1 /5 Wendy Pickett: It breaks my heart to write this review, as I have previously had great experiences at this veterinary clinic, especially with how caring the entire staff was in 2021 when my beloved black lab passed away unexpectedly. However, I cannot overlook my most recent experience, which demonstrated a complete disregard for my emotions and the financial implications involved.
In November, my husband and I were unexpectedly blessed with the arrival of a stray feline. She quickly became a beloved member of our family and our first “child” as a couple. Upon confirming with the veterinarian at Red Maple that our sweet cat was not spayed, we immediately scheduled the operation.
On the day of the surgery, a staff member called to let me know that Calloway was ready for pick-up and doing well. I was informed that her ovaries and uterus were gone, as expected. When I arrived at Red Maple, the receptionist asked if I had talked to the aforementioned staff member (I don’t remember their name, but it was not the doctor). I confirmed that I had received the report and was pleased to hear Calloway was doing well. The receptionist then said, “So she told you she had already been spayed?” To my shock, I realized this was not the message as I had interpreted it. The bigger issue is that my cat underwent unnecessary surgery.
A different staff member, again not the doctor, mentioned that they thought they had seen a scar while prepping my cat for surgery, but for some reason, they proceeded anyway. After being surgically opened up they noted that the organs were “missing.” This was traumatic information to process, and the additional trauma came from the $302 bill I was charged for this unnecessary surgical procedure.
I struggled to remain calm as I expressed my extreme dissatisfaction with how this was handled, explaining that I felt they had operated unnecessarily on my child. I informed the staff member (who never introduced themselves) that we would never return, and she seemed indifferent. As I was leaving, the staff member reminded me that Calloway was due for a leukemia booster in three weeks. I replied that we would take care of that elsewhere, to which she responded, “Good luck!”
Three things stand out to me about this experience, in order of importance: 1. Not a single staff member said, “I’m sorry this happened.” 2. I never spoke to the doctor; there wasn’t even a follow-up call to check on how Calloway was doing. 3. I am out $300.
Thankfully, my beloved cat is recovering well from the unnecessary surgery. If this had happened to a human child, we would likely be seeking financial retribution for the emotional and financial stress involved. While I’m unsure what the next steps are, I felt it was important to share my experience so others are informed. I hope this was just a one-off incident, but as a small business owner myself—one who takes responsibility for mistakes and says “I’m so sorry”—I cannot believe they were not more sensitive to the emotional and financial impact of this situation.
