We had a great experience with PETS after a disappointing visit to another local emergency hospital. We first brought our 11-month-old dog in for a respiratory virus when antibiotics weren't helping. PETS tested him right away to more serious viruses (thankfully negative) and there wasn't much they could do initially. About ten days later we rushed back when he became lethargic and started having trouble breathing. The staff was amazing from the start. His vitals were taken right away, communication was clear and reassuring, and X-rays were done quickly, which confirmed pneumonia. Although there was a wait to see the vet, everything felt organized and proactive. The doctor recommended admitting him to the hospital and explained everything thoroughly. We received regular updates, were encouraged to visit while he was at the hospital, and the team was always kind and patient when we called (often!) to check in. Thankfully, he was able to come home about 24 hours later with a clear plan for recovery. We're so grateful to the PETS team for taking such great care of our dog and treating us with so much kindness during a really scary time. Highly recommend. Although we hope we're not back anytime soon, this is the only place we'll take our pets when there is an emergency now. read more

I took my dog in. The check-in process is easy. I waited for a nurse to assess my dog. Then waited for the Dr. They are busy. Wait periods are long. The more urgent needs are prioritized--you have to wait. I felt my dog was ok enough to see his vet today, so I left prior to seeing the Dr. I had no idea what to expect. Since my dog did not receive intensive treatment, other reviews might tell you more. I had an x-ray done at my dogs vet today. I had no issues with Pets Referral. read more

After visiting this place, we were given a bag with medication and when we got home and opened the bag half a prescription was missing. When we called back they said we would have to pay again for the medication they didn't pack. At that point I checked online and it turns out they were charging us 3 times what the medication costs at a regular retail outlet. I would advise to anyone that goes here to take out the meds and count them in front of the staff before you leave. Or better yet, tell them to give you the prescription and just fill it out somewhere else. You don't have to buy it from them at 3 times the cost. read more

Unfortunately this place is a major cash grab. The front personnel lie to you with low estimates to get you through the door with your animal who you are desperate to help, and when you're there they quote you double. The problem with places that charge these outrageous prices is that the care and service just don't match. It's so difficult to get a hold of someone at this clinic who cares enough to answer your questions or return a call. Outtake instructions were unclear, and they just don't call back when they say they're going to with the instructions you so desperately need. I went through with it and over paid for everything. The care seemed comprehensive so I was okay with it. But they sold me medication that developed what looked like mold around the rim while the bottle was still more than half full. I called to see if they could replace it, but they refused citing not knowing where the mold came from?? The head nurse was incredibly rude. I would've spent thousands of dollars there had they simply replaced a bottle of medication and done a small decency for a sick cat, but no they are clearly trained with greed as their first motive. And because of that you lost thousands of dollars from someone who will no longer patronize your business. The head ER nurse needs some customer service training, quite literally driving people away. read more

PETS Referral Center - Moldy medicine top, head nurse refused to replace it despite the bottle being more than half full. What a shame. Greed. - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

My dog had a foxtail that needed to be removed from between her paws and my vet, Codornices referred me to this place. This was my first ER experience and it was a bit of a disappointment and shock to understand that the pets were seen according to urgency and not first come basis - but after understanding that, I was very happy with the care that my dog received - Dr Lee and the staff were knowledgeable and kind. Also, the fact that Dr Gurley, my regular vet always referrs emergency cases to this place was also good enough reason to trust this place as well. I highly recommend this place! read more

This review is for the er doctor. AVOID -- if you don't want your pet to be looked as a price tag I bought my senior dog in over the weekend and the vet, Dr. Valerie kept pushing us to have her hospitalized 24 hours (4,000$) even though she knew she wasn't going to be saved and was dying. Instead of helping her and giving her life saving meds, me and my mom spent hours trying to be convinced by her and her staff that she needed hospitalization. And she even said, "obviously it's your choice to bring her home" like NO SHIT. She was making us feel bad by not choosing hospitalization. Having at least SOME compassion when your pet is dying would've been nice all that time could've be to save her. I find it heartbreaking to have bought my dog to a vet who only cared about pushing us to spend money. I won't be returning again. When we finally bought her home, she drank at least 1 full bowl of water non stop. She was given an IV but did they not know the basics of offering water?? read more

