Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group Reviews

I spent twelve thousand dollars ($12,000!!!) on my cat for a medical emergency and hospital stay only to be told today that a doctor cannot come to the phone to answer my emergency question because of high call volume. We are in the middle of a snow storm so travel is difficult/almost impossible but we were told just to come in. They only want money and are completely indifferent to animal suffering. Absolutely disgusting and unethical.

Very good service today I went for the first time to take my cat and they treated her very well

I brought my cat here after two vet offices recommended that he see urgent care for not eating for about three days and for developing a blue mark on his neck. My family and I brought him to VERG at about 7 am, and he was seen by the overnight doctor quickly but unfortunately, the morning doctor then took over. We waited 3+ hours to see my cat again after he was taken for bloodwork and x-rays and waited almost another hour for him to be discharged. When we met with the morning vet, she did not explain my cat's blood work findings clearly (it felt like she was trying to show off by throwing around as many medical terms as possible for a vet in training who was in the room as well). I asked questions to try to grasp at least some understanding of what she was saying, but she continued to talk in circles and never gave clear or direct answers. The only thing she said clearly was that she wanted my cat to get an ultrasound, but she didn't say where. She also made no mention of the blue mark on my cat's neck. After my cat was discharged my family asked about the blue mark and the morning doctor claimed the overnight doctor didn't mention the mark to her, so she didn't check for it. When we showed the mark to her she waved it away saying he would be fine. I requested a copy of my cat's medical records the day after and saw that the blue mark was noted on his records about three times so how could the morning vet not have known about it? It was also noted that he has gum disease which the vet made NO mention of either. How could we spend nearly 5 hours at a vet and over $600 dollars to not be given a single answer for the issues we brought him in for? I will never take my cat to VERG again and I regret wasting so much money on this place to only leave with more stress and worry over my cat's health.

Brought my 8-month-old puppy here because she was suffering from severe dehydration and had a great experience with VERG. They gave her fluids and anti-nausea meds and she quickly returned to her old self. Will come here again in event of emergency. Thanks, VERG.

My vet at Prospect Heights Animal Hospital referred me to VERG after preliminary x-rays showed that my puppy had some internal inflammation. To be sure - that means our initial exam, x-rays and bloodwork was all done through our regular vet. VERG is an emergency clinic/referral group and will tell you themselves that as a result of that, their pricing for those basic procedures is much higher than would be at your regular vet. However, if you are ultimately referred by your vet to a VERG specialist, the staff will be up-front about all pricing (which, if you re there to see a specialist, is probably expensive as many other reviews note), professional and knowledgeable. I felt comfortable leaving my puppy in their hands for several hours while she received an ultrasound and well-cared for communication wise throughout our transaction. Thanks, VERG team.

I have a cat who managed to eat a ribbon. A lot of ribbon. I only found this out on a Sunday night at 10;30 when said cat woke me up trying to get rid of this ribbon and I noticed something strange coming out of her mouth, when I realized what it was i freaked out, she freaked out. I madly googled "my cat swallowed a ribbon" the answers were not heartening. I was terrified and shaky.

I checked my vets phone number for emergency vet services and found VERG, drove her over at 11 pm. Explain the situation, after a bit of a wait they take cat upstairs, vet calls and explains what they think they should do, try to get her to expel it again - half an hour later vet comes down with about 12" ribbon. I am so excited! success! No they explain, that's all we could get on the first go, there is more in there. Ack! So I leave her there to be scoped to see if they can get the rest and go home to get some sleep (it is now @ 1am) get a call a few hours later - success! but she is very tired and needs some fluids. I arrange to pick her up at 7:30am.

I arrive to pick her up - everyone involved comes to say hello and is amazed she managed to eat something along the lines of 4 FEET of ribbon! and she comes home with me dazed and confused. 3 days later she is eating and acting normal, even though she hates her meds.

i would 100% recommend Dr. Chris Lenahan, Dr, Andrea Shliselberg, and Jordan Brynes. They were fantastic. The receptionists morning an night could not have been nicer since I was a wreck! Yes they do want an upfront payment, but for the services I received I thought it was fair especially given how much work they had to do to carefully extricate a giant ribbon and would not expect to get treatment without an upfront payment.

Huge thank you for everyone who helped and Poose is doing just fine!
Sarah H

I took my cat Winston to VERG after I noticed he was breathing more rapidly than usual with weird stomach movements. He's been dealing with an on-and-off mysterious GI issue for the past few months, but this was new. I wish I could remember everyone's name who helped me out, but we dropped him off around 11pm and (due to COVID we couldn't go in with him) got phone updates every step of the way until a treatment plan was decided.

He stayed overnight, then overnight again the following day, and now he's home! Not only was the initial issue treated (turns out he was having stomach motility issues that caused fluid to build up in there...made it tough for room to breathe) they really did everything they could to try to determine his broader issues. I guess it's fairly common for cats to present with symptoms that are either IBD or small cell lymphoma, with no real way outside of biopsy to tell for sure. Anyway, we got nice, frequent updates throughout his stay there, everyone was SO nice and extremely informative (I never thought I'd know this much about cat organs), really above and beyond. They sent me home with a detailed, explicit treatment plan as well as a writeup of everything they did and how he responded, on top of general information about his possible condition.

I'm blessed to not really know the "standard procedure" of an emergency visit like this, but I really felt like this was the best experience I could possibly have for my situation, and I'm grateful to everyone on the team here for keeping Winston comfortable and happy.

Thanks to VERG for helping us. Our senior dog was very weak and unable to get up on Christmas day. We were really grateful that they were open to help us and they took him upstairs for care immediately. They also carried him to our car to help us get him home. Unfortunately his prognosis was not good and we just had to keep him comfortable, but we appreciated the care they provided to our pup. The service is expensive but it's emergency care so it is to be expected.

VERG staff are friendly, understanding and knowledgeable. I took my cat here for an eye injury and they treated him right away and made it very clear they cared a lot about long term care. They are taking good steps to keep pets and people safe during the pandemic while still providing the same level of care. Highly recommend VERG for emergency pet care.

We have been working with VERG for over 20 years. They always see our our emergencies with efficiency, professionalism, and dedication. They contribute tremendously to the veterinary arts of Brooklyn and NYC...

