Reviews of Ark Animal Clinic (Veterinarian)

Ken Ellifritt

Dr. Anthony very good and helpful, staff is friendly, busy place may have some delays

Richard Miller

Clean, Timely

Patricia Vermillion

I had never been to Ark Animal Clinic until this past Tuesday when i had to lay my beloved Jade down to rest. I called them the morning of and they were very accommodating allowing me to bring her in that evening. I didn’t wait very long before they had called us back. The staff was very sympathetic to the situation – they allowed me and my Jade to sit on the floor in the exam room while the doctor came in and joined us down on the floor to administer the meds to put Jade to sleep. They didn’t insist that I put her on the cold table – they allowed me to hold her as she passed and spend as much time as I needed to spend with her before and after. This vet, as reviews suggest – has a very busy office – which means there will be a wait – very pleasant waiting room with a lot of bench seats. They must be doing something right because people keep coming back. Would I use them for my regular vet for my other dogs – Absolutely!

Brooke Reynolds

Used to go here for my normal vet. Little did I know that my dogs did not have all the shots that they needed. Since getting my dog neutered, he developed kennel cough, severe infection in both ears, and an anal gland infection that is really bad. I took him to Ark and explained to them that something is wrong with him. He had also passed out and needed to be taken to the ER. They were in my room for maybe 5 mins, lifted his leg and said he had a rash. They sent me home with some meds. Office staff was rude. 2 weeks and 3 vets later we find out that the has all of the problems listed above. Now my other dog is very sick and also has to be taken to the vet. (won't be taking her here) I do not recommend this vet to anyone, they have gone downhill so fast.

Kirsten Miller

Excellent vet and vet techs. They show compassion and make everything go smoothly for your pet...

Steel inspector

I would describe the level of care from "Dr." Hess as criminal and negligent. We brought our 8 year old cat into ark as an emergency and we were seen quickly, no problem there. My wife is an RN so she asks questions and bounces ideas off people which is recieved here with disdain and contempt. My cat was taken to the back and we were told her labs were enough to merit an overnight stay. Repeated calls the following day were met with zero information and requests to call back hours later. We were finally told our cat was well and able to be picked up. I didn't mind the few hundred dollar bill since my cat was supposedly cared for and recovering. In actuality, our cat was worse and when I called, I was told there was no documentation so they had no clue what the problem could be bit if the cat was still worse in a few days then bring her back. They even went as far as to lie, saying she had been walking around her cage and purring, which she wouldn't have done when she was 100%. I ended up having to go to an emergency clinic in winchester were I had to uthanize her because of her extremely terrible condition. I was told by a vet that the care and lack of care given at Ark was no uncommon and has resulted in other animals deaths. I miss my cat and wish I'd never taken her there. She deserved better than what she recieved. DO NOT GO TO ARK IF YOU CARE FOR YOUR PET!!!!! There are a number of quality vets in the area that are far superior.

Rebby Love

Been going for years for my pets. They were so caring when I bought my dog in after getting shot. Dr. Hess knows my Jasper well.

Sera Drevenak

Misdiagnosed my dog with a debilitating life long condition, took blurry x-rays that I had to have re-done at great expense. I arranged to pick up medication on a particular day at 6pm, took off of work early to get there only to find that they had given the pills to someone else. Total cost to me: $1750, result? Nothing but regret for taking my lovely dog here.

the bendy gamer123

They always take the best care of my fur baby

Mrs. Garcia

2nd Cheapest vet in this area, so they are always slammed. They are always behind, so plan accordingly. Vet is quirky and rushed, not unfriendly just uninterested. Front desk staff is curt and off-standish, they walk the line of being unprofessional at times. The place is dated, seemed clean. Hours are great. If I couldn't administer my house animals' shots or have my farm vet do it I'd take them here and schedule an early appt to beat the wait.

Vickie Cooper

The check up was no more than a listen to heart and lungs. The Vet did not know how to give shots so it didn't hurt. Long wait. My previous Vet did thorough check up. Eyes, ears, mouth, feeling internal organs by hand, worm check and more. He answered any questions thoroughly. This Vet and Tech did not. I came to expect so much more from a Vet than was given here. Will give a second chance. Staff was friendly, Vet also.