I just want to share my story and let other pet owners be aware to never EVER bring your fur babies to this location! I trusted my dog to have surgery done since they charged my card thousands of dollars and was told she would stay over night. When I brought her in she was able to walk on her own and have energy to still do things to show me she's okay. I get a call and they tell me I have few minutes to come back because she is not going to make it. I rushed to that place so fast! And asked to give my dog back to me ASAP!! They lied about doing the surgery she need and gave her back to me worse then how I brought her in! She was not able to walk nor drink anything. It was a battle them telling me if I take her with her condition that she will die taking her out of the hospital. I did not listen to anything they told me because they made me realize how fast they wanted my money instead of saving my dog who is family! ITS BEEN FEW MONTHS FROM THIS INCIDENT WITH THIS PLACE AND I WANT TO SHARE THAT MY BABY GIRL IS STILL ALIVE!!! I took her to another clinic who SAVED MY BABY!!! I trusted my gut to take her elsewhere and thank the Lord my dog is still here with my family. If you love your pets as much I do! Please read my story and share with others to never take there pets to this location! They will not save your pets but are quick to charge thousands of dollars the moment you have the consultation with them. Hope this help saves a lot of pets from this evil place. Just imagine if I did listen to them and put her down I would not be here today at the park with her. read more

PETS Referral Center - My princess still here ALIVE AND HEALTHY!! - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've had to bring my 9 pound small dog here three times for emergency situations, and one time for surgery to repair her torn CCL - Cranial Cruciate Ligament (basically like a human ACL). Every time I've brought her in for emergency situations, the staff has responded with care and relatively quick attention. When I brought her in for a CCL surgery consult and then the actual surgery, requiring an overnight stay, I am going to go out on a limb and guess I was as anxious about it as my dog was. In advance of the surgery, Dr. Meltzer and staff did a fantastic job explaining the surgery to me - she spent an hour with me to talk through everything. I had gotten two surgical consults elsewhere and ended up going with Dr. Meltzer for a variety of reasons. I'm really glad I did. The surgery was ten weeks ago and my dog's leg is almost good as new. I highly recommend Dr. Meltzer for small dog surgery. The only downside to PETS is that I found them to be a bit loose with the appointment times. I typically waited 10-15 minutes after my appointment time to be seen. So perhaps go in expecting to wait a bit past your appointment time. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

It's rare to find a business in this day and age driven by mission and kindness rather than profit. This is one of those rare places. Was in a situation with my senior corgi where they could have charged me out the nose and I would've gladly handed my entire bank account over. Instead they showed kindness and integrity in how they handled things. Thank you. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. My cat was taken to the back and treated by the vet before I even met or spoke with the vet, something I've never experienced in my life. I waited an hour and a half after being told the vet would be "right out," with no communication or updates. Before the vet had even seen my cat, a medical assistant handed me an expensive estimate for several tests totaling hundreds of dollars. No one had yet explained what was necessary or even discussed the case with me; it felt transactional and like they were definitely trying to upsell me,, not medical. When I finally met the vet, my cat had already been treated. The vet had basic information wrong and dismissed my attempts to explain that my cat had just been treated for the same ulcer a few weeks earlier. When I mentioned that I already understood corneal ulcers because we had just been through one, she said, " do you want me to explain ulcers to you? Are you going to respect my time?" after I had already been waiting over an hour. I was barely greeted, I never heard anyone say hello to my cat or talk to her kindly, I know that's not a big deal, but it goes a long way to treat my cat like you like her. I left with false information in the medical record. The vet incorrectly wrote that I "declined switching ointment" and was using a "dangerous" medication, even though I showed her the labeled prescription box of safe NeoPoly-Gram eye drops right in the room. When I called to correct the record, staff argued with me for ten minutes, claimed the notes "never said that," and told me to "take a few deep breaths and calm down." When I asked when the manager would be available, I was told they "didn't know and couldn't tell me." Cold staff, inaccurate records, and a vet who spoke down to me and documented things that never happened. If you care about honesty, compassion, or professionalism, go anywhere else. read more

Completely failed to notice my cat's symptoms were neurological despite me telling them they seemed neurological. They sent me home with pain medication and told me he had a slipped disk in his back probably. Turned out to be neurolymphoma. He was dead a week later and I'm very traumatized by it because I feel like I failed him because I trusted pets referral center and gave him medication he didn't need that obscured his declining symptoms. They should have referred him for a scan. I tried to at least talk to the veterinarian who misdiagnosed him so badly, failing to check vitals like pupil reflex (he had gone blind) and yet telling me vitals were normal when they weren't, so I could know she understood she had made this grave mistake that cost me my cat's life. But she didn't even call me back. I do not think I'll ever take an animal there again even though years ago they handled other emergencies competently. The other vet that saw him after the drugs they prescribed ran out and i realized how impaired he still was (i had attributed it to medication effects since she knew she was giving me drugs that would mask neurological symptoms) did recognize the gravity of the situation and refer me to a veterinary neurologist but by then his brain had herniated and he death was imminent and disability was irreversible. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

Arrived at 7:20 AM, second in line, was told it would just be a moment to get the invoice printed up and then we would be brought back. Five hours later we were still waiting in the waiting room. read more