Dr Shaw is thorough and kind. And the facilities top notch. From the moment we walked in to we left the whole experience was professional and warm. Thank you!

We had a great experience at VERG with Dr. Prata.
The space is clean, roomy and warm. The staff was attentive and professional. Dr. Prata made us understand exactly what was going on with our dog's bad knees (Patella luxation) and he spent a great deal of time explaining everything to us and answering all of our questions.
We never felt rushed and you could see that Dr Prata is a compassionate animal lover...he even put his face to our dogs and started humming to him to make him feel relaxed and safe. So sweet.

They order unnecessary test that pump your bill up!
Vets are inconsistent with diagnosis!
If your dog needs to see a specialist which by the way you can t get an appointment with right away unless u admit the dog than the estimated bill is ridiculous for a consultation & definitive diagnosis.
My dog was diagnosed with PLE? Then PLN ?
Then after 4 X-rays later it was pulmonary fibrosis!
By the way the Chest x ray said it all according to the last vet who was excellent!
$1450.00 dollars later !!
Carol Diaz RN

We had great service. Our cat was seen rather quickly after a short wait by the vet technician and later by the veterinarian. They were empathetic to us and caring and kind to our cat. Would definitely return for a follow up visit.

They removed my cats eye and saved her life. The people there were great and Callie is happier than ever.

Look for other hospitals! My dog Trey had tumor's growing around his neck. I did not have the $3,626.84 they wanted up front for the surgery so i worked extra to get it. I made an appointment and asked if I should take him for an examination of any kind before dropping him off. They said "no just bring him in" then 2 hours later the Dr called saying she wants him to get a CT Scan. The place they referred said he won't be seen for 2 weeks. Instead of letting me take him for an exam they wasted my time and my dog has to wait longer to get better. Look at other options before this place.

I'd give them zero stars if I could. So disappointed! I work as a nurse at an animal hospital, and last week while recovering a patient from serious ortho surgery, I get a call from my husband saying our cat had eaten our dogs anxiety medication. After quickly discussing dosages with my surgeon, we discover that my cat has eaten 4x the safe dosage of this benzodiazepam! As my hospital was over an hour away from my cat, I instructed my husband to bring him directly to VERG. He arrived there within 20 minutes of the toxin ingestion, and I was calling him frantically trying to get updates. After being made to wait in the lobby for a ridiculously long time, he finally saw a vet for about two minutes who told him that the dosage was in fact "within the range" of what is considered acceptable. I have ZERO IDEA what textbook this vet was reading this information out of, but that fact was absolutely wrong. The vet disappears leaving my husband stranded and confused, while I was on the phone yelling that I wanted to speak to the vet; and he was told the vet was too busy to speak with me. After being passed first to the front desk and then to a very rude technician, I politely but firmly told them that I wanted them to induce vomiting and administer charcoal---even though they had made my cat wait for at least 30 minutes, well past the point where the drug had been absorbed into his system, but I was desperate at this point. She eventually replied that they would do that. all the while trying to blame my husband for giving them incomplete information! (Which did not happen!) After over an HOUR of waiting for my cat who had major toxin ingestion, he was handed back to my husband with NO TREATMENT DONE AT ALL, as VERG said that they did not want to induce vomiting on such a sedate cat (incomplete information, there are drugs available for this that are not further sedatives) and no excuse to not administer the charcoal. By the time I got home, I was up most of the night with an incredibly ataxic cat who I was legitimately afraid would stop breathing on me. The next morning I took him to my own hospital where they did as much treatment as they could, considering it was entirely VERG's fault that it had been allowed to be absorbed into his system. After three days, my cat was finally back to normal. IF YOU VALUE THE LIVES OF YOUR ANIMALS DONT GO TO VERG.

I experienced very caring staff, who went out of their way to find a calm space for my stressed pittie, who isn't good with other dogs and is very anxious in hospitals. They even made calls to find us a car service home on a rainy night, when I was striking out. Thank you!

Thank goodness for this place. Our dog was attacked at the dog park and our own vet couldn't make time to see him. Even when busy, you can tell that this place has the goal of seeing your pet and giving you the attention needed. They're always well staffed, with 3 people at the desk, vet techs and vets. The vet the did surgery on our guy is new to the practice and was supervised by a more experienced vet. When we had concerns, we emails photos and they responded to us right away. They seem honest and hardworking. Our dog is on the mend, thanks to VERG.

When we adopted our first dog from the ASPCA we never knew she had bad allergies to certain types of proteins, fast forward a few months later and she developed large cysts on her paws which started to bleed one night, we took her to VERG on a late Friday night, paid $700 for blood work, culture sample and other services, just be told that it was cancer. Shocked and thinking we were going to have put our dog on meds possibly spend thousands of dollars or even put her down because we could not afford the treatment, we decided to get another opinion from Dr. Lutanskiy from Bath Animal Hospital. He immediately discerned that her cysts were nothing more than a food allergy, gave us a strict diet and within weeks our pup was back to her normal self. If you have an emergency and your dog needs immediate assistance I would still go here since it is one of the few places open 24/7, but their lack of knowledge and skill is extremely concerning and I would never ever go here unless it was a dire emergency.

They were amazing. My cat is having problems peeing. I called my vet but she about to close for the day, and recommended I take my cat here to make sure he was ok for the night. My cat has high anxiety, and they were able to do a quick check on him. Such great service, and very helpful. I high recommend and I would go back.

OVERHEARD A WOMEN OF COLOR @ THE FRONT DESK BEING TOLD THAT A CAUCASIAN DOCTOR WAS FURIOUS BECAUSE SHE DIDNT STAND UP 2 GREET HIM ON HIS WAY IN . . . ANOTHER RECEP. WAS TRYING TO WHISPER THIS TO HER AS SOON AS I HEARD THIS I WAS DISAPPOINTED ... NONE OF THE OTHER RECEPS GOT UP TO GREET HIM YET THIS YUNG LADY OF COLOR WAS PENALIZED FOR IT. . . VERG WILL NEVER GET A CENT FRM ME AGAIN ...... 2018 ND WE R STILL BEING RACIST I FEEL BAD 4 HER

Absolute best emerg vet we ve ever been to. Our dog is 17 & has travelled around the country and the world and has been to many vets in many places. Especially in her senior years. There is no comparison to the standard of professionalism, the warmth, the compassion and the effectiveness that exists in this place. Vet Chris Lenahan has been our vet each time we ve been there in the middle of the night. He is always extremely kind and deliberates carefully on solutions. Truly above and beyond the usual experience. Our dog is a shepherd and is super sensitive and she doesn t even stress. The vibes are great, the medical care is great. So thankful for these people.