Janet Hartman

Love this place great with our animals

Backhand 3D

Impressed with the friendliness and prompt service. My cat approves of the place, she wasn't scared. We have found our new vet.

nina cusato

I am only giving them one star because 0 is not an option. I brought my dogs in many times for routine things with no problems. My dog then swallowed a large piece of bone and became obstructed. I rushed him in. There was a good chance he would die. I was told surgery was not an option. He stayed overnight and when we could finally visit him he was scared and because he would not walk he was dragged through his own urine into the room. I took him home, they stated the bone had passed. This was a blatant lie. When I spoke to them about what had happened I was brushed off. If you care at all about your pet I do not suggest taking them here! Fair warning!

nancy penwell

Very nice staff ... Less cost

NAVYSEALS_ALEX Gaming

It was very helpfull everything I was looking for was here!!

illegal labeans

My dog died here so its good

mr. lego master

The Doctors and staff are nice. Easy to get an appointment, but always a wait for your appointment time once in the office.

Paula D

Love this place and love doctor Hess! My German Shepherd mix had a tumor on her leg. My normal vet in Berkeley Springs couldnt get her in for over a month and even charged 1/3 more thank Ark just to look at it. Ark got my dog in the next day after i called and even offered to see her the same day I called. Dr. Hess removed her tumor. she did rip her stitches and had to have them re-done but they did not charge for that and the surgery itself was affordable. They did a great job for my dog and I would recommend them to anyone!

Jeb Trayer

Friendly staff and great veterinarians

Rob White

Very friendly it was are first time there and they took good care of our dog Cooper . Were very happy we found them.

Connee Lloyd

This is the best vet practice in the area. Dr. Hess is an amazing vet and the staff are as good as you can find. They will offer a lot of services, some more expensive than others, but if you don't want to (or can't) spend the money, they'll work with you to offer less expensive options. They are almost always busy, and can get backed up on many occasions, but it's because they don't push clients out just to be on time. A little patience is everything at Ark, but you will get the best treatment around.

Pam Phillips

To long waiting but love the service

heather jones

Dr. Hess and his assistant were very friendly and knowledgeable, there wasn't a long wait before being called back, and they were very reasonable in their prices. Definitely the best vet experience I've had yet!

Kellie D

We found a lump near my Dog's anal area. Was concerned of infected anal gland, but come to find out she has colon/rectal cancer. They were very nice and accommodating on what to do at home and what to watch for. My dog is doing great. We are getting a puppy in a week and they were very nice an informative as to what shots my older dog needed and the prices are great! They are very willing to work with you and are very straight forward when it comes to prices. The staff have always been nice when Ive called in. We will see how my late appt(7pm) goes on Thursday, but I'm sure it will be fine. I would suggest this place to others. Also love that they have late hours for those who work!!!

Cheryl Saliba

I absolutely love Ark animal clinic. They helped our Golden Retriever puppy quickly and now he isn't in as much pain from hotspots and infection. They are amazing!!

David Hoffman

Quick, work with my schedule, my cats hate it,but I love it

Pat Wilson

Nice vet. Friendly and knowledgeable

Sandy Hevener

Great staff

Keri Ann

Please save your dogs life...dont take to this facility. The Dr. doesn't know what hes doing...doesnt even know proper meds to give...a dog was left in their freezer for over a year unnoticed when the dog was suppose to be creamated.

Eric Proffit

The vets here have taken amazing care of my dogs. Very knowledgeable and timely with their service, have never scoffed at any questions my wife and I have had about our pups.

Cassander Curry

Super friendly, caring, and capable staff

James Barbour

Great Service, friendly staff. Really care for your pets. Highly recommended

Kimberly Barrett

Amazing vets!!!

Patricia James

Techs and docs know what they are doing with our pets.

Xandra Wild

They are the reason my cat is dying.