Don't go here....they are arrogant and there's a very low standard of care. I waited patiently in the waiting room with my injured dog for three hours. Then they took us back to a room and told me he would need surgery and sutures for a wound that opened down to the muscle. The vet took him back somewhere and I went to the waiting area thinking they'd be working on him then. The receptionist told me I should just go home because it would take a few more hours (just her guess...and must be a regular thing.) The vet had said nothing about how much longer it would take. Ok...so I went home. After three hours...at midnight, I call them because everybody there is apparently too busy to give the smallest update. At that point it's been over six hours since he was attacked and he's been left in that horrible place in some mystery back area alone for three additional hours wondering where I'm at and in pain. They tell me at that point (six hours in) they haven't done a thing to treat him yet. There were life threatening cases that pushed him back again and again. I'm thinking...why didn't they just tell me to wait and take him to my regular vet in the morning...or somewhere else?! At this point I've been totally patient.....but there's a limit. They tell me: it will be THREE MORE HOURS before he'll be ready to go home (just an estimate.) Are you kidding me?!?!? Nine hours before any meds or treatment. NO THANK YOU. I picked him up (I thought they refunded me the entire amount but looked later and they'd kept $195 for this traumatic experience. That's $195 for setting him back more than when we came in IMO. I then took my good boy to an emergency vet in Pleasant Hill and I kid you not, THAT place felt like Disneyland after our ordeal at PETS Referral Center. They were on it immediately. They were so kind....the vet clearly outlined two treatment options...and the cost was over $100 less. They had all kinds of quality snacks in the waiting area and a screen with trivia. They got down on the floor with my sweet boy and were loving and wonderful with him. He rolled over for a belly rub. They commented on the humanity in his eyes. I could have cried. The floor plan of THAT clinic was open and I could see them treating him (but didn't have to be too close.) It was clean and modern. They had to cut away the dried flesh since it had been so long since injury and they sutured him. I will NEVER take a pet to PETS Referral Center again. In the past I've waited long times for emergency care....and some crews are probably better than others, but nothing here points to them trying to make a traumatic situation less so. At the Pleasant Hill clinic they sent me a survey the next day asking how they did. That's the way any business should run....and even more so for medical care. One star is generous, but I can't leave zero. read more

They are amazing. We took our fur baby there for surgery they treated her like their own. And they still remember her after 7 months. Thank you so much for putting her back together read more

PETS Referral Center - My fur baby. - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

We've unfortunately become regulars here this year due to our two very hyper shepherds, and every time PETS Referral Center has been there to save the day! The staff is friendly and patient, especially with our more reserved pup, and while they may not be the cheapest, they provide quality, timely care for your furry pal's needs. A bonus is they have a large private lot, and there's some great restaurants in the area if it'll be a longer visit and you need a pick-me-up Thank you for taking such great care of our girls! read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have gone here a few times due to animal emergencies and nowhere else to go. Always a drag. I went tonight and it was the same thing. My puppy had gotten sick and we went to pets referral. The woman who are like vet assistant s look like they work in a morgue when they talk to you and get angry when you point this out to them. Each time they came to to talk to us their faces looked like the dog was dead. The last dog I took there I paid 7000$ plus dollars just to hear them say she probably wouldn't make it . So many vets just rip you off , like this place. It was over $180 just for the vet to look at the puppy. They said if it stayed overnight it would be over $2000 . Jesus Christ! That's a lot of money! How do normal people deal with this crap? And god forbid your broke, then forget it your pet has no chance. But tonight the tone of the assistance people made me so mad I even commented to them how they could use to be a little kinder . So that it. read more

Where's my little nugget? Where's my little nugget? I probably spend hours every week wandering searching for my little guy. He' tiny, he likes to hide and he likes to find trouble. In a high pitched faint yet enthusiastic voice: My little nugget?? My little nugget?? This goes all day. Usually I can't ever find him but then he emerges from the shadows with this slow gangsta walk. He tells me: "I'm not your little nugget. The names Moose.... and that's Mr. Moose to you." This guy is always lecturing me - nonetheless I scoop him up and loudly insist: "your cute!! your cute!! your cute!! as he gets more kisses than he desires. Good thing I don't have shared thin walls. Its not that I need him by my side all day - but I like to keep an eye on him. He opens drawers containing sharp objects and digs in the trash can and I've got this little space between my window A/C with a weak screen and keep wondering if it could hold his weight if he runs into it. Very recently I caught him just in time while he was being naughty and... I quickly searched all pet emergency rooms. Called one -- 6 hours to be seen and a full waiting room. I knew we needed a doctor and that it could be too late at that point. Called Pets referral and seconds after I hang up he's in a now too small carrier on his way. In the waiting room Mr Moose pops his head out the carrier to survey. He sees tons of dogs surrounding him. After a split second he retreats. He knows when he's outweighed and outnumbered. After the procedure he comes out with his shaved belly and hospital gown. He no longer looks so tough and he walks like a freshly minted 21 year old after a night of drinking. I watch him closely all night and make sure he doesn't fall or something. I keep reinforcing his two relevant facts of life: #1 your cute and #2 you can get away with anything. Thats really all he needs to know. He's back to patrolling the house as usual. From one room to the next making sure everything is good. Sometimes hes covered in cob webs and I wonder where he had been. I continue to Mr. Moose proof the place. Between his lecturing and naughtiness Little Guy has proven to be the most challenging furry friend I've ever had. read more

