For some reason, Yelp has shoved all the FIVE-star reviews under "other reviews that are not…read morerecommended". Not fair Yelp. I live and breathe dogs. I foster, rescue and volunteer (at a different shelter) and have been to AofA several times with my dogs and cat. I find them to be a wonderful organization and low cost compared to my regular local vet. But their abilities are limited ... they are a clinic, not a hospital, so I go to my regular vet when needed as he can do surgeries on site. But AofA is improving and expanding as money is donated. AofA provides SO much for the community. Through low-cost spay/neuter clinics, adoption fairs and a farm animal sanctuary, they have been able to drop the local pound euthanasia rates drastically! AND they run a NO-KILL shelter! For those negative nellies, I suggest volunteering, if not at AofA, then your local shelter. Every place has room for improvement and maybe your contribution can help. My one negative, I HATE not being able to talk to a live person and having to leave a message on a machine. BUT they've saved too many animals for me to deduct a star for that.

Initial Review Written October 30, 2021: About a year ago, I adopted a wonderful shelter cat from…read moreAngels of Assisi, and I am a very proud cat dad. My primary care provider actually recommended adopting a cat to help manage my anxiety, and my cat has truly been a source of comfort for me. Unfortunately, a recent visit to AoA was extremely distressing. During the visit, a staff member accidentally dropped my cat's carrier, causing it to crack open. My cat escaped and ran down an embankment, eventually hiding along the side of the building. The staff member attributed the incident to a "faulty carrier," though the situation could have been avoided with more care. While several staff members and patrons assisted in trying to recover my cat, the situation escalated further when a dog attacked one of the staff members during the rescue attempt. Thankfully, with the help of other patrons, I was eventually able to recover my cat. The entire experience was frightening and emotionally overwhelming. What made this worse was how the situation was handled afterward. Despite everything that occurred, AoA attempted to charge me $30 for the visit. When I asked the Practice Manager, Allyson Joyce, whether I could be made whole given what had just happened, I was accused of trying to get a "free" visit. I was also told not to return. During this exchange, Ms. Joyce stated, "I bought my dogs," even though I do not own any dogs. When I later contacted the Director, Lisa O'Neill, I was met with the same accusation. I made it clear to both individuals that I do not have dogs and expressed concern over being misidentified and blamed in a situation where I had done nothing wrong. Instead of accountability or compassion following a traumatic incident, I felt dismissed and scapegoated. I adopted my cat from AoA with gratitude and good intentions, but this experience left me deeply disappointed. I believe organizations like this should prioritize safety, empathy, and accountability--especially when a pet owner and animal are put at risk. I'm sharing this review to keep the community informed and to encourage better practices in the future.

Awesome staff and top notch veterinarians. I've been taking my dogs and cats there since I moved to…read moreVirginia 15 years ago. I've never been disappointed . Highly recommend !

This is long, however, worth reading…read more I want to start by saying everyone here is extremely friendly. We have taken multiple animals here over the years and always had pleasant experiences. That being said, whenever we are there and there is an issue, I never feel we get clear guidance on what to do. It almost always seems like it's a list of things we can do and let us choose rather than professional recommendations. Almost like, how much money are you willing to spend while you take shots at fixing this? This really came to a head here recently when I feel diagnosing our puppy with kidney disease was poorly handled and almost mishandled in my opinion which has resulted in a 1.5 year dog having stage three kidney failure. After years of only having one dog, we decided to finally get another and we went and got an 8 week old Dalmatian puppy. Immediately we realized that he would not stop drinking water (to the point he would throw up) and had more frequent than normal accidents in the house. When bringing this up, we were told that they could do a blood test, however, he is too young to have kidney issues and it is most likely a disorder that makes him obsessed with water and he will grow out of it. We continued to bring this up on every visit and were told to limit his water and he would grow out of it. Finally, when we came in and he was around 1.5 years old, they decided to do blood work and found out he was in stage 3 kidney failure. They recommended an ultrasound and sterile urine sample which we did. Based on the findings they said he should immediately be put on antibiotics because something they found points to a possible infection and we were prescribed over $100 in antibiotics. It was also determined his bladder wasn't normal size and things seen on the kidneys point to issues. We were told time is of the essence and we had to get him on the antibiotics. They said special kidney food was important but never made it seem urgent. If they had, they would have tried to send it home with us that day. A couple days later they called and let us know an infection was not an underlying issue. Honestly, it seriously felt like it was about the money and not properly treating our dog. They then sent a referral to go to Virginia Tech to see a specialist. Virginia Tech would not be able to get us in until 9/25. Months later. This is where I really start to get aggravated. They claim every second matters but recommend us to a place that can't get us in for months. Luckily my wife knows a veterinarian and they refer us to a Specialist who is in Vinton and was an Internist/Professor at VT for over 20 years. He got us in the following week. Why in the world would Roanoke Animal Hospital not have referred us to him? There is absolutely no way they didn't know about him. Unfortunately, he did confirm Stage 3 Kidney failure and gave us some recommendations. One thing he said was that no matter what, we have to let him drink as much water as he wants. If not, it can start to cause issues with his organs. Because we do not have bloodwork from when Pongo was a puppy, I have not clue if he has always been in Stage 3 Kidney failure. That being said, what if he WASN'T? What if they had recommended we do blood work and we found out what was going on early and immediately did stuff to slow down the progression? How much damage has limiting his water for 1.5 years at the direction of the Vet done? Now my family has to deal with the fact that the puppy we love might only be alive until he is 3 or so. The ball was dropped. And I hope this really makes Roanoke Animal Hospital rethink things and take a much more proactive approach to stuff. Nothing can fix this, however, I hope this prevents another family from having to deal with the same heartbreak.

