that I spoke to on the phone was friendly and helpful. The staff when we got there was also friendly and helpful. Dr Malek was very friendly and gentle with Teddy. I felt like he was through. His vet techs were great with Teddy as well. We were in and out pretty quickly but it didn't feel rushed. Teddy is on the mend. I would use Lakes again if needed. read more

Police said Dut Malek, 57, who owns Lakes Animal Services, is accused of touching and kissing an employee while she was cleaning surgery equipment. He is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and is scheduled to appear Aug. 22 in state Superior Court in New Haven. Malek is free on a promise to appear in court. According to the affidavit, a woman reported to police on July 10 that Malek had sexually assaulted her at work that day. The incident began when she was cleaning equipment and Malek asked her about what type of men she finds attractive, the woman said, according to the affidavit. She responded negatively when Malek next asked to hug her, according to the affidavit. A short time later, Malek stood behind her, put his hands on her shoulders and moved them around her body, touching her genital area and her breasts, and kissing her neck, according to the affidavit. Afterward, Malek apologized and told the woman not to tell anyone, the affidavit said. Police spoke with the woman and her mother a few days later, when the mother revealed that she'd confronted Malek with the accusations and recorded the conversation, the affidavit said. In the recording, Malek apologized to the victim's mother and admitted that what he'd done was wrong, according to the affidavit. Her daughter had enjoyed working there and now her dreams were crushed, the victim's mother said. Police said two female employees who were working at the office at the time said they had not seen or experienced any sexual misconduct at the facility. A former employee told police she worked at the practice until May when she left because of how she was treated, according to the affidavit. She said Malek once touched her buttocks and tried to kiss her while they were in his office, and made comments about having a sexual relationship, according to the affidavit. The investigating officer informed the woman that what Malek had done to her was a crime, the affidavit said. A man who resigned from his job as animal handler after hearing of the accusations said he witnessed Malek make inappropriate comments to female employees and customers, such as telling them that they needed a "sugar daddy," according to the affidavit. Another former employee, who resigned in July, said Malek had made inappropriate comments to her, and touched her in a manner that made her uncomfortable, the affidavit stated. read more

Very happy with the care my cat received service was compassionate , quick and my animal was relaxed all through his exam. I look forward to continuing all my animals care there. read more

The Dr was great when he met our Velma for the first time, his professionalism and kindness towards his patients is remarkable...

Always happy with the service. Friendly staff and great with my dogs. Highly recommend

Phenomenal. Staff was so nice and booked my Willie pug the next day and I'm a new patient! You can go in with your pet, which is a BIG plus these days and Dr. Malek is so kind and funny. I am so pleased with everything about my experience! read more

DR MALEK VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSED MY ANXIOUS DOG. THIS PLACE ONLY HAS GOOD REVIEWS BECAUSE IT IS MORE AFFORDABLE THAN OTHER VETS. I know this is a long review but bear with me if you care about the safety and wellbeing of your pet. My dog gets anxious around new people and places, and especially with men. I am absolutely disgusted by how Dr. Malek treated our dog. He should have never gone into this field. If we could have, we would have brought him in on anxiety medication but unfortunately he still gets anxious on medication. Our dog did fine with his shots but as soon as they tried to get blood from him, he started to get anxious. I even warned them about what his triggers are. We also called and stated that he was an anxious dog and nervous around men prior to the visit. Our dog has never gotten get aggressive ever, even when he gets anxious. He just flails, tries to runaway, and cries. Regardless, we still had a muzzle on him so there was no chance he would hurt anyone. Our dog began to cry and flail and Dr. Malek began to scream at him, making him more scared. He was so scared he pooped on the table. Our dog also had a choke chain on (we NEVER, pull it ourselves, we just have it so our dog doesn't pull on his own). Dr. Malek AGGRESSIVELY and FORCEFULLY started pulling on the choke chain while screaming at him to sit. When our dog got off the table, Dr Malek was telling us how horribly trained our dog is. (My sister is literally a certified dog trainer. He was only like this because he was terrified.) Dr Malek started pulling on the choke chain once again, harder, pushed his butt to the floor, continually screamed at him to sit until our dog had all the body language of a scared dog. His ears were back, he was cowering, and his tail was curled so far between his legs. I've never seen him so scared in his life. As soon as Dr. Malek gave the leash back to my sister, my dog immediately ran away and hid behind her legs. How can you be a vet and not understand dog body language?!? Dr. Malek likely made our dog even more anxious and setback his positive reinforcement training. We are never bringing any of our pets back here and you shouldn't either. The low price is not worth the horrible treatment of your animals. After the visit, my dad called and one of the three women who was in the room with us said that Dr. Malek was only trying to "teach us how to discipline the dog." It is not his dog and that is not his place. Instead, he could have verbally said how he thinks we should train the dog, not demonstrate it. He didn't even bother to ask how we train our dog and take that into consideration. He just assumed we didn't train him at all, which is not true. The woman on the phone said they would call my dad back and never did. We are not the only ones with horrible experiences here. My cousin brought her cat in to be euthanized and he treated my cousin with zero empathy and compassion. My cousin needed to rush to the vet from her job 30 min away from the office to be with her 20 year old cat in his final moments. Dr. Malek was openly rude to her because he wanted to go home. This is all about Dr. Malek, not any of the other staff. Although I wish the three other women in the room with us could have said something, I understand why they didn't and know that they need to keep their jobs. I hope they can find a better place to work at one day than for the absolute disgrace of a vet Dr. Malek is. read more

