Extremely helpful and kind staff! Dr. Boutilier is a great veterinarian who actually takes the time to explain things to me each and every time. She is always a wealth of knowledge and I really appreciate her attitude and perspective. I never feel rushed or like any single one of my concerns isn't addressed. When she sees you and your pet she offers you her full attention, and you can tell she actually cares. She has given me some great suggestions and advice, and she offers helpful insight and a kind approach to helping you care for your pet's health and wellness. Everyone in this office is friendly and helpful, every single person who's worked the front desk or helped me on the phone, all of the techs, and every veterinarian who has helped us in the past. They are really great with my dog and always kind to me no matter how busy they are. I really appreciate the entire staff because no one wants to take their pet to the vet, but they make it less of a drag here and they run a smooth operation from online bookings to the online pharmacy and offering me digital invoices/receipts after each visit that I always receive immediately. There's almost never a wait and the appointments start on time. So they also respect your time as well and I personally don't think I've ever waited more than five minutes even on the absolute busiest and most crowded days. My dog hasn't always been the easiest for them to work with but with their help, she has become so much less fearful of the vet's office. She's really shown so much growth coming here over the years. Thank you to Washington Square Vet for always being available for any of our pup's health concerns, and I feel lucky to have you as our trusted vet's office for many years and for many more years to come. read more

Always take great care of our fur babies. It's a comfort to know I can call/email my concerns. If it's an urgent issue, they have gotten us in pretty quickly. If it's not, they have provided advice by call/email. AND, most importantly, they take time to explain everything! Sometimes it's hard for me to focus in some places. This is one. I really appreciate how much they really care about our furry kiddos! read more

After doing a fair amount of research, we chose Washington Square for our new puppy, and started by enrolling "Pinot" in their "Puppy Package." It was an excellent plan and it provided everything she needed to get off to a great start in life. She's almost 5 now, she's totally healthy and happy, and Washington Square continues to meet our needs, answer any questions we have, and give us the perfect answer when someone asks us, "Hey, do you know a great vet?" read more

Superb service, wonderful staff, extremely professional, which is very important. We are so lucky to have such a magnificent team of dedicated animal care experts in Petaluma. Daisy is my second dog in need of leg surgery. Both dogs well taken care of by WSVC. The follow-up procedures were efficient, passionate, and nicely done. Unfortunately, my own experiences with veterinary clinics recently has drastically declined in service but escalated in costs. The majority of today's clinics do not appear to care about the animals, it's all about the $$$$. Not true with Washington Square Veterinary Clinic. They are compassionate with their treatment not only with the pets but with the owners as well. Pet owners love their BFF's. Knowing a pet is sick is extremely emotional. WSVC healed not only my pets but me as well. Plus the staff politely listened to all my jabbering! Thank you! read more

Until today we were happy with the service and care, by this practice. Our dog has been a patient for a few years. We recently adopted a rescue kitty. He hasn't been acting like his usual self. And, his litter turns color if there is something off about a cats urine. Ours, was orange today. So, I called, 'our' veterinarian. I told them who we were . They looked us up and confirmed we are the dogs owners. And, then told me I have to wait until the end of December for what might, be hurting our cat. I guess, I expected them to at least say they would 'fit' him in early or late during next few days. In fact, initially when thinking it was our dog, they sounded as though they might fit him in. I asked what I am supposed to do....is my cats health threatened? The person on the phone didn't seem to care. They told me to call an Emergency Hospital. These places cost a significantly higher fee. I was hoping to avoid that as, we have a relationship with Dr. Johnson's practice. I was wrong. I am going to a new veterinarian on Monday, 6 Dec. This is 1 December. The other office says we can watch our cat. And, not to be concerned. I still have an option to go to ER if needed. I'm sad to say, we will be requesting our dogs records soon, too. I'm going to take him somewhere else. Bummer. I thought we had a good relationship with this office. read more