We brought a cat with clear symptoms of toxic poisoning. She was breathed heavily and she had problems with her heart. That s what they did during three hours: a lot of bloodwork and radiography that finally helped them to understand that... she has some toxine inside! Bingo. They never helped her to remove the toxin, nor they gave her medicine for her heart. But rhey gave her anti vomit medicine (though I asked not to do it). Anti vomit treatment after poisoning.Thats what she needed!
It was clear that she dies today and that s what they told us: to come tomorrow for ultrasound because they cannot understand what s the problem!
After that it took more than an hour just to take her back (after we payed and after all check ups were done). They just didn t have a free nurse to bring her to the entrance!!
She just died after a heart attack. Her symptoms were, I would like to repeat, really clear. Even a baby would understand that a dehydrated animal at least needs hydration! And they were dealing with her during 3 hours - no water, no hydration. No help.
I don t think these guys are professional, at least don t go there if there s something that needs serious & immediate treatment.
They always tell you like - if your pet is poisoned, go to the vet clinic promptly. So... guys, go to your regular vet only. I regret that we went there except a vet from our community. She could be alive now.

During this time, I regret having to write a negative review but am compelled to do so for your financial and emotional well being and for the safety of your pet. Choose another care provider for your pet s needs and safety to ensure that they won t, as this business did, perform unnecessary and painful tests.

This review is in regard to a compromised stray cat which I attempted to rescue. Upon rushing the cat to this provider, To euthanize the cat, I was abruptly asked if I was going to assume financial responsibility and given/assured hope of survival. This misinformation resulting in almost 3,000 medical bills, unnecessary and painful procedures, and ultimately the cat was euthanized.

To add, The first vet I spoke with told me that the cat was once in a home because it was neutered. The age of a cat was relevant to me because It would help determine treatment. I spoke with the front desk staff and was advised that the cat was a young adult. I specifically asked the age and was told between 4 and 7. Later, from another doctor, I learned that the cat was a senior. Also, the cat s ear was clipped which means that the cat was part of a neutered trap and release program. Based on the previous information that the cat once lived with people and was young and was advised that it s best to try to stabilize the cat, I had moved forward with treatment. If I had been given accurate information, that the cat was a senior that was likely feral, and not given false hope, I would not have not have moved forward with unnecessary and painful treatment that included cutting deep matted hair that caused his skin to rip. This cat lived a difficult life and they caused additional suffering for financial gain. In an attempt to resolve this with them, I was told that I could have have refused financial responsibility and that the cat would not have been refused services. This was obviously not explained to me and I was mislead under a stressful situation during stressful times including being told to wait outside in the cold for over 4 hours. Management response to conflicting information from their vets, was that they have different opinions even when it comes to age of animal. However, they are not transparent with this approach when advising you to move forward with thousands of dollars of treatment.

I hope you and your pet have a better experience.

Why is this place sooooo expensive? can anyone recommend an affordable veterinary ophthalmologist

Shamelessly overpriced. Medication that is $45 without insurance at the pharmacy is $76 here. When pressed about it the response is "we are an emergency facility" and... so? How does that affect the price of meds? Bottom line is they know that pet owners who visit this place are panicked around an emergency and will pay anything so they jack up the prices.

Wouldnt take my dog there ever again. I took my dog there. They kept her for days without telling us whats wrong. We visited my dog, she looked fine but they wouldn't release her. My cuzzin is a vet in North Carolina and when she got in contact with them they got mad. They sent us results contradicting everything they said. Then they didnt want to send us updated results. They basicly was trying to scam us into a large hospital bill smh. I wouldnt recommend this place to anyone.

I've taken my dogs here for ER visits, specialist care and even back surgery. My experiences have been fantastic and the staff has always been professional, caring, communicative and thorough. It is expensive but good pet insurance helps.

I ve never felt the need to review a place till today, I m so thankful to the team and Dr. Kahn for their utmost care and concern for my cat, Cakes. I had rush back from the airport to get Cakes in for surgery (he had a bladder stone and intestinal blockage). Not only was the bill a totally pleasant surprise, they were patient, took their time answering my questions and was very thorough. They called promptly everyday to let me know how he was recovering and even after he was discharged. I can t thank them enough!

They are so slow. They were nice and all but I don't think I want to Bring my pets here again.

I had the best experience, they treated my cat as if he was their own. If you ever have a pet emergency go to this location.

This is my new go to place for my dog, Mia! They provided excellent service and were very understanding of our situation. You can tell that they care about an animal's well being over money. They make sure you understand what exactly is going on. Specifically to Dr. Dana Kaelin. She was super nice and comforting. She helped us in a way no other vet could and she saved my dog's life. I highly recommend going to the place. Thank you for everything.

We brought our dog here for a cut on her paw. We were told our dog needed one stitch and the estimated charge was $700.00. A bit confused! We were then provided with the final Bill of $824.00, $124.00 more than what was discussed. After speaking with the doctor, she responded with little care that she did not get to finish the estimate and thought she did and this was the reason for the extra charges. The young lady in the front was very rude and the doctor was unapologetic about these charges being a lot more than agreed. Very disappointed!!!

I hate to do this I usually do not write reviews but this doctor doesn't deserve one star...terrible experiance I would not suggest you to take your pet to this office. Second time my 7 month old dog ate something, DVM Sara Rosen did x-ray that was not clear but didn't show anything major. She told me right away that they have to keep the dog and to operate him, it will cost me 4-5k, yes or no.
When I said that I had to consult my husband she got aggressive telling me that if I take my dog out he might die!!
I've decided to take my dog to Animal Medical Center (61&York)in the city for a second opinion and of course they were not even thinking about the surgery right away. Chances for perforation were so small that they didn't even keep him in the hospital. With some fluids and vitamins I took him home and next day he was great. I can not explain how disappointing this visit was and how much unnecessary pain my dog would have if I've just listen to Ms. Rosen.