Worst experience ever. Our dog was licking his left paw for a couple of hours this morning. I looked at it and it was raw as if someone had taken a knife between two paws. Gross fluid/blood coming out and off we go to the Pet Referral Center. Our dog arrived at 11:30am. They were going to get to him right away. We came home and no call. 3:00pm no call. we had to call. answer: we haven't had a chance to get to him. 5:00pm we called (not them) and were told the doctor was going to start and he was sedated. The procedure is only ten minutes to get a foxtail out of his paw. 6:30pm. No call. We had to call. Answer: Doctor has not started the procedure. 8:30pm and we are really pissed. Called again and were told they had not gotten to him. We said we are coming to get him and to tell the doctor that there will be no charge. As we are driving over (now at 8:30pm), they call and say the doctor has started the procedure. We are just going to go in and get our dog and go elsewhere in the morning. Very unprofessional. They never once updated us until the call when we said we are coming to get him. So unprofessional and potentially harmful to our dog to get this foxtail out between his two raw/bleeding paws. We will just take him away and I doubt the doctor started the procedure as they said to come back in 45 minutes. Too late for that as we are pulling up to the vet on University in Berkeley. Our boy is coming home now. read more

This is the second time I came for emergency care for a pet. The previous time was 25+ years ago! This time was so very satisfying! My pal Luke, a 99 pound white shepherd, had torn off one of his nails on a front paw on Saturday evening around 9 pm. After flushing the wound (which was bleeding profusely) with water to clean it, I found it impossible to either trim the remaining hanging portion of the nail or to wrap his paw satisfactorily to protect it from picking up dirt and and infectious agents. So, I decided he needed to see a vet right away even though by then the bleeding had subsided. I went to their location on University which has plenty of free parking and an hour later a tech was able to perform a complete triage exam and then came back with Luke to explain to me the situation. The tech was able to immediately gain Luke's confidence which allowed him to perform a thorough evaluation.. The bottom line is that he and the vet felt Luke was in no immediate danger and since they had a half dozen of more serious cases waiting (so a treatment wouldn't be able to begin for five hours!) we would be best off just keeping him inactive at home and seeing my regular vet ASAP. We were able to do that the next morning and all ended well. What was remarkable was they didn't charge me anything!!! This is in stark contrast to my last visit to them 25 years ago when I almost fainted when presented with their bill for services which was exceedingly expensive for a minor service. I'm glad they are more flexible and accommodating nowadays! AAA+++ read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was referred to this hospital by my vet for an ultrasound and am unbelievably upset at the way my cat was treated here. I brought my cat at 7am and while waiting a receptionist in pink scrubs was talking impatiently with clear disdain for the clients both to their face on the phone and mocking them to the other staff. This already gave me a sour impression of the place. It took me 3 hours to get seen by a vet which I understand since it was a walk-in. I asked what time I can expect to pick up my cat and was told expected pickup was 12pm since there were only 3 pets that needed ultrasounds and each pet took 20-30 minutes. An hour past noon I received no call and called to follow up. I was told my cat's ultrasound was finished but they were waiting on the vet to interpret results. At 2pm I asked if I could stop by the clinic to drop off food for my cat since she hasn't eaten the entire day and the receptionist sounded so annoyed for asking if it was possible if I could bring my cat food but understood if I couldn't. They said I could bring food for my cats and the techs would feed her in the back so I dropped off food. At 4pm I finally got a call from the vet saying that the techs had to sedate my cat because there was another cat in the room who made all the other cats upset. My cat has never had to be sedated for behavior and the vet Dr. Li, while laughing, even admitted she was well behaved but said had to sedate her when the problem cat was making the other cats upset. I don't understand why my cat had to go through sedation and I had to pay for it when they could've just separated the problem cat. I was finally told I could pick up my cat after which I arrived and was told the vet was not ready to finish her report yet. I got her back and they returned the container of food I dropped off that had the exact amount of food as it originally did when I dropped it off. They didn't even give her any of the food I dropped off, after being so disrespectful about it, and I was just coldly handed my cat and her test results. When I asked to clarify a line on the printout and if my cat had a problem eating the food I dropped off, the person shrugged, said "I just got here," and said the line was something to talk with the vet. I can't believe my cat spent 9 hours here being treated with such terrible care. They gave her 2 sedatives and billed me an extra $200 when they could've handled this problem by separating the problem cat. I suspect they sedated my cat only because she was the easier cat to handle and my poor cat is still suffering for it. One day later and she's still feeling the effects of sedation and I'm beyond pissed they drugged her up so much for a problem they could've solved without sedating her in the first place. I don't doubt the skills and knowledge of the vets but we were treated with such poor care and it felt the only thing they cared about was getting my money. I debated posting this review, but ultimately decided to because I cannot in good faith recommend any person send their pet here for any non emergency. One of the receptionists was incredibly nice and I appreciated the support she gave and I wish the rest of my experience reflected that but it didn't. I see the business responding to multiple reviews thanking them for the feedback and wish instead of giving thanks they start giving a few more shits about their practices and my cat whom I deeply regret trusting them with. I have 0 faith they will start doing that. read more