Hope was fantastic, and helped us understand why our dog was behaving poorly (9 month old lab…read morepuppy) and primarily taught us how to behave and train him.

My husband and I were very disappointed. Absolute waste of money and time. There's a reason they…read moredon't offer refunds. Poorly trained staff that are really just hobbyists with little to no understanding of dog behavior and training. Go literally anywhere else.

First of all: Courtney is an incredible person. Secondly, her empathy, intuition, and knowledge…read morehave been life-changing for our special needs blue heeler, Clementine. Clem is half blind & deaf, though this isn't the reason we initially contacted Courtney. At the time, we had adopted a beautiful boxer-pit mix, Juniper, to have as Clementine's companion. We adopted her from the Washington County animal shelter, and she was in bad condition, having 6-10 months of trauma in the first part of her life (we think she was bait in dog fights). She had to have emergency surgery, and after a few months, we decided we needed some professional help due to Juniper's reactivity with Clementine. With Courtney's guidance, we learned that our 2 dogs do not speak the same language. Courtney was initially willing to help us and our dogs learn and respect one another's languages. Over time, though, Juniper ended up attacking Clementine, and Courtney was with us every step of the way. She truly cares about the people and animals she works with. She immediately came up with a plan so we could figure out re-homing Juniper while keeping the two dogs separated in our home. She even searched for foster homes with us, and worked with the foster parent Juniper lived with for about a month until we found her forever home. Courtney is the best dog trainer I have ever met. Her compassion goes above and beyond, and her expertise is so valuable. I learn something new at every session! When I refer to her in conversation, I call her our "Dog Therapist", because she truly is. She can sense things about our dog that we don't even sense, in the smallest amount of time. If you're on the fence about hiring or consulting with Courtney, jump off and call her immediately! ‍‍

Courtney and Austin completely transformed my reactive, high energy, and sometimes anxious dog…read more They taught Barky and I both the skills we needed to make him a confident and gentle member of our family, and the perfect hiking buddy!

We have nothing but nice things to say about Debbie & her staff at Bigger Brain. Our Shepherd…read morecan't wait to get out of the car when we arrive & he is in no hurry to leave there. It is so nice to know the third member of our family is so well cared for. We never worry when we leave him there. Archer let's us that he is happy to be there. Hats off to Debbie. We couldn't be happier. Thank you so much.

I am VERY particular about where my dog boards. The Bigger Brain exceeded my expectations. They…read morewere very accommodating and my dog had a blast! I'll definitely board her here again!

Amazing, great staff, great dogs, great people in general. All the way around would recommend. A…read morebusiness that starts from 7am and ends at 7pm! so my dog has lots of time to get all that energy out!, very flexible hours and reasonable prices. Dogs are trained and worked with very well. 100% recommend. Love the owner as well as the employees. Always felt so welcoming entering the field of dreams. Love love love!