Brandon Renner

Have been completely satisfied since we started bringing our dogs to the Ark Animal Clinic! There has been no other Animal Clinic in our area that has showed the compassion and overall willingness to treat our babies with plenty of attention to proper medical care. It's comforting to know that when it comes to appointments our kids/dogs are taken care of and there is truly a reason for it not just to pay an outrageous clinic visit price for nothing!!!

John Hook

Great place

Mandy Weld

I've been going to Ark Animal Clinic for 8 years. I moved into the area in 2005 and they were highly recommended to me by a neighbor. I took my dog, my beloved Jack there and they were always excellent with him. When another clinic opened up a little closer I tried them but immediately went back to Ark. Their prices have always been fair and reasonable, the staff has always been polite even in the most hectic of waiting rooms. This past December I had to lay my baby to rest at the age of 15. The Vet and staff were so caring and compassionate, they made a difficult time a little easier. When it's time for me to get a new dog, you can be sure that I'm going to go back to Ark Animal Clinic.

Lilly Shafer

IF YOU HAVE ANY LOVE FOR ANY OF YOUR ANIMALS..DO NOT TAKE THEM THERE!! THE RECEPTIONISTS, AND DR PUFFENBERGER ARE VERY RUDE AND UNEDUCATED!!

Get Addicted

Staff were amazing very gentle with my fur babies, it was his first time going and he had a skin infection (he was a kitten I found.) The wait time was very short, and the waiting room was comfortable and clean.

A Darcho

Ladies at the front were nice. 15 walk in fee which I think is stupid, but not stupid enough to effect the 5 stars. I'd recommend it. They fixed up my little baby sweet boi kitty.

April Spinks

They do not care and make it known! Steer clear!

craig sours

Great staff & services!

Michele Vansickle

Very nice and caring people

wv Dave

they are the best ,as previously stated by others they do not gouge your wallet,the care is phenomenal,,,every time i had an emergency they made room and took care of my dog ,in fact thats how i came about switching to them,,,,,i came home from work one day to find one of my dogs with a large deep gash across the back of her neck,i called my previous vet and they treated me like i was trying to schedule a shots update visit,i had been loyal to them for more than 8 years and was astonished that they were treating me like this in a emergency situation,,,,as i was heading to animal emergency in Hagerstown Md which is about 25 to 30 miles away i remembered Ark Animal Clinic was closer and stopped in on the way,she was literally being attended to in 5 minutes,i hadnt even had a chance to finish the paperwork yet ,and the lobby was packed,i was so impressed and relieved requested they get the records for all of my dogs from the vet i was previously using,,,,,,ive been with them for about 4 years now and can honestly say they are still amazing

m Kp

Very unprofessional staff. Had a tech yell at my dog because she cut his nails into the quick and he went to the bathroom on her leg. Then yelled at me saying "look what he did, now I have to go home and change" then a year later we had to put him to sleep (15 year old lab) they made my husband feel terrible. He was like one of our children and was not an easy decision to make. Very high Pressure sales for additional testing and when the quote you a price you can assure to pay double.

Shanita Wine

Friendly staff and wonderful with the animals

Paul Smith

Friendly staff

Ben Fleischman

Nice staff. Clean. Good with my pets

J.C. Starkey

They were very flexible in seeing our sick cat and their prices are on par with the other clinics in the area. The care provided is top notch as well. Thank you for helping our poor kitty!

Kelly HolzmanHoover

I could not get in with my regular vet for a few weeks & could tell my dog was miserable. (We had just gotten him at human society) Gave my dog meds to treat mange & was told later by my regular vet you do not treat mange that way. And when he looked at my dog he thinks he never even had mange!! So I paid a LOAD of money. Also most of the staff not all are rude.

Lee Fairfax

We had to put my friend's dog to sleep. Ark was so caring & thoughtful. It was very peaceful & we recieved a paw print & a casket.

kimberly calabrese

Great Drs. Love these guys. Very caring

jesse Baldridge

Very friendly staff and they care about your pets.

Heather Stauffer

Very caring staff. Did not have to wait long to be seen. I have 4 cats and all 4 have been seen and treated with lots of TLC.