My cat stopped eating for days, and the doctors at VERG got her back on her feet. The staff was friendly, warm, and knowledgeable, and I felt very safe leaving my cat in their hands when I had to admit her to the hospital. They called me every morning with status updates and let me visit her whenever I wanted. I felt like everyone there was familiar with my cat's personality and idiosyncrasies. I would absolutely take her there again!

The VERG staff was helpful, reassuring, patient, and kind. Thank you guys.

Verg took my pet. Told me to sign up for credit care. Assured me that she will be fine. I signed up for 5 days to stay in and for 5k. 21 hours later they called back telling me that they cannot do anything and they want to euthanize her. Mind you doctor in emergency room assured me she has a chance. I discharged my pet and took her home. She passed away with people who cared for her for 14.5 years in peace. I got estimated bio for over 1k and was told I will get reimbursed. I called 4 times to VERG regarding the bill. Nothing was fixed. Last person I called was very firm with me saying billing is on vacation and they cannot do anything. I was calling since the behind December. I got bill from credit care. It s covid 19. This is how you are about your patients? All you need is money?! I am gonna complain at BBB! Fix my bill!!! You used my emotional state and hope to get this money. Very inhumane!

My dog liver enzymes we re elevated my vet recommended I go to Verg my dog was diagnosed with a liver tumor that was half the size of her liver. Internist was upfront that surgery was the only option. And the prognosis would be good I spoke to the surgeon and answered all my questions. Surgery was a success they were able to remove the whole tumor. The staff was very professional and caring my dog was in good hands I made appointment for all my visits the doctors were punctual did not wait long
I would definitely recommend Verg

100% would go elsewhere for urgent care/ emergency needs.

Very expensive and only received referrals to our primary and or a Dermo, instead of any kind of treatment. No treatment options, and then a run around when trying to talk to the doctor and understand why they couldn t offer some sort of prescription or otherwise to help our guys infected eye.

Apparently , only the doc who physically saw your animal is able to prescribe meds. That means if their schedule does not align with when your results come it, it could be a week before you get a help or a prescription.

Our guys condition got worse over the days we were waiting to talk w the doc, and the only thing the techs could tell us was to come back in and see a new doc (new charge for visit)

Now we ve spent all this money, and his eye is just worse with no resolution .

Not great.

Had to rush my senior Chihuahua mix there at 4am after he woke up screaming in pain. They were very understanding and friendly when I called to see if I could bring him in (it was my first time) and when we arrived they saw him promptly. Dr. Fico was very kind and explained everything to me in detail even drawing diagrams to explain what was going on (pressure on the spinal nerve). Luckily they only had to give him a steroid injection and pain killers which along with the cost of the appointment was very reasonable. Would definitely go to them again in an emergency!

All they care about is the money, they won t do any procedures until you pay. Avoid going here at all cost !

I was a wreck bringing my cat to an ER but the nurse was very kind and the Dr. Amy gave me all options and was very thorough. My cat was much better after leaving then she was when she arrived. She had to be hydrated and given electrolytes and went home with meds. I wanted to write this review for anyone who was as anxious as I was, to have faith, they are very good doctors and nurses.

This place only cares about money and getting paid or they won't bother to touch your pet at all. My dog had gotten a hold of a chicken bone and we had rushed him to VERG the next day because he was continuously vomiting and not eating. They took my dog and told me I had to pay $330 for the X-Ray that needed to be done on his throat and chest. Dana and Polina tend to guilt-trip you and make you feel like a bad owner if you don't pay them. I ended paying the bill and was told that the bone was stuck at the end of his esophagus and beginning of the stomach. Polina and Dana kept stressing me that if the bone is left there without removal my dog will die. But did that matter? No, becaue Polina shoved bills in my face telling me I had to pay around 1,400 for the procedure. My dog is suffering in a cage and she was worried where I was going to get the money. My son had told them we were unable to pay and did she care? She ignored us and said you can get a loan. I then pulled Dana to the side and asked in a innocent matter if I needed to put my dog down since he was clearly suffering. Dana gave me a rude look and attitude and said "it's just a chicken bone, not cancer." As if it was no big deal. How would she know if my dog had cancer or not if they weren't treating my dog. We asked to take my dog back home and Polina made it her business to pass a comment that he will die and we were "refusing" medical care. How am I refusing medical care if I came to VERG in the first place. They gave us our dog back and after feeling like a hostage we ended up coming back and my son said he'll take a loan. Know what they did next? Discussed payment options when my dog was having issues breathing. They ended up taking him in and doing the procedure. We came back the next day and again was told to pay for medicine and when we refused the lady had told us she'll give us only the main medicine as a "courtesy" of VERG, when my dog needed the whole medicine package to heal. Again feeling hostage we paid. Before leaving the Dr had neglected to inform us valuable health information on our dog. They waited till we were about to leave. She said he had developed pneumonia, had a high fever and issues with the kidneys due to dehydration but they felt the need to give him a high dosage of sedation to "calm" him down. After taking our dog home, we started to noticed how depressed and lifeless he looked. He continued to isolate everyone, could barely walk and couldn't sit up properly. Now, we understand that coming out of a procedure you won't be jumpy but you won't be depressed either. I called VERG to see if this was normal behavior and the nurse said it was due to the high dosage of sedation. 2 hour later my dog went unresponsive and we called VERG and they instructed us that we should come in for them to perform CPR on him. We did that. We came and the Dr took my dog out of my daughters hand and told us to sign a paper for $300 to do CPR on our dog. When we refused they took us into the room and told us our dog passed and there was nothing they could. Our dog died in their hands and they cared about the money as their main priority. But as to what Dana said "It's just a chicken bone." Its cruel and usual what they did to my dog. He suffered in their care because they weren't going to touch him unless we paid.

I want to thank everyone at VERG for taking such excellent care of my cat Avery. Dr. Morgan and the whole staff were so kind and responsive to all my questions before, during and after my cat s ear surgery. So grateful for all your help!

Really glad went here over other vet ERs. Kind and knowledgeable staff.

This hospital was above and beyond in every way. Our beloved dog was very sick and over those three days we dealt with three doctors and many nurses and receptionists. Every single employee was patient and kind and helpful during a very stressful time. I must have called the practice a dozen times and they were friendly and warm EVERY time I called. They saved my dogs life. I m so grateful. I will never go anywhere else.

