Let me start by saying Everyone was so nice, the 3 stars is mostly attributed to that. Customer Service is on point. I took my puppy there because he wouldn't eat then I noticed worms in his poop and I figured he might need a vet. It was the weekend and no other vets would take him until the middle of the following week so i went to the Refferal center in Berkeley as a last resort. The exam itself was over $100. Then when they gave me the rundown of things he "needed" it was this extensive list of craziness. They literally gave me a bill that added up to $900. I had to take the most urgent treatments like the dewormer and some ear medication and schedule an appointment with Evergreen Pet Clinic (much easier and cheaper) family vet for follow-up. The family vet re-examined him and found that some of the things the referral center said were necessary were not. The vet started his regular puppy vaccines, gave him another type of dewormer as a precaution and extended his ear treatment and gave him an allergy shot. All of These things cost less than $200. They were also very knowledgeable and helpful with minor pet education, like they explained everything to you and and answer all your questions. I definitely felt a lot less green to pet ownership and not so anxious lol I don't think I'll go back to the referral center unless in case of extreme emergency or something. I feel like they tried to sell me stuff I didn't need because I was so worried and I told them I was new to being a pet owner, and had I more money at the time I probably would have gullibly gone for it. I do appreciate the staff being nice and caring for him while he was there all day. They didn't let me come in with him due to COVID, and when I picked him up I could tell he had been loved on at least a little by the nurse who helped him. He barely wanted to leave Lol read more

PETS Referral Center - My Baby - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

My dog woke up on a Saturday morning with a giant bulge on her leg. I called my vet and they had an outgoing message that said go to Pet referral center. They don't work on Saturdays anymore. So I took her there and I got there about four and I waited until about seven because her situation was not as emergent as many of the other dogs who came in. So around 7 o'clock when I was starting to feel Hengrui, they said they would put her in a crate until they could see her and they would call me when they were done so I went home my partner cooked me dinner and I got better. And around midnight they called us to say she was ready to go home. I was pretty pleased to see that she was dozy but not in pain or freaked out anymore and for vet bills these days it wasn't an arm and a leg. Couple of fingers maybe... and she seem to recover quite well. And they seem to like her. Unusual since she's a Basenji. I would give five stars but the fact that I sat there with my freaked out dog arms for three hours and I just recently personally had a knee replacement, it was just hard sitting in there for that long when everybody else who came in got to go first. it's good to know that there's a place to take your dogs on the weekends and that you can trust them to do their best work. The only caveat to that is that maybe an hour or two earlier they could've said will put her in a crate and will call you when she's done. Also, the people at the front desk were incredibly lovely. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