I found this place on recommendation and brought my Labrador Retriever here for over two years. He had gastrointestinal problems as a puppy and they were able help rectify the issue pretty quickly by changing his food (who would have thought?), after I went through about six months of run around and multiple office visits with another vet in town. Everyone who works here is great. Prices are fair and they do not up charge you. They actually answer simple questions over the phone so you are not using office time unnecessarily. As an existing client, I never had trouble getting in for an appointment and they always managed to fit me in. I really trusted the veterinarians' recommendations and I felt like treatment was provided based on what was best for my pet, not necessarily for their business. I have unfortunately relocated out of state so can no longer bring my dog here. I'm very disappointed since it can be difficult to find such great veterinary care as provided by Dr. Johnson and her team! read more

I am writing this review because I'd like to express my overall experience, and I need closure to move on. Dr Johnson has been my vet for over 30 years. I knew her when she was finishing up Vet school while working with Dr. Visco. I always felt and still do that my pets are in caring and experienced hands. She always got back with me with a follow-up. She is a brilliant veterinarian and I would recommend her to anyone. I appreciate her very much. Its her current practice that I struggle with. Once upon a time, Dr Johnson had a dream team that was the glue that kept everything together. Theresa, a vet tech, was full of sunshine, and was an amazing excellent problem solver. She loved what she did and you knew it. Mya, a vet tech, was wonderful as well. She truly cared and she too loved what she did. Kim, helped with just about everything. She was calm and excellent at what she did. Super easy to get along with. She loved her job, and it showed. Ariel was the receptionist. She was informative with accurate information, always answered the phone, and rarely put the customer on hold. If she did, she got right back with you. Dr. Johnson's husband was the Office Manager. He was accessible and extremely helpful. This team had a common thread. They loved what they did, and they appreciated your business. Unfortunately, that was the past, and the office in my opinion was never the same when they left. It would be mean spirited for me to point the finger at her current staff so I won't do that. I have many examples of my personal struggles of what I'd call poor customer service, lack of customer appreciation and unprofessionalism. That's why I left. Sometimes it's better to do the right thing than always being right. I've moved on to Central Animal Hospital and they treat me well. They seem to love what they do and it shows. That's not a lot to ask for as a customer. read more

AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE. It is understood that businesses are overrun due to backup with Covid, but the rude condescending tone when a family member called today about her dog, showing unusual signs and to see about an appointment, is UNACCEPTABLE. Why even be in a line of work caring for others loved ones if you're going to be an absolute rude witch to your clients? Especially when they are feeling worried and not knowing what's wrong with their beloved pet? It's sickening and I hope this woman gets terminated. My family has been bringing animals to this vet for 20+ years, I am absolutely disgusted with today's service. I will NOT be referring anybody else to this vet, and I will be sharing this awful experience with all pet owners I know. read more

We needed a new local vet after our vet in Novato retired. Our aging cat had been diagnosed as being diabetic and we needed to follow up on that. We were very pleased with the gentle, informed, caring atmosphere we found. The office, the techs and the vets are all top notch which is high praise coming from my wife whose brother is a retired veterinarian. read more

I can't praise Dr. Johnson and her team enough. I moved out of Petaluma 7 years ago, but while I was living in Petaluma Dr. Johnson and her team gave my dog outstanding care. Since I moved away 7 years ago, I have called Dr. Johnson to confer with her on other issues regarding my dogs care. She has never refused to talk to me or even charge me for her consultation. Today, my dog is 16 years old and it is time to let him go. After the initial 'quality of life' visit with my local vet, I called Dr. Johnson's office to consult with her. Understand, she has not seen Tu in 7 years. Obviously, she could not give me a diagnosis or any other professional opinions about his condition. Yet, she was willing to talk to me and answer some questions, for example, what it means that his body temp was a bit low. She returned my call after a long, busy day and terrible weather to drive home in. Such is her dedication, professionalism, expertise and compassion. This is what you want in a veterinarian. I have a deep, unwavering respect and appreciation for Dr. Johnson and her team. read more

Fabulous care for our pet, and patient explanation of procedures from the vet. And really clear social distancing procedures. A+ all around.

