ComplaintsforArk Animal Hospital

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Refused service I already paid for. We purchased a kitten package for our new kitten. We have taken all 6 pets to this vet. Great service since they opened. Today the hospital manager Jessica was rude and canceled our 3rd visit for shots that we had already paid for. We paid in August for the kitten package of $240 to include all their shots. Basically we asked for the basic package and they charged my 18 year old the most possible not like our other 4 cats we had taken to them but much more.

  Business response

  12/07/2023

  Regarding **** ******** complaint - This was adequately explained in several emails as well as on the phone.  I will include highlights below.

  On 7.10.23: Kitten Package with Leukemia vaccine was purchased for $179.78.  This typically includes 3 visits. Each visit will include a complimentary wellness exam, a fecal test, a dewormer, and an FVRCP. Two visits would include a Leukemia Vaccine. One visit would include a Rabies vaccine.  It is explained that each vaccine visit must be 21-28 days apart. On the first visit, $179 was paid for the kitten package - 1 fecal, 1 dewormer, 1 FVRCP, and 1 Leukemia was done that day.

  The second visit was further than 28 days 8.9.23, it was explained multiple times at that visit that the visit was late and it was imperative that the next visit be on time.  There was no charge for this visit and 1 fecal, 1 dewormer, 1 FVRCP, and 1 Leukemia was done that day.  The next visit should have been between 8.30.23 - 9.6.23. We were open and excepting walk-ins and appts for 6 days in that timeframe. The email threads include a screenshot of a text message sent and received by **** ******** phone number on 8.16.23.

  Our next contact with **** ****** regarding this pet was 11.27.23.  It was an email complaining that her cat did not receive a rabies from us and that when the cat was spayed at another hospital she had to pay for them to do it.  She also complained that we never told her that she needed another visit and she only received a postcard after the vaccines were late.  Despite a screenshot of proof that she was reminded, she argued with our staff accusing us of this being our mistake. Postcards are also sent out after 30 days of past-due services. This would have been 9.30.23 - well before the procedure at the other hospital.

  We have offered to cover a booster for one of the vaccines that was not given in appropriate intervals and is a similar price.  This was not satisfactory for her. Both visits that she did have were completed by highly experienced technicians that know these rules inside and out.  I am confident that these things were explained adequately during those visits. 

  The services that were provided in those two visits were a value of $182.54 - more than the original price of $179.78.  For this reason - refunds are not given.

  They were explained by email with charts and screenshots.  And we still received phone calls from **** ****** demanding and berating the staff.

  We reserve the right to terminate relationships at our discretion.  We have done that and provided *** ****** with her records. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  False advertising practices; falsely holding himself out to be a veterinary dentist. On Sept. 8, 2023, I called Ark Animal Hospital after searching Google for an animal dentist, because Ark Animal Hospital advertises being an animal dentist. I asked if they had a dentist that could fix my cat's broken fang. I was told yes. I scheduled an appointment for the next available on September 11, 2023. Dr. Lon M******* told me that the hospital can't fix a broken fang and he will have to refer me to an animal dentist. I told him and his staff that the hospital advertises it provides animal dentristy services and that I called and specifically asked if they could fix my cat's tooth. I apprised them of the false advertising and he still charged me $44.50 for the visit, in which all that happened was he told me my cat had a broken fang. The doctor falsely advertises services, has his staff support the false advertisement, and then charges for his service of saying he does is not a dentist. The staff should have said they do not fix teeth, they can only extract teeth, when I asked if they could fix my cat’s broken fang. The staff did not say they would refer me out if the tooth was damaged. The staff said “yes” when I asked if they were: 1) animal dentists; and 2) could fix the tooth. If the staff does not understand what services the doctor can provide, the staff has been negligently trained and the fault falls on the doctor. It is clear that the doctor intended to commit fraud by holding himself out as a pet dentist, having his staff lie during the appointment scheduling call, and then still charging $44.50 for the visit where the outcome was him saying “I don’t fix teeth and I have to refer you out.”

  Business response

  09/16/2023

  Ms. *****, after doing her own research, called our office and asked us "do you work on fangs?".  The front office staff asked the manager and responded to Ms. ***** that we do and we would need to see the pet.  As we cannot begin to determine the level of care that the patient needs without a doctor evaluation, our information was limited - we were not asked if we can perform root canals.  In the case of Ms. *****'s cat, she wanted the tooth to be retained, and given the severity of the fracture to the tooth, the doctor determined that a root canal would be the best route.  That is a very advanced procedure typically only done by specialists and not something we can offer. Similarly in human medicine, a patient should be evaluated by an urgent care or a primary doctor and a referral to the appropriate specialist made. Ms. ***** consulted Google and then chose to see us. A high majority of animal clinics offer dental care, and most also appear in a Google search for "pet dentists".  Most clinics offer routine cleanings and extractions, we are able to do some advanced procedures when indicated.  We offer CT scans and dental x-ray to support our dental packages as well as more advanced procedures such as bonded sealants and mandibular splints. We do not feel that we have advertised beyond the industry norm (see attachment). Nor do we feel that requiring evaluation the pet to determine that it is beyond our scope is inappropriate in this case. In addition, Ms. *****'s beratement of every member of the staff that she came in contact with after determining with the doctor that she should go to a specialist was inappropriate. She should have probably consulted her primary veterinarian before choosing where to take her pet for a specialty procedure.

  Customer response

  09/20/2023

  I do not accept their response or consider this matter resolved because they have not provided any facts that show: 1) their advertising is not false; 2) their representation of what skills they provide is not false; and 3) that they charged me for services that were not based on a scam.  Please see the attached for more detail. 

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