It has now been on three separate occasions that I had to take my beloved doggy to the emergency vet. I ended up at this one the first couple of times because no other Emergency hospital had room for a new pet patient. The third time I just stuck with them because they already had my dog in the system and it was easy. I do have to give it to them for always being available even when no one else is. My dog is alive and well so he has obviously been taken care of on those visits. My review is with mixed feelings only because of the variety in quality of interaction with vet each time. First, I should say that the vet techs are always amazing and super friendly. They take time with me, never make me feel like I'm a bother, and generally go above and beyond. All vets here provide acceptable care and there are a couple who are excellent. There's a young slim man with dark brown hair who is exceptional. (Can't remember his name). He gave us excellent care with authentic concern and also sincere desire to find the best treatment within my financial ability. He never questioned me, he went straight to practical solutions. I wish I could feel this safe and cared for with all vets and human practice doctors as well. Unfortunately an anomaly, I have developed extreme anxiety about interacting with medical care professionals from a dominant history of unpleasant experiences. Here's my complaint about this particular clinic: as someone who is on a relatively low budget for the San Francisco Bay area, I feel there is a lack of compassion and even a sense of shaming for having to pass on some of the recommended tests and treatments. These visits are very expensive- very expensive. I've never left there without spending at least $500. That is A LOT of money for me. When I decline, expensive tests and services that aren't completely necessary and out of financial necessity, I have been responded to with a sense of judgement and shaming. This is something that is infuriating to me. I get the feeling that there's an unspoken belief that pets are only for the privileged and wealthy. This is something I have experienced specifically in the San Francisco Bay area. I actually started taking my beloved dog to UC Davis small animal clinic for his regular care after catching onto this feeling one too many times. It's really been worth the drive as the care is phenomenal, without judgement, and with flexibility to adjust treatment accordingly for budget. At PETS there is one vet in particular that uses fear tactics to shame the lack of funds. The person may not be aware of the tactics as they probably don't know what it's like to sit on my end. They likely don't understand the anxiety of literally spending every penny available to me at that visit and wishing I had the means to not worry. Maybe they just think I'm cheap ‍ Though when I say lack of funds, I mean I'm spending $500 rather than $750. That's me spending half my rent for my dog because I'd do anything for him. I'm not a negligent animal abuser who just doesn't care to have the extra tests. I'm a hard working Bay Area native trying to survive in this grimy hell of disparity. I home cook my dog's food, cater to his every subtle need, and NEVER leave him for more than 3 hours a day though most days he's with me the entire 24 hours. He is an extremely loved dog who receives an exceeding amount of attention compared to most situations- people who leave their pets at home for 10 hours a day so they can make all that money that makes a good pet owner in the eyes of the vet. This is something I've actually experienced in most offices here in the East Bay so it's not specific to PETS. However, the shaming fear tactics are super anxiety producing when the nerves are already on alert from an emergency visit. In conclusion, I'm grateful for the care I've received. However, I plead with the vets to have more compassion and flexibility (not in cost but in practical solutions) with normal income people who deserve the sweet love of an animal just as much as the now standard ultra privileged wealthy Bay Area residents. That's all and I'm sure this review will irritate people who are tired of the P word but you know what?! Shit is real for Bay Area natives who didn't arrive here for $5million dollar tech jobs. Privilege is real. I wish for one day of every week, we all got to transfer consciousness into someone else's body, mind, life experience so we could truly understand and enact compassion. Until then- I want to end with gratitude for the vets at PETS who kept my dog alive. Whether sweet or salty , you kept my dog alive and I thank you for that. read more

PETS Referral Center - My sweet boy alive and well - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

The business owner replies we will do better! You guys killed my pet and gave me a dead body. I left multiple calls to discuss what happened with your upper management and no one has returned my calls! read more

Lousy customer service. Impossible to get an answer by phone and calls never returned.

Thank you so much to the staff at PETS Referral Center! It's been challenging for us to get an appointment with a vet over the past couple weeks and I couldn't be happier that we were able to get in here once our dog's situation turned into more of an emergency. We filled out the online form and then came on-site to the location. We waited about 20-30 minutes for them to check our dog's vitals and assess the severity of her situation (the more severe, the greater priority). Her situation wasn't too sever so they took down our phone number and allowed us to wait at home until the vet was ready to see her to fully assess her. We went home and we're called back in about 3 hours later. We then waited around 45 minutes and then they got her in to be looked at. The vet was caring, gentle and gave us all the advice and assurance we needed to proceed with next steps. Additionally, the vet was open and honest about the cost of different treatment options. All vet offices and emergency vets are extremely busy right now and often times have a 6-8 hour wait so it was great to be able to wait it out from home where our dog could be comfortable and less stressed. Thank you again to the staff here - we really appreciate it! I would most definitely bring my pet here again if there was an emergency. read more