Dr. Zweiter is amazing. When we brought our dogs for their first visit, she really talked us through our options for a few things - never upselling and always trusting us as the dog parents to make the call. She checked in regularly to see if what we were trying worked. One of our dogs ended up with a horrible quickly progressing illness and Dr. Zweiter worked with us and what we wanted for our pup to ensure that we felt we had done everything but not too much so our dog was unhappy in her last days. She consulted with experts about our case and dug into the most recent research. The care she provided to us in our dogs last few weeks of life was impeccable (and her soft caring voice always made me cry). So grateful for the care we received, the lack of guilt for making hard choices, and the humanity we experienced while caring for our pup. read more

This vet clinic is the worst I've ever been to. I had to take my dog to this vet to be put down. I didn't know the vet but had to have him put down as I had just moved to Petaluma. I had a wonderful vet in MT who would have come to my house to put him down or met me at any time at the clinic to do so. Instead, I had to rely on reviews about this clinic, which were unfortunately misleading. The vet on duty was very cold and clinical, abrupt about the decision. She gave my dog an unnecessary intramuscular injection before the final dose. I have had to put dogs down in the past and that was never necessary. His last memory will be the pain of the injection. Before they put him to sleep, they asked me about having a paw print made and about cremation. I said I wanted the ceramic paw print made and even selected the color. I told them I wanted the cremation and we discussed the type of container. Now they have told me they didn't order the paw print and I can never have that now as he has been cremated. The girl at the front desk called me within the hour to ask me about the cremation container again, while I was still so upset and asked me a relentless number of questions, causing me to burst into tears again in public. Having to put a beloved pet is a devastating experience and this clinic compounded it a thousandfold with their negligent and careless behavior. I would never return under any circumstances and highly recommend anyone looking for a kind and caring enviorment for their pet care to avoid them at all costs. read more

I found a lump on our dog's throat yesterday morning and called the clinic at 7:30 am (30 minutes before they opened. They answered the phone and I told what was going on with my dog. They said I could drop her off right away and within two hours I got a call back after the initial exam. They told me how they would proceed and if I was OK with the plan. A few hours later they found that she had a fox tail in her throat that caused an infection. The lump was drained the infection was clean the fox tail was removed and she was resting comfortably. I picked her up that afternoon and she was still a bit groggy but looked much better. Today she seems good as new. She's eating she's responsive and back to normal. I can't say enough about how great everybody at the clinic was and how professional they were. They really seem to care about their patients and their patients owners! Thank you so much for everything! read more

I just moved to Petaluma and had to find a vet that could get my pup in right away. I had called every other vet in town and this was the only place that could get him in and they were able to see him right away. Thank goodness too because it ended up being heart failure. My poor pup was having trouble breathing and the vet saw the signs right away and put him on oxygen. Long story short, the staff and vet were so kind and helpful. They kept me up to date every minute and every step of the way. They gave me options and they eventually helped me make the best decision for my pup, which was to put him down. This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and they were right by my side. I received my pups paw print in the mail a few days later and his ashes a week later. I would definitely recommend this vet and give them a try. I wouldn't let the negative reviews sway you. read more

Very disappointed in the service we received. The staff was friendly but seemed very disorganized. Had an appointment scheduled for 11 AM, but they seemed to have not communicated amongst themselves that we would be there. We had received a diagnosis of diabetes for our cat and after the initial visit/treatment instructions, never had a follow up call. Conversely, we've visited other vets and have ALWAYS received follow up calls. And to top it off, their prices are ridiculously high. Avoid this place like rabies. read more

PAINFULLY expensive. You might as well go to the Animial Care Center in Rohnert Park if you want to spend hundreds of dollars on routine shots. I believe this doctor is an investment partner in that practice as well so I can't imagine that suggestion doing him much harm. Decent care, but far to expensive to be practical. read more