The goal of this establishment is to separate the consumer from their $$$$. The welfare of the animal is secondary. Would not recommend these characters.

They overdosed my 2,5 year old Maltese and he died right after I took him out of there, the place is a rip off, wanted to charge $2,500 overnight and the veterinarian did not know a thing,WHAT A SHAME!!!!!

Doctor called my cats "things" because they have cerebellar hypoplasia. They are clearly sadly misinformed. all they want is your money.

Dissapointed. After doctor gave me an estimate for $10.000 surgery i decided that i don t want to put my 12 year old dog through open heart surgery. The vet lost intrest in my dog immediately after my decison. No sympathy that your pet is in pain.

VERG, so happy you're expanding to a bigger location. Everyone on your staff team deserve it. You took such good care of my kitty and ME! I can't thank you enough for your services. It means the world to us and I'd recommend you to all of our fur friends and family. Extended shout out to The Neighborhood Vet especially Dr. Loose for recommending you in case of emergency.

I won't bring or recommend this place no pet owner. The specialist that saw my 5 years old American Pitbull terrier was really nice and knowledgeable and that is how far i can extend my gratitude for this place. But apart from that the service was terrible and the front desk was worst than terrible over the phone; Extremely rude and with an uncaring tone.

I called VERG to ask if they saw rabbits, and was told they did. I traveled there, and the vet assistant looked at my rabbit, and then told me that there was no vet to see him, and referred me to my usual vet (which was not open, because it was after hours - I was there because of a pet emergency). Do not go here if you have an exotic; they will not be able to see you.

My dog was a patient at VERG for more than one year. The specialist at VERG monitored my dog every 3 months. Out of the blue, my dog became very ill. My regular vet told me to go back to the specialist to see what was going on. The specialist's words after doing an ultrasound on my dog were, "I had to ask another doctor if I could have missed this." My dog was bleeding internally from a different mass. I had to let my beloved dog go. My vet believes the specialist had tunnel vision and didn't see the new mass. I thought I had been doing right by my dog by going to VERG. I would never go there again. I strongly believe my dog would be alive today had I gone to Animal Medical Center in NYC instead of VERG in Brooklyn. I have to live with this for the rest of my life.

EXTORTION AT IT S FINEST. This institution has the most outrageous intake policy I have ever heard of. It cost LESS to place a deposit on a $30k wedding venue that it does to put down a deposit for 48 hours treatment WITHOUT SURGERY for your pet. I took a small dog here that got into a fight with my much larger dog due to a careless boyfriend that walked too close to us, at the wrong place and the wrong time. As I am a honest, caring person, I rushed the OTHER PERSON S small dog to this ER because it was the only one open on a holiday. After promising to pay for treatment because I truly love animals, VERG called me and THREATENED ME that they would not treat the dog until I paid the deposit... immediately. Of course I would pay the deposit... how much? Here s where it gets crazy: $5,088.34!!!!!!!!! VERG demanded that I paid the deposit and I was given no choice but to pay it in full or else they would not treat the small dog. I was then called twice in a 10 minute period by VERG to make sure I was paying it... I have NEVER experienced or heard of such outlandish and greedy treatment. This place is truly out to rob you blind. I paid this invoice in full, because I wanted the best treatment for the small animal. I took responsibility for the situation but want to let people know NOT TO GO HERE. VERG ONLY WANTS YOUR MONEY, and WILL NOT TREAT YOUR HURT/SICK ANIMAL IN NEED UNLESS YOU PAY WHAT THEY ASK FIRST. From the $50 bandage I was charged for multiple times, to the $66 blood pressure check to the $6,000 bill after a 48 period where the dog sat in a cage the entire time, all I can say is how deeply sad I feel for people in desperation that are being completely worked over by this absolutely disgusting establishment. I ve sent this invoice to my attorney for feedback and will be looking further into the practices of the establishment. We are simply astonished by this place. I hope this establishment looks to do better by its community in the future it s clearly an ownership and company issue. The staff I dealt with was very friendly, so this review is no way poor because of them. However, I would be ashamed of myself if I worked here taking people s money this way.

I just want to say that their receptionist, Dee, is one of the nicest, compassionate people in that place. Calling and getting her on the line is striking gold. Keep up the great work!

If you love your animal avoid this place, they don't care about animals the only thing they care about is money. Never have experienced such bad treatment from any vietenary place before there is no communication there only when it's time to pay the bill which they charge 3x as much as any other veterinary hospital.

Great experience here. My 1.5 dog ate an unknown quantity of raisins.. very toxic for dogs. I caught him in the act, called verg immediately. They gave me set instructions for pet poison control and when I arrived, took him in within 10 minutes to induce vomiting.

Everyone was extremely friendly, quick acting in a time of concern, and they outlined the next 48 hour protocol to ensure cautionary maintenance. Happy to say my dog is doing great, which my vet really puts on us being able to act quick and get everything out of him stomach in time

Wonderful experience, we are so appreciative of everything VERG did for us! We were able to call and speak to the doctor for advice before going in and were welcomed and seen immediately. The staff was really enjoyable and welcoming! Everyone took great care of our little cat and us! I highly recommend VERG for any vet emergencies!

This is not a review for emergency services, only for the dermatologist Dr. Panich. I made a same day appointment with her the week of Christmas and was very nicely accommodated. My cat had been scratching her face and neck nonstop, to the point that she was bleeding and scabbed (she is hairless). Wait time once we were there was about 5 minutes in the waiting room, and 10 in the exam room. Dr. Panich was very sweet and gentle with my cat and immediately recognized her symptoms as a food allergy. She gave me an allergy medicine that I swear helped the same day, and did took some blood work so we can figure out exactly what the allergy is to, although the cat is already 100x after being switched off the offending food. Only 4 stars because it has taken weeks to get the blood work back, but this could be the fault of the lab, not necessarily VERG. It is pretty pricey, but so is my human dermatologist, so I'm not sure what else I would expect here in NYC!

The people there are nice. The office is nice. However they seemed more interested in milking you for your money than actually doing the right thing by your pet. (It's gonna be a long one. You can skip to the last paragraph if you want to get to the meat of it.)