I've been here 3x, and I must say that this place overcharges you for everything. Just the visit itself is $175. I've been to places where the exam is much cheaper. Unfortunately I am limited with options since a lot vets don't have guinea pig specialist. This 3rd time, I came to find out that the last 2x I came I didn't see a guinea pig specialist. Just someone that felt "comfortable" enough to treat them. I came here since I see early signs of gut stasis, my guinea pig has had it before and was treated appropriately at another vet couple years ago. No X-ray, no blood work, just gave me the medication and was good to go. Here the veterinary said "I can't properly diagnose him until a guinea pig specialist gets here, but what I can do is have him here over night or provide supportive care until the specialist gets here and run blood work/ X ray". So why in the phone did they tell me a specialist was available? Now they are giving me options that will cost me well over $1000. This makes me very uncomfortable as I was misinformed and seems like they only care of the $$ and try to get the most out of you. I could have gone elsewhere where my guinea pig could have gotten appropriate care and probably more cheaper. I do acknowledge this is not the veterinary fault but the receptionist that mis informed me. Then they come to tell me that to see the specialist I need an appointment.... Why didn't they tell me that on the phone? They made me come and pay for a service I did not want and now saying I need to pay again for the specialist and come at another time. I had to leave and still paid for the exam that didn't help at all. Don't come here if you want to over pay or have guinea pigs. UPDATE: Just took my guinea pig to ANOTHER vet, and they didn't even mention doing an X-ray or blood work. They gave me a gut stimulate to help with my guinea pigs appetite and stool along with extra antibiotics ear drops since they found a good amount of discharge in his ear. PETS REFERRAL didn't even check his ears and said he was fine, THEY DIDNT OFFER a gut stimulate to help with his stool and appetite. Only offered anti-nausea injection, and fluids as supportive care in the vet nothing to take home with me. Just got home and he is now eating and popping and not hiding like he was!!!! He is even now hanging out outside of his bed and not sleeping. Go to SOMA Animal Hospital, I literally basically paid the same amount but for 3 additional medications to take and 2 medical injections. Along with the exam itself. read more

I'm surprised to see that the overall rating for this place isn't higher! Maybe they've had some staff turn over? In any case, I think I had the best experience one could have under these circumstances. I took my yorkie in late morning on a Sunday. He had bloody diarrhea. I called Berkeley Dog and Cat (his regular vet), which had a 4-6 hour wait time, and they suggested I call PETS Referral and Oak Vet and just go with whoever had the shortest wait time. PETS Referral won. They told me on the phone that patients had been waiting three hours, but we actually only waited about 2. I liked that they assessed my dog immediately upon arrival, so I wasn't waiting around worried that the worst would happen. They had a TV in the waiting room (I watched most of Rapunzel and the beginning of Frozen), which was a nice distraction but it wasn't so loud that others couldn't read or do something else. We observed one person who was irritated about a longer wait (around 4 hours), which the staff handled nicely (he was called back only a few minutes later). There was a dog that came in obviously in respiratory distress who was taken back immediately, which seemed appropriate. There was also a feral kitten someone had brought in and even though the guy was willing to pay for the exam, after they assessed the kitty (for free) they told him that they thought the kitty would probably be ok without treatment, but to keep an eye out. I also heard them explaining the care credit options to someone over the phone. I know I'm nosy, but there is nothing else to do in there! Anyway, witnessing all these interactions made me feel like this was a good place. When it got to be our turn the exam was quick. My pup was pretty high energy and seemingly not in any pain, so they gave him some fluids and some meds and sent us home with some other meds and instructions for a bland diet and to return if symptoms got worse or didn't improve within a few days. It was expensive, of course, but less expensive than I've paid at other emergency vets in the area where I feel like we got a similar kind of care. Obviously no one wants to be in this situation, but I would definitely go back to this place if my pup needed emergency care. read more

Cat brought in. Spent the night. Discharged as stable and healthy with some meds for the large heart and asthma. Picked him up. He seemed loopy. Figure it was some drugs they put him on? Got home, ready for hopefully a solid 6+ months of high quality life with the medicine regiment. And he died 2 hours later. Vets didn't know precisely why. How did they consider him stable? read more

I had the most horrible experience at pet referral center last night with my puppy . I brought my puppy in she had a huge abscess on her mammary gland while nursing eight puppies . The veterinarian was totally dismissive of my concerns of my dog needing further medical assistance attention because they thought we could not afford to pay . Their facility was filthy , their receptionists inexperienced , and they took in multiple animals in less serious condition than ours causing us to wait more than two and a half hours to get seen . They charged us $400 for the visit and the exam only to bring her into our event this morning and pay $1,000 for surgery that could have been avoided with pet referral center last night . I will never revisit this Clinic again. I strongly suggest that you avoid this facility at all costs especially if you love your animal . read more