I am so happy that I chose to use Washington Square Clinic. They got my pup Charles in super quick and saw him in between appointments. I picked him up and he was so happy. It is definitely worth coming here. You get what you pay for and they are fabulous. read more

I am fostering a kitten for Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County. This kitten was horribly crippled and disfigured at birth. He was only able to walk by dragging his hind legs, which were folded up in a bow. This condition is apparently exceptionally rare; and there are no standard treatment protocols. Dr. Gurevitch has been treating this kitten over the last four months. Remarkably, the kitten will soon be able to walk on its own: His legs are now straight, tarsal bones secured, and he is building strength. It is hard to express my gratitude for this triumph of compassion and skill. read more

Dr. Gurevitch truly is the best. We rescued a Red Bone Coonhound in July that was to be put down due to infection from an injury incurred in January. After 6 months of no Vet follow-up, Dr. Gurevitch took on this case with caution. Amputation might have to be the solution. Before he went there he took every measure to see if we could save the leg, especially given Fern had hip dysplasia. Dr. Gurevitch performed one surgery and brought her to the best recovery possible. Fern now runs on that leg and is getting stronger everyday! He truly loves the animals he cares for! We are VERY grateful for Dr. Gurevitch! Luv, Fern, the Red Bone Coonhound read more

Sharon Johnson has my business for life and as long as my heart shall beat because of the devotion and care she has provided our families pets since opening this clinic. FIRST, she understands that OUR pets are members of our Family and not simply "pets", and she and her wonderful staff treat them that way at ALL times. Our female Calico, Gertie, that was always opening up small cuts and sores in her coat from "over-grooming" and Dr. Johnson tried with warning, a steroid injection every three months. Once again, she CLEARLY WARNED me that steroids in an animal can create all sorts of issues, but I decided to take the chance. After a year and a half of her having the shot, Gertie really had a turn for the worse and just dropped on our floor. We rushed her to Dr. Johnson and found the the shots had turned Diabetic and in one week went from Hypoglycemic to Anemic in the same week!! At this point, Doc recommended that we do some research to find another way to help her w/o having to continue steroids. She trained me to give daily pills and shots to control the Diabetes, and started to look for another medicine to turn her to. I cannot believe that she got me comfortable to not only stick a needle into my reason for living, (GERTIE) but she also made me confident and skilled to the point that Gerts started to not even feel that I was giving her shot to her. The pills, not so friendly of a welcoming, but my parents help me to get through it. Dr. Johnson came up with Cyclosporin and it has worked wonders for helping to control her itching and she is no longer registering at diabetic levels. Gertie is 11 1/2 years old and lives every day on borrowed time thanks to Sharon Johnson and Washington Square Vet Clinic. Gertie died the night she dropped, she had passed her bodily fluids and keeled over, but the Clinic and I showed her that she has a whole lot more to live for and helped her health to match her desire to live. No one is a miracle worker, however, Dr. Johnson was able to hand me a miracle and it was her heart that allowed her to care enough to find it. I cannot say this about any other Vet, and I am proud that Gertie is such great friends with Doc and her employees, as she is very happy when she has to stay over or be left with them for an extended period of time. I hope I help someone by letting everyone know that by trusting in this Vet, my Cat continues to live and thrive every day!! read more

Our normal Vet closed at noon and we had an emergency, in our eyes, with our dog. She came in and was acting strange. Gagging, but with her head resting on the ground and her using her front claws to dig in her mouth causing her to bleed around her teeth and from the top of the nose from obviously doing this for a few minutes outside. We looked down her throat and couldn't see anything. We were scared. I searched via GPS for the nearest Vet and WSVC came up. We called and Monica was very helpful from the start. She said to check the top of her mouth for a stick that may have become lodged up there. Couldn't see it at first but we grabbed a flashlight and had her lay down for a better angle. Well, at this angle, there it was. Exactly where Monica said it would be, a stick, wedged in between her upper teeth. We reached in and pulled it out and instant relief. Thank you Monica, and WSVC for employing her and working this day. Not sure what would have happened to her if we had not called you, but we know for sure you saved her. Thank you! read more