I want to preface my review by saying I really put all my trust in the veterinarians at PETS because I was optimistic they would help out and keep my animals safe. Unfortunately, what resulted in several visits--one with their ER department, and 3-4 visits with their specialist vets--was the need for two of my animals having to be euthanized within the span of three months. One animal by PETS (an experience I'll detail below), and one by a vet--two vets, actually--who I handed off my second pet's case to when I realized PETS was not taking care of my animals, keeping them safe, and treating me with kindness, compassion, and courtesy During the most difficult time in my life. PETS was recommended to me by another vet who told me they had an animal specialist on staff that could treat my first animal through the ER. It was late at night, so in desperation, I took my animal in. We sat in the waiting room for hours with my animal in respiratory distress, before we were finally brought back to a room. There, they explained that they actually couldn't treat my animal without the specialist, so I would need to board it overnight, they would run all diagnostics, and then at some point the specialist would call. After $6000+, I boarded it and had faith that PETS would deliver. I never received a call and had to call them myself after the general clinic had closed. Their tech on staff explained that my pet had a condition that it could pass on its own if it was a stronger animal and we should just give the pet time. The very next day, my pet began to crash. I called PETS to get a hold of the specialist and they told me to bring her in and board it overnight. I knew my pet would not survive. I took it anyway. Again, sat in the waiting room for hours. When they took me back, they told me, with complete lack of sensitivity and compassion, that the only option was euthanasia. I knew from the very first day I went to PETS that my animal was staring down this end result. PETS referral strung me along and robbed me. As I was signing the euthanasia paper work, they came into collect payment--$500--while I was trying to say goodbye to my animal. The euthanasia process lacked complete empathy for my situation and was treated like a business deal. Not only did I leave with my heart shattered about my pet, I left feeling yuck, used and taken advantage of. I swore I would never go back to PETS, but when my other animal, who had been bonded to the first one, began to experience a common health issue and no other specialist was available to treat this condition, I unfortunately had to drag myself back to that awful, uncaring place. I scheduled the consult, which was an obscene amount of money, and waited for the verdict of the exam and test results. Per my suspicions, the animal need a specialized procedure, which I willingly paid for. The day of the procedure, I dropped the animal off early, before hours. The pick-up process for it was cold and lacked warmth and reassurance my animal Would be okay. Hours, and hours, and hours went by before I finally began phoning PETS for an update. I was told the vet was not in the office. I called 4-5 times. I just wanted an update. Finally, 30 mins before closing, the specialist calls and gives me the rundown, and asks if I can get there before closing time so she can go home. I raced to get to PETS. We have our visit, during which I was assured my animals Through would bounce back in 3 or so days. I took my animal home. Three days later, no progress. I emailed the vet, who doesn't respond to email unless they are in the office, which isn't 5 days a week. Five days later, email, same advice I was give. In-office during pick up. The animal will improve. 4-5 days after that, another email to the vet, 3-4 days after that, same response. Meanwhile, my animal continues to go downhill. I tell myself, if I can keep my animal alive to the follow-up, then I'll go from there. The day before the follow up, the receptionist calls to reschedule the follow up. the day of the reschedule follow up arrives, receptionist calls to reschedule that one. The whole entire time I am essentially providing hospice care to my animal because it has crashed so badly and this specialist at PETS has been so negligent to my case. My animal was not eating on its own, I was force feeding it, it couldn't keep food not keep food in its body, it was losing weight rapidly, it was dehydrated, and a suggested supplemental add in food to my animal's emergency diet at the time gave it diarrhea. I reached out to the vet via email for help, and it took half a week to get a response. Throughout this entire process, this specialist at PETS NEVER ONCE gave me a phone call. This specialist is the most insensitive, expensive veterinarian who is hiding beh By Thursday of the third week post-op I knew that my animal was at the point of no return. I had been strung along and had my follow-up appointment rescheduled too many times. read more