I have a 3 year old Neapolitan Mastiff that I took in about 8 months ago. He needed entropion surgery on both eyes, because his eyelids were turning inward and scratching his cornea. There was already some visible damage when I got him. I found a reasonably priced vet in Jersey to do that surgery. After that surgery my dogs left eye seemed to be getting worse. So I decided to look for a specialist. There aren't too many of them, that I could find. Especially not with an immediate opening. In comes VERG.

I make the appointment. I was late. The wait wasn't long. Staff is friendly and courteous. I go in for the exam. While waiting in the exam room, I express concern that an ear infection I'd been treating him for wasn't getting better. I ask if they can look at it. I'm told that if I wanted to look at that as well, I'd have to sign in for an emergency visit and pay for a 2nd visit, if I wanted them to look at it. That's pretty disgusting to me, being that I'm already being charged over $200 for this visit. I dont feel it was much to ask.

The opthalmologist checks my dog thoroughly. Stops short of one last test, because Crum got antsy. He then insists that the entropion was not resolved properly and that's what was causing the problem with his left eye to get worse. My dog also has slight cherry eye. They suggested we handle the entropion, as well as they cherry eye, and that they would also be able to undo the overcorrection that resulted from the first surgery. The cost of the procedure would be $4000. I agonized over this decision. I mean.....4k is a lot of money. I opted to get another opinion to aid in the decision. I went to the Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, Long Island. Their initial visit was more expensive @ $300, plus medication, which came out to about $475. However, after a thorough examination, which was more in depth than what had been done at VERG, Dr Kim diagnosed my dog w Keratitis. He DID NOT need entropion surgery again. And she was not pushing for the cherry eye surgery, because she didn't feel it was obstructing his vision. She also stated that while the original vet did overcorrect, there was tissue removed that couldn't be put back, so to fix that isn't really viable. She prescribed a regimen of 3 different medications for my dogs eyes. After literally 4 days, his eye was already visibly better. I'm so happy with my decision to get another opinion.

Very unlikely I would go to VERG again.

They care more about the $ than the pet itself, I don t care about they looking for money I guess every business should do the same, but the way they talk to you, the way they provide the service honest is trash.

For example I reach them out to get some help with my pet and they put me on hold for 1 hour and half, then I had to re call from a different phone to get an answer, they are just a trash company

I can't say enough good things about this hospital and their staff. We had been to another unnamed clinic in Park Slope with our cat and were made to feel like less than loving parents because we didn't want to spend $1000's on tests. When our cat became critical at 3am we hopped in a cab and went to VERG. They immediately took her back and helped get her comfortable. Dr. Grzyb was incredibly caring and understanding. She helped us through the hardest of decisions with compassion and generosity that can't be matched. Thank-you for all your help.

The staff have been friendly thus far but I cannot understand, why I have spent thousands here trying to figure out why my female ,14 year old cat keeps bleeding from her private part an they continuously charge me an still don t know what the problem is , this will be the last time I come . I been here about 7/8 times so far . Please be smart people , they re not the only hospital in the area there is another animal hospital literally 5 mins away.

They are very professional and genuinely care about your pet. I've been bringing my cat here for several months and I've never had any issues (even when I came in at midnight!!)

I hate writing bad reviews, and it is rare that I do, but in this case, I must, as a warning to all of you who love your fur babies. If I could give this place 0 stars I would. My experience here could not have been worse. My sweet Cavalier baby Zoe who was 2.5 years old became sick out of nowhere. She had an upset stomach, was very lethargic, threw up a little, and I took her to our vet right away. The morning after taking her to our vet, I noticed she was not better after receiving IV fluid, anti nausea, and vitamins. Usually that made her better, but this time it was different. The morning after our vet visit, she was so dehydrated and when she went to drink water I noticed her tongue was PURPLE. My vet said bring her asap and we ran. 5 hours later, they suggested we take her to Verg for overnight care. While they took her right away, we were left there waiting for hours until the dr finally called. He told me a list of what could be wrong with her.. he spoke so fast, and listed basically any scenario under the moon to cover them. He said she is very sick, we don t know the cause yet, she could need medication depending on the issue, there s a chance it could be grave, but we will have to run tests to know more but need to keep her 3-5 nights, maybe more, maybe less, but I m going to write up an invoice SOO I paid over $5000 and they told me it could be even more, depending on if they need to do more tests or keep her longer, but I would have paid anything, had they saved my baby. They let us see her before we left but said we shouldn t stay with her too long because it was imperative she get her treatments. So we gave her hugs and kisses and said we would see her in a few days and that she will be better. The next morning, 9:30am, I get a call from a new dr, telling me I m so sorry, we have bad news about Zoe, she likely had a stroke due to her liver failure, and she stopped breathing, her heart stopped, and we have been doing CPR but she isn t coming back, and even if she did, she will have brain damage and need to be on a ventilator. We need your permission in order for us to stop CPR . NEVER did I expect to hear my 2.5 year old dog was dying! Just 4 days prior she was still so active and playful. It made no sense and I did not think in a million years that I was going to lose my baby. Through my tears and panic, and being woken up to this nightmare, I said I don t understand. I don t get it. What was wrong? What happened? This can t be! Please save her please do everything you can. I won t give you my permission to stop CPR she s a baby this isn t happening! They called me less than 10 minutes later, saying they were trying CPR and she wasn t coming back, but they need my permission to stop. The dr s voice was so monotone, he seemed like it was nothing, not like someone who was truly sorry and sympathetic and did everything they could. All he could tell me as far as the cause, was that she had liver failure, and had a stroke that ended up causing her heart to stop and her breathing to stop. That s about as much as an explanation as I got. On top of it, while they refunded me for some of the amount since they obviously had her there for less than 24 hours, they still charged me so much, even $300 for CPR when they did not even save her life, and almost another $100 on top of it for her body, which we did not have cremated. At the very least, they could have sent a kind letter with their apologies. Instead, I m left with a broken heart and a $3000 hospital bill for an awful place that cares more about money than they do your pet. It was chaotic there like a zoo, and I doubt they were treating my baby all night. Maybe if they had done their job, I wouldn t be writing this. Do yourself a favor, go somewhere else.

I was at verg of Flatbush ave today with my five year old dog who has been sick for three weeks . They were so good they took very good care of my dog all the personal were extremely friendly and helpful and loving . I would highly recommend VERG of Flatbush ave

The people here are wonderful! I brought my Bobby here because he hurt his paw on a Saturday, and they took him pretty quick! They treated him with so much love & care and it made me feel so much better. Thank you for taking care of my baby.