The lack of concern for disabled seniors was appalling. This is a senior heavy community. Although I am fully vaccinated, double mask and follow precautions, to be forced to wait in exposed weather although I had an appointment and was expected, reading tiny signs with phone numbers, asked questions that had been answered weeks before, a chair in the shade would have shown the tiniest consideration for an elder in pain. They demanded emails and other work for me to do. My little dog merely needed shots that I specified and a script for NexGuard, but they refused to trust me and demanded written proof. Care was impossible to get unless I kowtowed to them and waited on my feet or in the blazing sun. Covid did not suddenly wipe out other diseases nor should it have wiped out consideration for seniors and the disabled. I will never use a business that shows absolutely no concern for its customers. Even dirty Safeway provides motorized carts, hand sanitize, a covered place to sit. You would think a medical provider could provide a chair in the shade. Never will I allow anyone to treat me as I were merely a block of wood. read more

Outstanding, compassion staff. Dr Johnson is knowledgeable and humane. Helped us understand the extent of disease and our limited choices. Provided great care to our sick cat. Though we transferred to the hospital where our cat was finally put to sleep, this group called and sent a card of condolences. Class act. read more

I like this place a lot. I brought my parents dog in for an exam the other day. The staff was very friendly, and prepared for our arrival. The doctor did not keep us waiting for very long. He was using a bit too much medical jargon, but luckily I used to work for a vet so I got most of what he was saying...he was pretty up front, cut to the point. Also the dog was not scared at all and seemed to feel safe and was trusting of the staff. A very good sign!!! I like this place. read more

This Yelp is long overdue for this AMAZING place. My daughters and I are huge animal lovers and we had taken on the task of rescuing a very neglected dog during the heatwave in hopes of re-homing her, which by the way we did find her an amazing home, anyways my experience here started with the first person who answered the phone and I believe her name is Sarah, or maybe Sharon, regardless she was a true angel! The rescue dog hurt my 13-year-old Chihuahua bear accidentally, she was only a puppy but she injured his back and he couldn't walk , then he wasn't eating and then threw up all day and night for days. I stayed home from work to care for him and try to find a vet to get him into and it was one of the most stressful, hard and heartbreaking experiences I have been through! After going through this for four days straight with him only getting worse and then started to throw up blood I called every vet within 45 miles trying to get him in to be seen as soon as possible. I had a bad experience with a Vet in Cotati and everyone I called were just very so cold and showed no sympathy so I knew it was going to be near impossible to find a place to not only get him in soon but also be able to handle him because at this time all the new procedures for COVID had gone into affect and I knew it would be near impossible to have him seen in a cold, unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces while being under such distress especially without me being able to go in with him especially after the bad experience he just had with me there but this place was everything far from cold! She answered the phone and was genuinely compassionate and so kind and patiently listened to all my details and concerns while I sobbed on the phone. She reassured me that they would be able to at least examine him and get him in the next day as an emergency appt. The first appt he was there for over five hours and they kept in contact through the entire process and even stated what a good, sweet boy he was. Every other place that I had called and spoke to throughout that week all said it didn't sound good so "good luck finding a vet to get into quick as a new patient and so I drove from Rohnert Park to Petaluma with my daughter saying our goodbyes with my heart breaking as I handed him over to Sarah who still put me at ease with her genuine kindness. After waiting four hours in the parking lot my daughter and I decided to go wash the car to keep our minds busy and during that time the doctor called me and putting him down was not even a discussion. She was so knowledgeable and her voice is just so soothing and it was at that moment I knew I made the best choice by bringing him here and I will never take my dogs to another vet no matter what! Dr. Boutilier is so knowledgeable and so passionate as well as Dr. Johnson and they even called me to check up on him that same night after spending six hours with him and then even called again during the weekend to follow up with some more things they wanted to check and see how he was doing. I can't express enough how amazing this place is and if you care for your dogs as much as I do, this is the place to go, from start to finish they are true compassionate professionals that go above and beyond! Even with all that and their quick response to your needs and the patience of all your questions and how fast they got my dog in they are also so reasonably priced that it was just so surreal! I have been extremely busy with work lately so I have not had a chance to get Bear back in for his follow-up but I will be calling them this week so that they can continue his care and see for themselves that from their treatments and the medications they prescribed, he is now walking, gaining his weight back and is back to being himself and it is because of THIS vet so if you are on Yelp looking for a place to take your Fur-baby.... look no further because you will not be mislead, brushed off, taken advantage of or find a better vet within 45miles of here and if I could give 10 Stars I would because Dr. Boutilier and the Staff deserve that and more! Thank you for bringing my Bear back to life...we'll see you soon! read more