Thank you to Dr. Michal, Mandy, and the rest of the PETS Referral team for taking such wonderful care of our pup, Clark. Our pup was trying unsuccessfully to throw up, having difficulty swallowing, and was clearly in distress. At the recommendation of her vet, we took her into emergency care to get her checked out. The team at PETS was professional, kind, thorough, and efficient when it came to triaging and treating our girl. The quote for Clark's treatment was priced in a range based on possible treatments, as it was unclear what was going on until the doctor checked her out. When I returned to pick her up, I was refunded the difference between the cost of treatment and the deposit I paid. The price for her treatment was reasonable and fair, and everything about PETS felt professional, ethical, and confidence-inspiring. While there, I saw the PETS team providing the same high level of care to other people with their pups, and I feel fortunate to have a place like PETS nearby. Thank you for everything! Your dedication to such a challenging line of work is truly admirable. Y'all are saints for the care and attention you provide to our furry friends. We are truly grateful for folks like you! read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

We've taken our senior dog here two or more times in the past couple years, even though it's not our primary vet. Of course taking a pet you love dearly with an issue to the vet is always a drag, and can be scary! The staff at this place seem to truly care and put my mind at ease with their demeanor and friendliness. We'll be returning if a need comes up. read more

Although I am writing this while heartbroken, I must give my thanks to pets referral center for their amazing love and care yesterday with my beloved dog who I had to say goodbye to. After being left with no choice or other options, pets referral center made my painful goodbye as caring, comfortable and peaceful as possible. The staff are wonderful and kind and compassionate. I always wanted the situation to be a house call when this day came, but I think coming here was meant to be. Everyone I spoke to here was a kind gatekeeper to heaven where my dog is now. read more

Unfortunately, we had to bring our dog, Timmy, to PETS many times, but the care was consistently excellent. Every vet we worked with was kind, compassionate and attentive. Wait times were occasionally long, but that's understandable for an emergency clinic. read more

I wanted to give a huge shoutout to the tech who helped my dog and I. My dog ripped his dew claw over the weekend, so we were looking for an emergency clinic who could take a look at it. He gets very stressed at the vet so his regular checkups are sedated, making an injury like this one extra stressful (for me). We had a horrible experience at the Castro Valley Animal Hospital the day before and they didn't help us, so to come in here and have such a quick and easy experience was lovely. I wish I'd gotten the tech's name, she was a black woman with curly hair maybe around 30-35. She was super confident and reassured me that she could help my dog without sedating him, the confidence is always what I'm looking for when I go to a new vet for the first time. She took him in the back, took the hanging nail off, and let me know he didn't need anything surgical done on it. She didn't even charge me and said that she barely did anything. But she made my day and I was so appreciative of her helping my boy. read more

Came back to cremate our fur baby, Kippy, a 10 year old Netherlands dwarf bunny. I called ahead and they are open 24/7 and gave me all the time I needed before I dropped her off. Great price for separate cremation - $300 and I was able to pick her up the same day her ashes came in because they are open 24/7. This place is the best for the tragic times when your pet dies. Makes it a little easier. Thanks you Pets Referral! read more

Don't go here. I've been waiting for 6 hours. The staff is rude and unpleasant. Will never come here again.

We have had kind and compassionate care at this location in an emergency situation. Sadly, we have been regulars due to my dog's eye issues. They have a legit ophthalmologist here, Dr. Zarfoss. It's steep to see a specialist like this, but she exhibits compassion and practicality. read more

I came in with a very sick little dog I was dog sitting. Stressful situation for sure. This little guy was very ill and the staff was so kind, compassionate and extremely comforting. 10/10 read more

If I could give zero stars I would. These people sent a 17 year old dog home who had been throwing up all day. We said money was not an issue and they still declined to run a basic blood panel. They sent us home But not before charging $900 for an exam, fluids and a shot of anti nausea medication. Less than an hour after we left, our dog started peeing blood. When we called back, we were told that we should observe him overnight. Thank heavens we did not listen to them because our dog ended up having pancreatitis. When he developed a UTI after being hospitalized for two days at a different ER 30 minutes away we called pets to ask that they fill the antibiotic. They refused, even after admitting that it makes sense that he would be prescribed an antibiotic. They were not willing to fill a prescription because "we aren't a pharmacy" even after making such a grave error regarding his care. When we had a UTI reoccurrence a few weeks later they dropped the ball again and took two days to submit his urine culture to their external lab. When they took the sample I asked when it would be submitted to the lab and they said the lab came to pick up samples twice a day. After calling every few hours because my pup was not improving on the antibiotics PETS had given us I learned that the sample had not been dropped off until two days after it had been collected. So their miscommunication let me to waste time calling for results that would've never been available. When I asked if we could change my dogs antibiotics because he was not responding to what they gave him and we were on day four of a five day course of antibiotics I was told that he would need to come back down to PETS so we could pay them more money for a physical exam that would have yielded nothing different. This place prioritizes money over care. I was hung up on and spoken over by their vet tech Amanda. She was so impatient that from the very beginning of the conversation, she refused to let me finish sentences and jumped in to explain to me what a urine culture was and other basic definitions for medical procedures. I first took my my dog to PETS 16 years ago and the service has continuously degraded on the emergency side. The ophthalmology department is fantastic, but I will never take my dog to PETS for emergency services again. If you have time, you should drive out to VEG in San Ramon, the best animal emergency vet in the Bay Area. If you want to be disrespected and provided with subpar care then look no further, PETS is your place! read more