My dog started having seizures for the first time late last night - very scary moment! The team at PETS Referral Center was so helpful during my moment of panic & took exceptional care of my Bubba. Hopefully you never have a pet emergency but if you do, I highly recommend coming here. read more

PETS Referral Center - Happy Bubba after a sleep over with PETS nurses. - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

My pugs Jennie and Biggie got bit by a rattlesnake at Sibley the other day. I got them to PETS within an hour of the bite and they got treated with antivenin. They were under 24 hour care and Dr. Jennings and Jarvis saved them from the worst. We are so thankful for the great team at PETS. Please be careful while out with your dogs! I recommend pet insurance for your babies because you never know what can happen! read more

PETS Referral Center - Home after one day in ER. Feeling poopy . Could not stand due to swelling and pain. - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Really couldn't ask for better care! My dog urgently needed to see a doctor at 2am. We were lucky they were having a slow day, so we were seen immediately. They quickly scheduled additional appointments for us once they suspected my dog had cancer. I can't thank them enough for their hard work at odd hours. Really appreciate their attentiveness around the clock and communication. We also have Trupanion and so far the reimbursements were basically immediately applied when the clinic helped me submit my invoice through Trupanion's portal. One less thing to worry about. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

Today I had the sad task of bringing my persian kitty to be euthanized, but everyone I interacted with (two young ladies at the reception desk, young gentleman vet tech - sorry I did not catch their names - and Dr. Jarvis were so kind, thoughtful and knowledgeable and made me and Snuggie feel very comfortable and well cared for. I had a feeling it would go well because I saw a rainbow on the way to the vet, but they ensured the process was as painless as possible for both of us. Thank you so much PETS Referral team :) PS: Dr. Jarvis looked young too, BTW :) read more

This was (unfortunately) my second time coming to the PETS referral center but both times were amazing experiences. I took my cat here as recommend by my vet for urinary blockage. Everyone from the vets to the nurses and techs were amazing, particularly Julia and LeeLee! They got my cat in promptly and started IV fluids and meds to get him comfortable. They kept me updated with phone calls and check ins. Best vet experience. read more

This place is the best! Especially Dr. Siedlecki! The excellent care provided to my pet made his remaining time pleasant and comfortable. My family and I highly recommend. Thank you, Dr. Siedlecki and team! read more

PETS Referral Center provided my guinea pig with the absolute best emergency care that I've ever experienced. From the very first telephone contact to the arrival check-in and subsequent care, PETS employee Madison was truly outstanding. She was the silver lining in a most medically difficult situation and our family cannot thank her enough. Madison excelled in her customer service compassion, positive energy, thorough knowledge, patience, dedication, and generosity with her time. Thank you, Madison and the PETS team, for all that you do for our furry loved ones and community. read more

They were wonderful when Jack suddenly fell ill with hemangiosarcoma and passed away. Where they were not so wonderful -- and I am not taking off stars for this because it was isolated to two people only -- was when I came to pick up his ashes today. Two of the staff members were laughing together even as they worked to locate Jack's ashes, and continued to laugh after they handed them to me. The epitome of disrespect. read more