I recently got a golden retriever puppy, and was researching which vet to take him to that was in town. Washington Square Vet Clinic was the best one so far, their prices are more affordable than any other vets around the area. Our first visit was great, the vet technicians are so welcoming when you walk through the door, and are very patient. The vet herself was amazing, she explained everything that I needed to know regarding the breed, and she explained every shot that he was going to be receiving in detail. She also answered some concerns that I had as well. You can see right away that she really does care for her patients. I am really happy that I chose this place to take my puppy. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for new vet for their animal, you won't be disappointed. read more

I have been going to Washington Square Veterinary clinic about 4 years now and today I had to take my Black Lab, Wrangler in for small surgery to remove a small growth from between 2 of his toes. They saw how worried I was as this dog is everything to me, and I was so surprised and elated when Dr. Boutilier called me less than 2 hours later and explained that they did his surgery first thing as they saw how worried I was and gave me a complete update and of course he is fine. I can't stress enough how grateful I am to my fantastic Vet, Dr. Boutilier, and, I would recommend everyone to take their animals here. They have convenient hours and location is right on McDowell close to highway 101.....Thanks again EVERYONE at Washington Square Veterinary Clinic !!!!!! read more

New to the area, i had tried one vet clinic but wasn't thrilled with the cold detached after consult from the vet/owner so looked further for another vet to see my cat. I read many reviews but Washington Square caught my eye and I made an appt with Dr. Boutilier who happened to have the first appt open. To say I was impressed and immediately connected by her warmth and manner of relaying information is putting things mildly! She was very honest with me and didn't go ordering a bunch of tests..she referred the allergy symptoms to a dermatology vet to narrow down what was causing the iching/licking problems. She easily could have had me come back for all kinds of tests but knew the dermatology vet could probably get there quicker. She sees dog allergies on a daily basis but cat allergies are not that common. (this is not to say she wouldn't have eventually helped the allergy in my cat; she just wanted the fastest result by referring). She is still my cat's vet for all other issues and i feel so lucky i found this clinic. While my bond is definitely with Dr. B, I would see any of the other vets in the office if necessary. read more

I brought my pit mix Leo in for an ear infection. Usually when he sees a vet he gets super anxious but he was instantly comfortable. All the staff members we interacted with were friendly and efficient. I was happy and Leo was happy too. I will definitely be bringing him back for future visits. read more

When my Sammi got sick my first stop was here. The team was great. They saw my Sammi without a prior call. The Doctor was very nice. She did a basic checkup and offered some advise and follow up. She was attentive and caring. read more

Very displeased. We left this vet 5 years ago because we didn't feel our dog was treated with kindness. I called today because we are making some end of life decisions. They were rude and said they couldn't fit us in. They say they love pets...makes me wonder. The receptionist was also heartless. She wouldn't even speak to the doctor to see what they could do. They were very judge. I'm so sad about this and was shaking after the phone call. read more