I will forever be grateful for the incredible staff at Pets Referral Center. They brought my feisty Bessie girl back from almost near death. She was mauled by my neighbors' dogs and when we rushed her to a vet near us, they didn't have the expertise to do more for my pup other than pain meds and made a call to Pet Referral for us. Luckily, they swooped her in and really saved her. My heart tightens just thinking back on what she had to endure, but the staff never gave up on her and neither did she. They gave us daily updates, photos and honest and realistic goals for Bessie's recovery. They never made me feel that I asked too many questions or called too much. They are caring, experienced, professional and true angels. read more

PETS Referral Center - We got to have our Bessie girl for another year because of Pets Referral. - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I first came across PETS Referral Center in 2022 while researching oncology facilities for my senior pitbull. His GP had found a lump on his throat during a routine checkup and had done a biopsy which came back positive for thyroid carcinoma and suggested we find him an oncologist. Thus began a three year saga of chemotherapy treatments, check-ups, x-ray appointments and such. The staff at PETS referral became like family, and Bradley was treated so very well by everyone, (I don't know if they make EVERY dog feel like a superstar, but Bradley sure was one!) They became part of our routine, like seeing old friends every few months. This May, Bradley's tumor started growing aggressively, and he started declining rapidly. Dr. Shafer was so kind to us and helped us try to find solutions, even though we all knew his time was near. The level of care and compassion we received were unmatched. I will never forget how kind the staff were at PETS. They gave us the gift of time and gave us 3 more years with our baby that we might not have had otherwise. If anyone is looking for an oncologist in the bay area, this would be my highest recommendation. read more

PETS Referral Center - Bradley - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

I hate leaving bad reviews to small businesses but my BFF and I had a TERRIBLE experience here. The doctor herself was great but I sat in that waiting room for 5 hours listening to the indifferent and uncaring desk staff treat their customers terribly. Understand that every person in that room is terrified for their fur babies. If you are going to work at an emergency vet hospital and cannot show a grain of compassion or empathy, you need a new job. I watched staff explain medications and charges without even making eye contact with people. The worst was after they finally brought us to the exam room. We waited there for almost another hour. When my friend asked one of the staff for updates about her sick kitty, she was treated with straight up hostility. Friend: "Can you at least have an update on how she's doing?" Staff Member: "I do not have that information because I am not in there with her. There are two animals back there trying not to die. We will get to your cat when we can." Friend: "I understand that but she's been back there for five hours and we have got absolutely no updates or information. I'm worried sick." Staff Member: "Well I am updating you now." And with that, she walked out of the room. My friend was literally in tears and I was beyond astonished to watch her be talked to that way. That lady could have delivered the same information 19 different ways without being unkind. After having very dear friends who owned a vet clinic for decades, I understand that it is a tough business to be in. That doesn't excuse treating people that way. Two stars ONLY because Dr Peterson was extremely lovely. read more

Seriously, the worst ER for pets. Checked in around 3:45pm on 7/11/23 for infected eyes and bloody diarrhea/soft poop. Was assessed by the triage nurse about an hour later, in the parking lot. He said that they'll get his vitals after sedating him - I notified staff that he is a reactive dog and told the nurse that it'll be very difficult to even get a listen to his heartbeat. But shouldn't they have at least gotten his vitals and blood drawn to make sure his infection and bloody poop was not serious before labeling him as a "non emergency patient"? Called multiple times and walked in for updates and was constantly told that other serious pets had priority. Cool. I get it. But what made me really upset was that while we waited in the car for near 6 hours, he didn't even get his vitals checked. And I saw multiple pets checking in and getting discharged within an hour or two. - I get it... they were high priority. But my pup wasn't even assessed correctly, no vitals taken. The last time I called to check in, the staff said "I don't know what you want me to do". Geez... I know there are high priority patients, and I get it, having to deal with frustrated paw parents can be irritating. But really? The only reason we went to the ER was because his regular vet said that he couldn't squeeze him in the same day and was concerned about his condition. In the end, I had to leave the queue because I had to take time sensitive meds for myself (kidney transplant patient). Got home at 9:50 pm and reached out to our vet. Waiting to be seen tomorrow. He still has discharge coming out of his eyes and keeps pawing at his face. And he isn't able to poop since the morning. Photo: taken in the morning to send to his vet on 7/11/23. 100% would stay away from this place for ER visits. Their other departments may be different. I thought that this may have been a "bad day", but reading some of their reviews, it seems like this is how they run things. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