On October 4th 2023 at 5:54pm I had to do the worst and have my cat who I had for 22 years put down. The vet stayed past their closing time for me to be able to get there with my cat which I'm grateful for, but the reason for my dissatisfaction with the doctor is the fact that he was doing everything in his power to not have to stay late, including asking my mother if they could FaceTime me while I was driving from Madison to Branford while they put my cat down. When I did get there which was fast given where I was traveling from He was very condescending and rude. I was already upset due to the fact that my cat is dying but to add insult to injury when I got there the dr looked at me and said again in a condescending tone " I'm glad you got here safe, would have hated for an accident to happen delaying this even longer" I'd bet money on it my safety was not of his concern. if my cat wasn't laying on the table actively dying more so trying not to die because he refused to die with out me next to him I would've said something. I was so shocked at the lack of compassion coming from him as he was amazing in 2022 when I had to put my other cat down due to kidney failure. I need to add the vet tech that was there with him was such a peach. I can not remember her name for the life of me but if she sees this thank you for having the compassion he was clearly lacking. If you want a dr who lacks compassion this is the one. Yeah they may be the cheepest around but at what cost? He made me more stressed out in an already stressful situation and my cat was 100% stressed out at the fact that I was stressed out as he was dying. If this is the experience you want to go through along with your animal you've got the right place. My guy and I deserved so much better as do you and your pet. read more

Lakes Veterinary Services - Cat - Veterinarians Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

Absolute worse Vet's office in town, hands down!!!! Not only did they kill my 11 month old kitten, Gina also takes it upon herself to make unauthorized charges on pet owners debit cards. No one reaches out via phone or mail to ask permission to use my debit card that she apparently keeps on file. It's a shame that among the community they are so known for being an awful vet and money hungry. I have heard multiple stories of errors made to pets within that office that have left pet owners heartbroken from their beloved pets going there and then having to be put down. If you love your animal find a better place to bring them. Don't risk losing their lives or them stealing money out of your bank account!!! read more

The receptionists will tell you results of your pets tests as negative for parasites then the Dr will call later in the day and tell you the receptionist was wrong. It was told to us by 2 different receptionists and 2 different fecal tests. The Vet calls and says my pet has parasites and needs meds. Also needs a fecal test 3 to 4 times to get a good result. Meds cause more problems and then needs a different medicine and another check up. This goes on for months. Finally I said no more meds. Changing vets. read more

Dr. Malek is the best vet I have ever met. His passion and kindness are very obvious and his staff are just as nice and professional. I brought Zelda, who is out 6 year old Weimardoodle today. It was her first time to a vet for anything other than shots and spay. Tomorrow we will be bringing our 15 year old Silky Terrier, Teddy. It is always good to meet very nice people who love what they do. I highly recommend Lakes Veterinary Services! read more

after switching from millpond to lakes it did not take long to see they were no better.we took our beagle in on a thursday and seen the most rude and un caring dr ashley.she took ex-rays and basically told us she was dying of cancer.well after 2 weeks of searching we found a vet who would remove the tumors on the spleen and found NO CANCER...our baby is doing great..if we listened to dr ashley the tumors could of burst causing a lot of pain a death..the only contact we got from lakes was not hows the pup doing was you owe us 65 dollars for a test we never ordered or asked for..seems to me they like millpond dont really care about the fur babies but its all about the money...we now have a new vet for all 3 of our fur babies... read more

Very kind, professional, animal care. Dr. Malek has figured out a safe and socially distanced way to allow you to be with your pets as he is caring for them. Quite pleased with level of care, and concern for my pets. The staff listens, and is responsive. Thank you, Lakes Veterinary Services! read more

I had to put my 8 month old kitten down due to error in spaying. Too painful for me to ever return there.

Dr Malek and the staff at Lakes is the Best! So kind and caring. Wouldn't take our girl any other place! We LOVE Dr Malek!

This place is a Godsend. I woke up on a Sunday to find my cat sick and in pain. Having recently moved to CT from CA, I was at a loss, blindly Googling vets. I'm so lucky I came across Lakes. Caroline was utterly patient with me, even though I called back about 5 times, unsure what to do. She was able to get me in immediately on a Sunday, and she couldn't have been kinder. From the moment I met Dr, Malek, I knew my cat was in good hands. He is highly skilled and has a wonderful bedside manner, putting both my cat and myself at ease. They were able to get us in the next day for the procedure my cat needed. The prices are reasonable, and the care is thorough and excellent. My cat is doing just fine now, all thanks to Dr. Malek and Caroline. I'm so grateful I found them. I will travel to continue to see Dr. Malek even if I move out of the area. read more