Jessica Corbin

Dropped my baby girl off to be spayed and the staff seemed nice so that made me feel a little better about leaving her. They did call and check on her post op so that was nice as well.

Gillian Losa

Alright for routine visits to the vet and shots. I am sorry to say the vet missed early stage renal disease in my 14 year old male cat. I brought him in with the complaint that he was drinking too much water, they only checked for diabetes and when it was shown he didn't have it, I was accused of having put my cat on a "fad diet" (grain free). After switching foods twice didn't help, I took him to another vet who ran a full blood panel and discovered the problem. My cat is now on a special diet.

hi hi

Great staff..

Peggy Waugh

Staff were excellent and caring toward pet! Great service for first visit there!

Katie Catlett

They may have got my money one last time but I want to make sure no on else’s DOG IS NEGLECTED OR LEFT DEAD IN A FREEZER FOR OVER A YEAR! My dog died in their care. Suppose to be cremated but instead was left in a freezer for a year! Romeo I get a coupon through spay today, so basically I paid a reduced fee through them which means I owe Ark nothing! They lost my certificate, did blood work, neutered him. I go for pickup and they are trying to charge be a couple hundred dollars! I had to argue with them about it! I was still made to pay for the blood work they did! March 2, 2018. Myvdogs testicles were huge. He has a temp of 105.2. No pain meds or fever reducing meds were given! The vet went up front and proceeded to talk about me with his staff! Very rude and unprofessional. I paid my bill and left 3/3/18 Argo’s scrotum is now ruptured and bleeding. Thank God for Hillside in Charles Town! They squeezed me in Sat morning Dr. Masters was AMAZING. He said the script Argo needed was Augmentin (the original that was prescribed) and what I had at home was fine. He gave him a few pain pills to get through the weekend and then he wanted Argo back first thing Monday morning for a neuter. Argo is starting to act his self now!

Diana Mullenix

I attempted to call and schedule an appointment to have our dog euthanized since we recently moved to this area and it would be a 40 minute drive to our other veterinarian's office. The receptionist had NO compassion whatsoever and just said that they were already booked today and it didn't look like they had anything tomorrow either. Thank you for your understanding! I will definitely NOT call your clinic again.

Kimberly Allen

They were great. Had our Chihuahua neutered. They took great care of him!

Brittany Talley

Great experience! Our dog isn’t the friendliest and the staff handled him well and professionally. The cost was great too!

Penny Hudgins

Have been going there for 10 years, always happy with Dr Hess.

Brendan F

Thoroughly frustrated with this place and wish there was a different option for pet care. Their front desk interaction skills barely pass as acceptable or friendly. Had to wait for 30 minutes to pickup my pet after paying and was told "sometimes they get busy in the back". I'm sure there are some good people there but any customer facing sraff should go through some level of customer service training

William Rodgers

They took wonderful care of my cat for 3 days. Considering how sick he was and how much they did the bill was also very reasonable. I will definitely take my cat back to them and highly recommend them to others!

Eric Lutman

Nice staff, treats patients well

Forever Hopeful

Wonderful place! We've been going for years, Dr. Hess is wonderful. The wait is never very long either

Dennis Shade

Affordable and they take care of my pets.

Donna

I had my dog Delilah spaded and I think they did an excellent job

amy feddon

Always great salad bar Excellent service. Recipe on the onion soup changed...again. Ugh...

Michael McIntyre

In the past they offered friendly kind hearted care. Downgraded my rating as some friend's fur babies were mistreated recently. Can no longer recommend this as quality veterinary hospital.

Dan Tabler

Had to switch to another vet. We were on time, the kept us waiting for over 45 minutes and didn't apologize. The waiting room smells like a toilet, the lawn is covered with cig buts and fecal material. Our pets are family members too important to trust with these guys. This has all the signs of a poorly un business. We found an alternative that is bright clean well run. Genuinely cares about our "kids" and respects out time too.

Pilar Goicoechea

A very caring facility to bring your pets.