NEW Nothing but bunch of crooks!!! Money money money is all they are about! We brought our sick dog. Initially got a bill for nearly $6000 ( deposit). They painted doom and gloom. They gave us a list of potential problems but no concrete answers . They wanted out dog to spend the night at $6000 . We took our dog home and he is doing as well as can be suspected. Never will if I need medical care for my pets will I return. Update (2/3/24) my dog is extremely well. What pet referral did was an absolute nightmare. They terrorized my wife with a " possible " fatal diagnosis along with potential other problems but no concrete diagnosis: Lung Lobe Torsion ( extreme rare, fluid in the lung, infection in the lung.... They presented us with a bill for $6000 for basically doing nothing except an x- ray!!!! They wanted our dog to stay the night for observation for $4000 telling my sobbing wife ' He could possibly die if we take him home. We recommend leaving him with us tonight." Then they said we need to do more diagnostics in the morning with an ultra sound and possibly a CT scan for another $4000 on top of the $6000 for a total of $10,000+!!!! $10,000 for just a diagnosis????? They continue saying he could have this very rare diagnosis. They didn't care about the other possible problems ( fluid in one lung ( maybe) and lung infection). They picked the most expensive possible diagnosis that would cost possibly $10,000 to diagnosis and surgery would be another $10,000 for a grand total of $20,000!!!!! My wife was being terrorized and it seemed they took advantage of my wife's trauma. We asked can we take our dog home and they recommended against it saying " your dog could die tonight in your home." Even the thought of putting our dog came up. I am glad to say two weeks later our dog is as healthy as can be.... Running, jumping all over the place. He was never ill and the vet prognosis was your dog may die. Unbelievable experience and it cost us $2,000 and they absolutely did nothing for our dog... no prescription for a lung infection-- NOT ONE DAMN THING!!!!! Again our baby is perfectly healthy and very much alive. Bad vet experience!!!! read more

I have updated my 4-star review of 2019 after bringing my dog here on Saturday 02/18/2023. Like so many veterinarian practices, it seems PETS is now corporately owned and operated as billing is appearing as United Veterinary Care, Palm Beach Garden, FL. In the 15+ years that I have taken dogs and cats here, the charges have never been cheap but have felt the emergency care and services provided were mostly justified. But after my most recent visit, I realize what a profit driven operation PETS has become with compassion and caring becoming secondary. I was charged $34.00 for a small 3.5g tube of eye ointment that retails for $12.99 on Chewy. If they have inflated this 1 item that I can verify, how much price gouging and exorbitant charges have they done on the remaining products and services in the name of humane animal care. 02/28 PETS responded by saying "Unfortunately costs have gone up across the board for all businesses. We do our best to keep them as reasonable as possible." Granted costs have gone up, BUT do not justify price gouging and taking advantage of pet-caring customers. If charging $34+ for a tube of eye ointment probably costing likely $5-6 (if that) is considerable reasonable, what do they consider exorbitant. I am through with this review. read more

My puppy is seven to eight weeks. Her face, eyes and area of her neck by the jaw are all swollen. I arrived around 3:00 a.m. and nearly six hours later she has still not been seen. They claim other critical patients, but I've heard lots of laughing and talking from the back. During my time here only two other people have come in and they've not been seen. They administered pain meds but haven't treated her. All they've said as I could go to another vet. read more

It has now been more than 4 hours after initially being told it would take about an hour to be seen. There was only one vet this morning and a second one arrived mid day. I came here because my pet is being seen by an oncologist at this hospital hoping the continuity would help with his care. They are severely under staffed. Update: Going on 6 hours of sitting in the waiting room now.... read more

We were waiting for a call to pick up our pets remains. Apparently they texted the wrong number. How impersonal and disconnected from your clients can an emergency center get? The doctors give you no compassion and the vet techs even less. Go to VEG in Pleasant Hill. read more

I took my kitty today to PETS referral center after she swallowed a long string. Fortunately, Lilly (kind, clear and compassionate tech!), Dr Burr and Dr Khary and Dr Allen were all outstanding. My kitty had to have an endoscopy and all went well for her. They found the string, took it out, and she is now home and happy. She has already peed, drank water, eaten a bit, and is in a good mood. I am so relieved and I am so very grateful! Every step was clearly explained, patiently, kindly, and repeated as often as needed. Lilly brought me in to see my kitty before they put her under general anesthesia and was so comforting (that helped me so much!), and Khary took all the time needed to thoughtfully explain home care (loved the "there are no stupid questions" stance!). Dr Burr was positive and explained clearly why the endoscopy was needed. Dr Allen made super sure to get the string even when it was hard to find!Thank you so very much to each staff member and provider for taking such good care of my cat and for helping me make decisions at such a stressful time. May you all feel appreciated for your hard work :) read more