I have Been bring my dogs her for years, they are just the best! Dr. Johnson and her staff make you feel like family. I always get the best of care, and compassion from her and her staff! BAILEY AND BELLA give it a five star woof WOOF! And RUSS ....well....words can not describe how AWESOME this man is....he is our dogs "GODFATHER". The best man I know.... read more

Dr. Johnson and her staff at Washington Square Veterinary Clinic are the best. They have cared for so many wonderful and loved pets for us. Dr. Johnson has nurtured our dogs and cats, helping to keep them well. She has also us when the time came to put a beloved pet down. I have recommended Dr. Johnson to every pet owner I know. I will never go to any other vet. Barbara Confer read more

I could not have been more pleased with my experience with EVERYONE at the clinic. My 11 year old rescue needed some extensive dental work (cleaning and extractions) and I was seeking a new vet. Everyone here was compassionate, smart and very kind to my dog. Dr. Boutilier discussed options with me to help with costs. Boomer came through with flying colors! I got a thorough explanation of the procedures and extractions done (also reviewed the x-rays with the tech) plus lots of samples to take home. She is my first experience with small dogs (I have previously had 50+ pound rescues), and was not aware of the dental issues they face as they age. THANK YOU to everyone at Washington Square...Boomer is doing great thanks to you!! xoxo read more

Dr. Johnson has been my only vet for over 10 years, through 4 dogs and 2 cats. She has always been very compassionate in their care. Maya and Theresa are THE BEST techs, you can tell they really love the animals. I have 2 new kittens and look forward to their 1st visit to WSVC! read more

Washington Square Veterinary Clinic - Akira - Veterinarians Near Me - Petaluma, California

I've lived in #Petaluma, CA for 11 years, having moved from the east coast. The Coast Guard brought me here and so far, aside from my old Kentucky home, Petaluma is the place I've lived the longest since leaving KY at 19 yrs old. I retired in 2011 after 27 years traveling and doing things the CG does. I now make my living as a professional photographer in the area, shooting weddings, portraits, families, and landscapes. So if you happen to talk to a slightly balding fella, with a slight southern drawl on a footbridge downtown, maybe in front of McNear's at night taking pictures, or walking around downtown with a big camera in hand at the farmers market, snapping pics of people on the street, enjoying their day, never fear, it's me, and chances are, I have some assignment given to me from the Academy of Art where I now study photography, getting a BFA with my GI Bill and graduating in a few months. There are lots of eclectic people in this area, some interesting, some very interesting! So many great little stores, nice smiles, the occasional random conversation, me trying to market my business, handing out my business card, and some really good coffee and food places! Very few times has there been a bad interaction and I truly appreciate that. Although one lady (not from Petaluma), did call me a "right wing christian male terrorist" one night, but that's another story for another time. #truth So here is the reason for such a long post. Last night, I was up most of the night with our little dog, Maggie, a Japanese Chin, who was having trouble breathing, but still seemed "OK" enough. As I tried to sleep with her snoring and hacking next to me, my wife and I checking on her throughout the night, she easily got more sleep than us. First thing this morning, I called our vet. Washington Square Vet Clinic with Dr. Sharon Johnson. They told me to bring Maggie in right then. After x-rays, full exam, many lab tests, waiting, drinking coffee, more phone calls, my eyes losing watertight integrity sitting in Peet's this morning. Dr. Johnson called us to say pneumonia had been confirmed, with a few other little problems, believed to all be caused by her infection. Dr. Johnson was constantly reassuring, not hiding facts, always spoke in a very clear, calm manner, and finished our conversation with "Fingers and toes crossed, everything continues to show up as good and nothing too bad we can't fix. I'll call you tomorrow with more results." You see, if it weren't for Maggie Mae and a host of friends and family, I'd probably be a veteran statistic, so I call her the #littledogthatsavedme I cannot say how thankful we are for Dr. Johnson and her staff. She calmed my fears, as I put my business and school aside for the day. She kept me calm, and made sure I understood everything. I know most everyone on here is a dog, cat, camel, goat, cow, sloth person, whatever your animal of choice is. I needed to share all this, put it in writing to let y'all know, that today I'm proud to say I live in Petaluma, among all its love and quirkiness. If you need portraits done, give me a shout, and if you need a vet, there are many good ones around, but Dr. Johnson and her staff are definitely on our Christmas card list, and someone we can trust professionally to do her job so very well. Meanwhile, Maggie Mae is snoring again, breathing better, and resting well. Thanks for letting me get this out. Roger of Roger Elliott Photography read more