Prices are high (Probably because it's open 24/7). Staff is very friendly and so far been professional. Well designed, clean. Make sure your bill is accurate when paying, and know that you don't have to do every recommendation that's offered - some of it could be overtreatment - but if they say something is a necessity - I trust them.

My Oreo was treated as soon as I got there. The staff and doctors were friendly and professional.

From the minute I brought my 9-yr-old boxer into this facility, I was treated with the cold manner of a snobby clothing store, rather than the caring warmth of a doctor s office. From the receptionists leaving us outside for 1/2 hour, even though the building was empty, to the lack of explanation about my dog s condition or options available to us as relayed from the doctor.

Every step of the way was, We don t know anything, we need more tests. We were convinced to keep him overnight and after 3 unreturned phone calls the next morning to inquire about his condition, we heard from our doctor for the first time at 1:30pm. Again we were told they had no conclusive answers and wanted to keep him overnight again for more tests. Never once did I get the impression they cared about anything other than my credit card number.

I will never bring another animal to this location.

Today marks a year since Simon is gone, but not a day passes by that i dont think about the nighmare we went through.
We were reffered to verg with UTD, they told us we need a surgery that will make all our problems go away, make his urine canal shorter and wider and all crystals and stones will pass. Few weeks after surgery the problem returned, I brought him back to verg. After check-up I was told at that verg is an emergency clinic and with regular problems we should go to our regular vet. So we went and were basically loosing time. After month of visiting our vet, putting my baby on a special diet and seeing him in pain when urinating we returned to verg. We were told that the 1st surgery was not a success and we need a 2nd surgery. We blindly followed their recommendations, went with revision surgery and week later my cat still could not urinate. After trying all possible prosedures and medications out there we came to verg again just to hear them say that we have to put our baby to sleep. He needed a 3rd surgery, because the other two gave no result. The so-called surgeons, the butchers,did not do a decent job (I wish i could put unprofessional surgeons' names here, but i never learned them, because i never met them, they only call you on the phone). Mind this, as I've learned from the forum of other pet lovers - UTD is a very common problem for lots of breeds and they do go under surgery once and live long happy lives after. Meanwhile we needed a third surgery, small chance they gave me this time, but I would go for it. I would go for anything that could save his life, but guess what, there were no surgeon on site friday night in 24 hour emergency clinic. He was only coming back Monday afternoon! And my cat wouldn't make it to Monday. And I was pressured to do my decision and euthanize my cat. While i was devastated, calling all the clinics in NY, I remember the nurse say, that i gotta be quick since her shift is ending. WHAT? Send in next shift, I will take as long as I need when it comes to a family member.

After 6 months of fighting for his life, sleeping on the floor with him because he cant get up the bed, missing 3-4 days of work a week because of taking him to the vet, all I am left with is a box of ashes, $15,000 debt in total vet bills and a broken heart. After all their promises they never delivered and charged me huge amounts, they did not even offer me a free cremation or euthanasia. This establishment is not for animals nor people. It's strictly business with noone responsible when things go wrong. Noone.

I was hesitant about going here because of some of the reviews, and the potential costs when my dog's breathing changed. My local vet couldn't handle the emergency that day so they referred me to VERG. I had to put my dog down that day. I was really sad. The doctor Pamela Bay took care of me and Jack (my dog). I have nothing but thanks and gratitude for how I was treated during this time. Thank you Pamela and Verg for making this bitter sweet and not just bitter. Feeling grateful and not alone.

Cant tell u how many times VERG has saved my dogs. My Sammy had seizures and a heart condition, my Pongo had cancer and pain in his knees. Both are doing wonderful!

SUB-PAR service with SKY-HIGH costs!

Wait-time day and night was MADDENING. Some of the staff was downright rude and clearly hated their jobs. Who knows how they treat the animals in the back?

Vets were nice when they got to you. For the volume of work, the place only seemed to have ONE vet on duty (day and night). The only positive is that my dog did get better with the recommended course of action.

Overall, this was a HORRIBLE experience!!! After talking with other pet owners (post this), Animal Kind comes up as a professional and efficient option for emergency pet care.

Dr Goodman and her team are fantastic. Very friendly, smart, patient and thorough. All the staff are friendly and professional.

I have to say from day one our sweet boy mello was taken cared of with care, love, respect and professionalism. Until he passed from cancer, he went peacefully with so much love from the staff. I want to thank all the doctors, staff and especially Dr. Levitzke whom truly took wonderful and gentle care of our dog. Very happy for VergBK. Keep up the great work!

It's good that a place offering 24/7 medical care for our beloved pets exists but my personal experiences here (and when they sometimes used to be at Warren St.) have been that while they provide adequate Healthcare they are a pretty cold group of people. You'd think that for all they charge they'd be able to summon a little bit of compassion but you'd be mistaken. After paying over $200 just to walk in the door for a 5-minute consultation, plus an additional $300 for bloodwork, apparently that's not enough to merit a callback with a results. By the way, despite saying they'd alreadysent the results to my vet, they STILL haven't. I clearly had a lapse in judgement when I opted to go with the soonest appointment when my cat might've been better served had we waited a slight bit longer for an appointment at BluePearl on 3rd Ave--not to far from Verg, where they treat your pet and you with some empathy.

I brought my beloved cat two weeks ago. The first time I brought her the doctor working there night sent her home with meds saying a Hospital stay was not required. She was dismissive when I questioned her. This was after waiting 5 hours with a sick cat. By the next day she was much worse. I brought her back and they checked her in immediately as an emergency. I should have known from that first interaction something was wrong with this place.
Though I think some doctors genuinely care they are under pressure. They did a procedure for a blockage in her stomach which might or might not have been there according to the report. She was on fluids and remained there to be monitored bc they said she was too sick to leave. After 5 days and an astronomical bill of over $7200 they released her and said she had an excellent appetite per report.
She came home and couldn t eat a bite. She was hungry but something was preventing her from being able to eat. I called and called and we kept pumping her with meds to no avail. She went to her bowl over and over again. They missed something very big but it was too late and she died within 3 days. I brought her to my local vet who peacefully put her to sleep. I am heartbroken beyond words.