For the sake of your pet's health and your sanity, do not come here unless it's a truly critical emergency. Otherwise, you will have to wait many many hours with little to no update on when you might be seen. I wish they were more realistic and honest about wait times. If it's a life or death critical situation or you need specialized care for your pet, it is worth it. But the stress of waiting for both you and your pet might not be worth it, if you can get an appointment somewhere else. I'm glad I followed up, though, and got my cat seen. She had emergency abdominal surgery performed by Dr. Moser and he did an excellent job treating her and communicating with me about her recovery and follow ups. Dr. Lee who triaged our case was also very kind and communicated the urgency of the situation well. We're 7 days post-op now and things are looking good. read more

Staff is incredibly rude and incompetent. Quit your job if you don't like it. Oh, and they take FOREVER with everything they do. FOREVER. read more

Up front about costs, made no medical mistakes I was aware of, and was compassionate when my cat was not saveable.

These people are horrible excuse for an animal emergency service. They made me wait four hours for nothing. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET THERE ! I'm sorry but this was nothing short of abuse to an animal when they don't care and leave a cat to suffer for four hours with no where to go to the bathroom because the cat is stuck waiting four hours to be seen. Absolutely disgusting and abusive. I wouldn't take my pet there ever again. These people should be shut down for animal cruelty. They are so bad that I had to walk out without being seen. I don't care what excuse they try to say because it's not acceptable ever to do this. It's a disgrace to vet services. Never again will I take a pet to these people. read more

I called to ask for a general quote about my sick puppy and they proceeded to lecture me and yell at me repeating themselves over and over that every dog is different. No sympathy or useful guidance was given whatsoever. The person who was answering the phones on Saturday night 3/28/2020, who was clearly not a veterinarian, was extremely rude trying to explain things as though she was. Very clearly was an uneducated operator pretending to have medical knowledge. I would never in a million years bring my sick dog to that person for help. And by extension, the entire company. I'd definitely look elsewhere! read more

PETS Referral Center - Puppy who will never go to this location - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

We transferred to PETS Referral Center half way through Bailey's chemo treatment for Lymphoma. We were apprehensive to go to a new clinic but immediately were put at ease by Erin and Dr. Schaffer. From our first meeting to our last they were attentive, available, accommodating, kind and understanding. Thank you for everything! You're the best! Here are some pics of Bailey after her last treatment. The team gave her a pink bandana to celebrate :) read more

PETS Referral Center - Bailey heading home! - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Called because my pup had been ingesting acorns and was told to bring her in "anytime, we are open 24 hours". Brought her in at 6am because I had to work that day and was checked in. An hour later a tech took my dogs vitals and said a vet would see her when they came in around 8:00. I checked with the front desk at 8:20 and was told they could see my dog in an hour and a half. So that puts me there for 4 hours with no service. I had to leave because I don't do this to my own emergency room patients. read more

My 18 yr old cat was actively dying and I really didn't want to lengthen his suffering. I called around many places and this was the only one that could euthanize him the same day. That meant a lot to not have to make him wait another few days to be at peace. They were very respectful and let me sit with him the whole time, both before and after they administered the medication. They explained what would happen, and it was quite fast. They let me sit with him for awhile afterwards as well. read more

Upon arrival, I was told there are two clients ahead of , so naturally after the two clients had been treated paid and exited the premises. I inquired about how long of a it would be.( This was at the two hour mark of me waiting to be seen. ) I was told I couldn't be given an exact number, but they hadn't forgotten me, meanwhiletwo new clients proceeded to arrive at the facility, were taken back and treated pretty fair amount of time when I inquired I was told they were for radiology a different department, OK well then the question still lingered. What are the two doctors doing that were seeing the two patients prior to me when my initial arrival that now had no patience in the back doing? Long story short after waiting 2 1/2 hours to be seen by a doctor, which never happened, I thanked them for their help thus far which was just taking my dogs vitals, and exited the facility. I would never go back to this vet again, and I don't think that they Acted in a very professional manner instead of keeping me in the lobby waiting with a suffering animal they could've either have seen me or told me hey it's gonna be quite a wait. Maybe you could try a different vet. They can get you in quicker. Leaving me hanging for three definitely would not recommend bringing your animal here. read more

DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMAL HERE! The doctor had no idea what she was doing. Disregarded crucial info about my cat and then decided to do more tests 4 hours after I reminded her what was going on. My cat spent the ENTIRE day sitting in his own urine in his crate. His eye then became swollen from this and the doctor then conducted further eye tests on him (without my consent). I essentially paid $800 for my cat to sit around in his own urine all day at this office, have the original issue be completely unresolved, and leave in much worse shape than when he got there. Absolutely awful experience! read more

An update on our review, to comment on the cremation process for our sweet kitty- Pets Referral made it easy and painless to organize and after the process, sent us a really lovely box with a golden engraved name and a print of our pet's paw. I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the cremation services and it made us feel that Pets Referral made sure our Kitty's remains were really well taken care of during this sad time. Plus, we now have the lovely, hand written sympathy card from the staff on our fridge, a special touch that arrived recently and was just so thoughtful and personal. These folks really care about animals AND the humans they serve, and it it shines through. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

We have had to use PETS emergency vet services four times in the past couple decades and highly recommend them. Their front line staff are patient and knowledgeable and their clinical staff are very competent and kind. Our last two visits were telling - both times with beloved cats who declined rapidly and by the time we got them to this vet, both had to be euthanized. The vets communicated clearly and presented the options - or lack of options - with sensitivity. When we took in our young dog with a bad bite, the surgery she had to have was really well done and she healed up beautifully. I have been impressed by the diversity of clients I see in the waiting room and the gracious and kind service all of the staff provide. We have had to use other emergency vets and this is the only one I would recommend without reservation. read more

I am at a loss of words with this clinic. Our dog is sensitive and nervous to begin with, which is why I conduct thorough research by vetting clinics since we've had him as a puppy. I don't let just ANYone take care of our family member. PETS Referral's emergency team is great and listens to us and our dog. Our dog feels at ease when he visits them. He was diagnosed with a rare form of terminal illness, as we're told by their oncologist. Our assigned oncologist was uncertain with the results and performed one confirmatory result. Then suddenly she called us urgently and rushing chemo. She convinced us that it's an aggressive form, but she did not provide physical evidence of results. We demanded for multiple confirmatory results and finally, we discovered his positive results. Aside from our results, their specialty team would care for our dog by feeding him without our permission. This was challenging because our dog has severe allergies. He suffered through multiple specialty and emergency vet visits weekly. We would see four different drs at two different clinics (including pets referral in Berkeley) because of severe, bloody diarrhea every 1-2 hours, day and night for two months. We cross eliminated multiple factors, and one day, we witnessed a tech hand feeding our dog treats without our consent in the lobby. (Honestly, would you feed children random food and candy? No. That's unacceptable. So, why do this to a dog too?) Since then, we prepared treats and strictly told their team to feed our treats ONLY to our dog due to allergies. Then, recently (about two weeks ago), we were going in for a routine treatment appt and it literally felt like another day at the vet. We waited in the car to pick him up. We received a frantic call from our oncologist stated that our dog was in an accident. Someone left him alone with his leash on. They found him choking and told us to come back if he has breathing issues. She blamed this on a tech who did not follow protocol and her story kept changing as we were asking her more questions. Something wasn't right and we rushed our dog out of there. Since we received weekly treatments from their specialty team, we are trying to keep him safe and comfortable, which is stressful for our family as is. Since the accident, we are still baffled and furious with this clinic. Our dog was NEGLECTED at PETS Referral and he is now suffering from severe PTSD at any clinic. He doesn't want us to leave him alone at all. We now have to maintain chiropractic appts due to the physical damage on our dog on top of securing a new oncologist for further treatment. Every single week, we see his life deteriorate further since the traumatic incident. We trusted this clinic and we would no longer recommend them to any family member or friend. If you love your pet as a family member, please save your money, your family's sanity, and go elsewhere. read more