There was one allied care staff member who was friendly here, but unfortunately I did not have a great experience here. Dr. Johnson appears to have issues with communicating a poor prognosis, and her usual answer was more testing. The labs are not done in house, which was not communicated to me until I left. $700.00 later the doc came out to say she wasn't sure what the issue was, but wanted to do an ultrasound for an addition $400.00, without saying what her thought process was completely and what my options were aka be aggressive with care in a 9 year old dog, or palliative care and if it was worth it one way or the other. She seemed to discredit that I was a medical professional myself and have an understanding of medicine in people which is slightly similar to dogs in some cases. She also did not seem to take my opinion to heart when I questioned whether my dog had a GI bleed. Maybe by using fancy medical terminology she intimidates her other customers, since she tried to attempt this while explaining his lab values to me. Enough beating around the bush lady. A "red blood cell morphology being abnormal" means nothing to me. What matters are specific lab values that coincide with my original fear of if my dog was bleeding internally or had an infection, or even worse... cancer. Tell people what the key issue might be, and what their options are though. Bottom line is I just wanted to know what could have been the issue with my pet, and what the prognosis was. The answer was not blindly throwing chemo and steroids at him which would have had a slight possibility of helping or causing even more harm. She seemed like she was in over her head and didn't have the courage to say so. When I came into the office to pick up his meds before work I asked the other person behind the desk if she could grab them as I was in a hurry due to the unexpected trip to the vet before work. She replied that she didn't work for the doc prescribing the meds and looked away. I took my dog in for a second opinion with a different vet, and found the prognosis was so poor that the humane thing to do was to put him down. It was a waste of time and money going to this clinic. The only thing good out of this visit was iv fluids and an antiemetic which I could have gotten for him anywhere. Poor communication skills from Dr. Johnson. Lack of professionalism at the front desk. read more

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. Horrible! I brought my 5 lb Chihuahua here to get her first puppy shots and she had an almost deadly allergic reaction to the vaccine. You wouldn't think this would be the vets fault-- but he did not take the proper precautions for such a small animal by giving her one at a time and then monitoring her for progress, which is what my current vet does. Beware, small dog owners! read more

After bringing my dog here once, and having mixed opinions, we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and kept going here. My dog has notorious anxiety issues with nail trims, and has to be sedated to have them trimmed. We have discussed this with the doctors and staff at this veterinary clinic. She was recently brought in for a nail trim, on doctor prescribed sedatives to keep her from getting anxious and acting out. Unfortunately, they weren't enough and she was unable to have her nails trimmed. A new appointment was made with planned sedation (heavier, injectable sedatives that would require her to stay for a bit at the clinic) so that she could have a trim without being further traumatized. The day of the new appointment arrived. The techs working apparently decided to ignore the plan, and attempted to trim her nails with NO sedation. She became anxious and nervous, acted out, and appeared traumatized when picked up to go home. In addition, they lectured us on how we could trim her nails at home (You know since she has to be sedated to have it done by professionals, let's do it at home as untrained non-technical people...great plan). In addition, the technician blamed our dog for acting out while they tried to trim her nails...The same technician who ignored the instructions to sedate her first. We are unbelievable disappointed by this hospital, and will no longer be bringing any pets here. AAHA hospitals are generally great places to take your pets, but based on how the technicians handled our dog I would NOT recommend this hospital to anyone. read more