I took my dog in because he was having trouble eating and excessive clearing of his throat. I thought it might be a fox tail. The veterinarian did an exam and ruled it back pain, which I did not agree with. At the time she wanted to do excessively costly tests that I did not feel were worth it. My dog continued to struggle, even worsening, so I took him in again. The vet felt a mass in the neck at recommended an oral scope, x-ray, and ultrasound which would have been about $3000 (all 3 would have been a bit unnecessary. I decided to go with the ultrasound and if something was found, get it tested. This still costs over $1700, but I am thankful I got it done. The ultrasound showed a mass, and the doctor who told me she was not very warm or empathetic, which when you are hearing bad news, would be really nice to hear in a kind manner. While I was there waiting to be seen by the doctor, it had been about 2 hours so I asked how much longer the wait was, the vet tech who told me another couple hours was super rude, as if asking just once was too much. The results of the test came back in and they said they would call me back the same day to discuss, but I never got a call. I called again the next day and they said someone would call me back. I still did not get a call. I'm still waiting to get a call to discuss the mass results. I understand that this is an emergency vet and things take precedence, but they should have a doctor on staff to make update calls to clients so they are not waiting anxiously for days on end. I do have to say that with their specialty departments, that is not an emergency, they do pretty well and you don't have to wait for hours and even make appointments. read more

***Please read this if you are considering bringing your pet to this clinic*** I wish there was a negative star that I could give to PETS Referral Center. A one star certainly does not suffice. It was an extremely chaotic & traumatizing experience to bring our cat to them. Firstly, we were waiting for many hours for our cat (who was in immense pain) to be shown to the vet. We were not given any clarity on how long the wait was for. Secondly, the vets were cold and insensitive in their demeanor. The process of them seeing our cat was rushed. The vet created a high stress situation and shared the worst case scenarios for our cat, taunting us by saying that our cat's tail could be amputated and we are not taking his pain seriously. They did all of this without finishing the due process of checking him for all potential things that could happen to him, and simply jumped to the most terrifying possibility - all the while pushing for us to spend more money on different things. And lastly, the medicines they gave us were (1) not at all appropriate because they gave a sedative to our very relaxed cat, so if only they cared enough to know their patients they would know that our cat never needed that sedative (2) the medicines ruined our cat's appetite completely which further weakened him. It is so ridiculous to trust someone with your child when they are in pain, and for them to have such a flippant, ignorant, and capitalistic approach to caring for them. We left the clinic feeling deeply unsettled and terrified; the clinic just wanted to extract money out of our cat's pain. When we went to a different vet, the experience was completely different. There was no need for amputation that was mentioned, our cat was treated with tenderness and care and so were we, and the newer vet did a very through job of understanding the problem at hand and giving the appropriate care needed. I highly recommend people to not go to this emergency clinic if possible. We all deserve a lot more care than this emergency clinic seems possible of offering. To the employees of PETS Referral Center: Please don't respond to my review, I do not wish to engage with you any further. read more

PETS Referral Center - Veterinarians Near Me - Berkeley, California

We have taken both of our dogs to PETS this year for emergency care requiring hospital stays for aspiration pneumonia and hemorragic diarrhea. We have found all of the veterinarians, vet techs and staff to be very kind and empathetic. We were very pleased with the care provided. read more

I had a GREAT experience there today. My rescue lab is reactive around other dogs, so they said I could wait in the car and they'd call me. The vet tech called and I explained that I though my dog had a foxtail and seemed hurt in that paw. He met me at the side door, took his vitals, then looked at him outside with me. He didn't think it was a foxtail, and advised to keep an eye on it for a bit, but wasn't worth the 2-3 hour wait for vet. Since I never saw the vet, there was NO charge. I couldn't believe it! Brian the vet tech was very kind and gentle, and I really appreciated his help. I was only there 30 minutes or so. Will definitely go back! read more

There are some lovely staff vet technicians that are loving and kind. However, the veterinarians did not seem like they were reading the electronic medical record when I was very clear that I did not want to have our 15-year-old pup put to sleep in an emergency clinic, I felt like I was being badgered to euthanize her. I have 47 years experience in healthcare so I know how to advocate for myself. I feel for those that are not able to. Our Pup spent the night and I was told that she was lethargic, not eating and could not stand on her own, yet when we picked her up, she was awake looking around, was able to stand when we put her in the backyard and she walked from the deck to the kitchen and had a snack,. Although she was weak she was definitely different from the vets description. I would highly caution anybody to take their beloved family member to this place. I know the clinic in San Ramon is further out, but they seem to have much better reviews. read more