Please do not bring your pet there! For a minor infection, they kept our pet for 5 days, charged us 5000$ and whenever we asked for a second opinion, they lied to us that moving our pet would kill him!!! I eventually took the risk and took our pet to another vet and we figured out that the whole issue could have been solved by couple of pills! They are truly devil's business! We are in court with them now. These people have no boundary to exploit your emotional state.

Dr.Andrew is AMAZING!!! My dog never likes the vet, however as soon as he finished with Dr. Andrew he was jumping all over him. He's not only knowledgeable, he's a dog whisperer:) God forbid but if I ever have another emergency with my Pomeranian Verg North will be the only place I go to:)

Jessica Rivera seems like a friendly, caring veterinarian but that does not make up for her incompetence as a provider.

She moved to this practice from Virginia where she miss diagnosed my dog for 2 years, he ultimately died from a disease that could have been prevented. Not to mention years of pumping drugs into his system that made him sick (in and out of veterinarian offices weekly/monthly), ultimately should not have been prescribed for his actual underlying condition. Not to mention after reviewing her medical notes and my phone records she falsified documents stating that she "returned my phone calls" but did not.

I have filed a formal complaint against her in VA but her license is expiring and she obviously is not renewing because she moved to NY, they have no jurisdiction in NY.

Sad that a veterinarian can move state to state and avoid penalties for such serious crimes.

6/27/16 around 1:35 I Called in to find out vet hours and the receptionist was very snotty. I asked for a general idea of the hours, since this would be my first time going there, and the receptionist was not very helpful in guiding me towards the proper information. Every questioned I asked seemed to be an inconvenience for her. (I apologize For making you work a little today.) A reception is the face and voice of a location and I would not be going there unless my dog's vet insists this is the best location to visit. Very unprofessional.

Worst animal hospital I ve been to , staff is so unprofessional , my dog was suffering vomiting and couldn t breathe from a little cut they said he had and they kept telling me to relax he s okay while they re watching him throw up in a waiting room , at one point they told me to leave . Thank god I took him to another spot who took him in for emergency surgery. At VERG The doctor seen my puppy at least 5 times to tell me the same thing , I didn t even feel comfortable after the second time they took my dog in after being told to leave I felt scared I was going to loose my dog I just told them I m going to somewhere else , thank god I did where they re treating him with REAL love and care ! . I m so disappointed and sad about this, the hospital staff didn t even seem like they cared about the animals , that day I even seen a women with her cat also complaining that she s not hearing anything about her cat and that they weren t even checking up on it . I don t know how someone could just watch a dog having trouble breathing, throwing up blood , and say leave i really felt like I was going to loose my puppy .

We started going to VERG because our Yorkie Coco developed cataracts causing her to go blind. Our primary vet recommended that we see Dr LoPinto for cataract surgery. From the start of the process Dr LoPinto and optho team at VERG were amazing. Everyone that works in the office is so helpful and compassionate. VERG is also great with sending invoices to our pet insurance. Coco was a special case and because of his team she can see and is a happy dog again. They are the BEST!!!! We will always be forever thankful.

Had to take my cat in for an emergency visit, several other 24/7 pet hospitals had 3+ hour waits. VERG was able to get my cat seen within 30 minutes and heard from a vet within an hour of arriving.

For an emergency ER visit, the consultation bill was very reasonable and staff was incredibly nice and responsive.

This place is highly recommended for medical pet emergencies. I came here recently with my dog because the prior urgent care veterinarian I went to was misdiagnosing my dog with a hernia or an intestinal parasitic infection. After bringing my dog to VERG, they carefully assessed my dog and finally diagnosed him with an obstructive object (Multiple Bones) in his digestive tract. Not only did they identify the health issue and resolve it with an endoscopy, but they also negotiated the price with me allowing us to set a very reasonable price for everything including the treatment, procedure and consultation. My Dog s vet was Jennifer Kwok. She s amazing. She has a passion for dogs and pets. She also is very attentive and relentless at figuring out the issue. She s an amazing Vet. I highly recommend her as an emergency Vet to visit.

Struggling to bring a120lb dog with mobility issues, I was 20 minutes late for an 830am appointment. Instead of offering to slip us in (there appeared to be no one in the waiting area) in the event of another latecomer or other opportunity, the merely offered to reschedule. Extreme lack of awareness of customers needs and absolutely no sympathy or flexibility. And as a supposed 24/7 emergency walk in facility, they failed to even offer that possibility. Do Not Waste Your Time or Money. Booo!

VERG went above and beyond to make my kitty feel comfortable in her final days after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. They were completely open and honest about the situation from the beginning. Yes good veterinary care can be very expensive but when you see the facility and how well trained the staff are it s obvious where the money goes. I d recommend pet insurance to offset the cost of good pet care. Most importantly both vets we dealt with were extraordinarily compassionate.

They are always so caring both to my pets and to me. They are kind and sensitive to the distress a pet owner is in during an emergency. Wholly professional, and warm. The place is pleasant and welcoming. The prices are fair.

The staff was very caring and compassionate. Treated my cat with dignity and respect. Unfortunately there was not much that could be done (19 years old with failing kidneys) but they gave me time to say goodbye and let me stay with him until the end

Have viewed them several times for beloved 20 year old cat and then our dog.
Every time, all staff have been outstanding. Great referrals, end of life (for our 20 year old kitty), sutures and more.

Outstanding veterinarians and top quality support staff. However if something feels like it's taking too long politely inquire at the front desk. I've always found that they'll try their best to keep me updated.

DO NOT GO HERE!!! These people will rob you!
They are horrible horrible. They explain the bill to you then you pay before anything gets done. The receptionist made us give the money immediately she insisted it had to be sent through pay pal as soon as possible. When we picked up our dog we had to pay extra money on top of the 3,000 already had spent. We waited 2 hours in a half to get our dog discharged. When I called to check on my dog I was put on hold and one of the receptionist was not very nice. This whole experience was a nightmare.
I must give credit to the doctor she did great Other than that I will never go back.

This place is incredibly expensive!! They wanted $10,000 for a simple fractured leg on my cat. Outrageous. I spent over $2500 for tests and an overnight and then wanted $9000 on top of it up front. No thanks...

Rips you off with unnecessary tests that produce nothing and require a second mortgage to pay for. Bunch of crooks.