Thank you, Karen for reaching out to me yesterday. I appreciate our conversation and resolving this…read moreissue. We absolutely love bringing the puppy to your place and supporting the businesses in Vinton

Where do we begin with providing a proper client review of such a WONDERFUL and WELCOMING…read morehome-away-from-home for your beloved furry family members, and where you will be a returning client? Is it with the: 1) CARING and KNOWLEDGEABLE client/pet-oriented family Team; or, 2) WELCOMING and INDIVIDUAL luxury boarding suites and adjacent fenced exercise areas; or 3) CALMING and RELAXING clean air environment and walking trails set in the Blue Ridge Mountain region????? As "parents" of two shelter-rescue Rottweilers [Cola (f) and Moose (m)], in early 2024 we were in need of the "purrfect" boarding team and environment as we prepared for an March/April trip to Europe. Significant considerations included the facts that neither pet was very social, nor had ever been apart from us or away from home. To say we had anxiety about this issue is an understatement; but then, we found Miriam and her family-based team at Shady Mountain Pet Retreat in Amherst, VA. Our initial engagement was so successful we returned recently for 2 weeks in October when we attended a family wedding. Below is our attempt to inform accordingly so you may also experience such joy...... Firstly, the TEAM: No business can operate to its highest degree of precision absent having the highest caliber TEAM to execute flawlessly and achieve such performance. Factor into the pet-boarding business equation is the fact that our pets are beloved family members and we strive to entrust their training and care to the most qualified and caring professionals of integrity in the safest environment. Have no concerns on this front, as Miriam and her family are the highest caliber cohesive TEAM who exceed client (and furry guest) expectations. From the moment we engaged with Miriam, we knew we made the purrfect choice. Miriam listened to us and understood our concerns, and suggested an initial meet and greet with Cola and Moose. We eagerly made the 2-hour drive from Mineral, VA to meet Miriam, who is a well-accomplished author and expert in the field of animal behavior, training and care; and her clients and their pets are the direct beneficiaries. I stress the fact Miriam listened to our concerns and provided insightful information facilitating our collective best-informed decision to entrust Cola and Moose with her for a 1-month board and train period during our upcoming trip. I assure you that we did not have any guilt-based regrets as we departed on drop-off day of either of our two visits to date (March/April and then October). You can trust that Miriam sincerely wants you and your pet(s) to be happy, comfortable and free of any stress, emphasizing her positive reinforcement approach which serves as the corner stone of Shady Mountain Pet Retreat. You can even follow your pet's daily adventures through various updates Miriam posts thoughtfully on social media and her website: https://www.shadymountainpetretreat.net/ Secondly (but equally), the BOARDING SUITES/EXERCISE AREAS: Discard any concerns you may have that you will find institutional-style stress creating chain link fence-type boarding "cages" or rooms at Shady Mountain Pet Retreat. Rather, at Shady Mountain your family member will reside in a very comfortable, climate-controlled individualized roomy suite, separated by solid walls from neighboring guests. A raised off-the-floor style pet bed is a plus to afford more comfort while resting. The suite doors have a full length glass window (with drop blind as needed) so residents can watch the daily "office" activities, and a rear-exit pet door leading out to the fenced in exercise area. Each guest enjoys their own supply storage cubby which facilitates the management of feedings, etc. External fenced in exercise areas are divided into separate sections which permits greater staff flexibility for training, etc. See website for all the other possibilities for your pet's stay: https://www.shadymountainpetretreat.net/ Lastly (but equally), the clean air mountain ENVIRONMENT and WALKING TRAILS: As you ascend Shady Mountain to reach the Retreat, you will be filled with a calming and serene sense, taking in the peaceful natural Amherst, VA environment. Cola and Moose love taking in all the smells of nature as we drive up the mountain. Peaceful and calming are the words we would use to describe this environment. If pet appropriate, Miriam's team can take your loved-one on nature walks through trails in the surrounding landscape, with the potential to see deer and other varieties of wildlife. Cola and Moose told us they so enjoyed these nature walks on their most recent visit. We conclude our review by recommending, with the highest regards, the Shady Mountain Pet Retreat, Miriam and her team. At the Shady Mountain Pet Retreat all three elements of knowledgeable and caring people, well-apportioned boarding/training facilities and a serene environment combine to provide the most wonderful and trusting of experiences. Thank you!!

As someone who's worked in canine behavior and training for years, finding a place I will entrust…read morewith my dogs is no easy feat. Now that I've found Shady Mountain I may never leave Virginia. Miriam is the real deal. Besides l the numerous books she's published on dog behavior and training the facility is perfect. It's set up impeccably, has appropriately strict health screening for entry and the services on site are too notch. I left my dogs for their first stay and walked away with ease and comfort knowing they are in the best of hands. It's worth every penny and then some.

As I was preparing for shoulder surgery and wondering what I would do with my dogs I stumbled…read moreacross dog leaders. After talking with Charles in length about his training style and what he offered I felt like it was a good fit. He took my dogs in during the crucial part of my healing process and worked with them daily. My pups are great, but they were super excited and didn't have many manners. Even in a sling and only able to use one arm, their first few walks were great!! They listened to me, very minimal pulling that was easily correct (most times with a verbal correction), and they were able to ignore distractions. I am very pleased with the work he put in and highly recommend his services.