"YOU CAN EITHER PAY OR TAKE YOUR DOG HOME TO DIE" I have never in my adult life written a negative review,, but from what I experienced at this place they will honor me with my first. My dog had collapsed on my porch late Tuesday 09/20/24, so we looked for the nearest emergency vet which was PETS referral center, we called this place first to see how much it would be to bring him in the lady I spoke with said $165, we rushed him to this place. They took our dog to the emergency room, then bring us a form to sign stating it would be $1000 just to take him in (NOT DONE WITH THIS PART) As we were worried about our dog and didn't have any other choice we signed. They put us in a room as we waited for him. Then came in saying our dog was in critical condition. After stating this, brought us another estimate that stated to keep our dog in an oxygen chamber and essentially maintain him being alive, (not to help him) would be anywhere from $3,800-$7800 for two days. Me and my family couldn't afford this, so then they informed us that our only option is to euthanize our dog, or take him out the place to die as he was completely oxygen dependent on the oxygen chamber. They clearly did not care at all, they were just rushing us to either give them our money or get our dog out of their place since we don't provide them with any money, they could care less. Since our dog was in very very bad condition we did decide euthanizing was the best decision for our dog so he doesn't suffer any longer. Since we were going to do this. The doctor came in and said we would have to pay $1030 in total including the original $1000 from when we arrived, GET READY FOR THIS! Before I went through the euthanizing process I wanted to pay, so I went up to the counter, and now my total is $1,250... so I ask why this is, and SINCE THEY DID NOT CHARGE ME THE $1,000 when I walked in, the price increases. Mind you, when we arrived. I signed the form, and they took me to the room. NOT ONCE WAS I ASKED TO PAY, OR TOLD TO PAY! So clearly they did this on purpose. I explain that to the ladies at the front and they all say, "well you should have paid in the beginning" as if these people even told me to pay! As I am explaining this trying to justify the situation, the lady at the counter says, "YOU CAN EITHER PAY OR TAKE YOUR DOG HOME TO DIE" and walked away. was absolutely astonished by this and I really wish I remember the name of who that was. They end up "removing the cost of something else" to go back to the original $1030. After that, we proceeded with the euthanization and we took our beloved dog home to burry at home. Overall this review doesn't give justice, as you simply just had to be there to feel the cruelty, and absolutely no care from this place. Really wish my dog could have ascended on in a better environment, but it is what it is. read more

I would never go back here, its Oakland or Walnut Creek for emergency care for me. I took my dog in with a cancer diagnosis referral for my vet. They have a whole set of forms where they try and push you to a $20K set of chemo treatments which are only marginally more effective than the chemo which is half the cost. However all of it excludes massive aspects of the testing required to support the treatment and understate what the true cost would be. Incredibly manipulative of people in a bad state. I went with steroids instead of chemo and brought my dog back a week later for they follow-up they had me schedule with the oncologist. "Hey, so why are you here- the dog is really doing well" The dog is bleeding from a large open wound I had bandaged and the oncologist clearly did not actually look at the dog once. She takes me to the main place to get it treated and I just write my name down but bail immediately to go to a better vet. TEN HOURS LATER they call. "So are you in the parking lot? We can see you now." read more

We took our dog in with a terrible cough thinking she may have a foxtail in her throat. We waited FOURTEEN HOURS before we were seen by a doctor. The people at the front desk kept telling us we were "next in line" for each/all of those 14 hours. She was not eating/drinking all that time in case she needed a procedure! When we would ask (on the hour) about our status, we were met with impatience from an uncaring front staff member. One woman on staff was busy looking at real estate ads on her computer... It was a terrible ordeal and our dog was suffering, coughing, vomiting bile. To be fair, one of the women at the front desk WAS kind. Our overall experience was traumatic for all of us, humans and pup. In the 15th hour our dog was scoped and no foxtail was found. We could not give a lower review for this establishment. read more