Samantha S

After reading the bad experiences I was scared to bring my dog Baxter here. I had no other choice during the holidays as his was an emergency and no where else was open. I am gratefull that I found this office. It started with my lab having a swollen eye. It looked like my new kitten had scratched him (again). They treated him with eye drops. 2 days later his eye was worse. They had me bring him back in and only charged me half of the visit fee. I told them I only had $100 to my name. Dr.Hess came in and examined my dogs eye, flushed it, and numbed it. When leaving the office I was only charged the office fee and for my dogs new prescriptions. A few days went by and things did not improve. I also noticed his lymph nodes were swelling and he had random knots popping up. I immeditaly called the office and they told me to bring him in immediately. Once we arrived and they examined him, they found he had lymphoma throughout his whole body. The vet and nurse looked as sad as I did. They have him a high dose of prednisone to take home and try. At this point they allowed me to write out a post dated check. I am forever grateful for that and their efforts to save my dog. Unfortunately, within 2 days my dog could no longer stand on his own and the prednisone did not help. I called them for a fourth time and as usual, they allowed me to bring him right in. We decided that euthanasia was the best thing for my Baxter. My family. My dog was so swollen that they were having a horrible time inserting the medicine into his veins without them blowing. They tried their hardest to make sure my dog was comfortable while I held him. Once everything was over, Dr.Hess (with glassy eyes and a crying nurse) informed me that he was not charging me for today. He is also allowing me to pay for my dogs cremation in 2 weeks. This office is truly an amazing place that actually cares. I am forever grateful! Thank you for trying to save my best friend and my family. My baby. I will only come here from now on with my pets. Even though it is a 45 minute drive. Thank you!

Leslie Smith

People there r very nice an they helped my dog get better will go back again

Brenda Tasker

Caring environment and staff.

Patricia Shockey

Nice office and appointment went quickly.

Mary Behan

These people are so kind and caring. Very gentle with our little dogs.

Denver Youngblood

This place cares more about the animals than they do the money

Fleet Korrell

Love Dr. hess but they have have to stop with the overbooking, it's never less than 2 hours to see the dr.

sandra schultz

Excellent staff. Took very good care of my furry friend.

Henry Prentiss

Well, I'm kind of shocked by a few of these reviews. I've been going there for 5 years now, and have found the level of care very high, and overall they seem very competent. They have been quite cooperative in regards to any calls requesting a same-day appointment for semi-urgent issues, always willing to squeeze me in sometime during the day that I call. I've found the Vet's friendly, but they really don't have a lot of time for chit-chat, as the office IS busy. Another big plus is their medication -- I've been to a lot of vets that diagnose a problem, and then literally rape you in fees for their medication. The medication at Ark is very reasonable, and they have even suggested home remedies when something they felt was a bit expensive was called for (and it was not that expensive!). Their examination and lab fees are quite reasonable as well. They do boarding, but I've never used them for that purpose. I did once observe a woman paying her boarding bill while I was writing out a check for a just-concluded office visit, and thought was a bit high, but I don't know what services she contracted for so I guess I don't really have an informed opinion on the subject. For all I know, the dog was supposed to be fed hand cooked steak and walked 8 times a day. I feel bad for the lady who had problems with something her dog swallowed, but I hope people can understand that with reasonable prices and fees, sometimes the staff can be a bit on the low end, but I've never noticed this to be the case. I've been treated horribly by vets before, and I like this place, and would prefer not to ever have to use another, and I drive almost an hour (one way!) to get there. I hope more people post some of these Google reviews! Every customer I've ever seen at this place seems happy and satisfied when they leave. More folks will need to post their experiences.

C-LO MM

Great staff, always so helpful...

DEBORAH DUNNIGAN

Ark is the absolute BEST Animal Hospital I have ever been to. The prices are reasonable. They are honest. They are compassionate. They have gone above and beyond for me and my pets. I had a Vietnam Veteran that had to temporarily board his two little dogs for about 2 months. We called around his home town. The cost was outrageous. I called Ark and they did it for a quarter of the cost. I picked up the dogs regularly to take to the VA Hospital to visit with their Daddy. They were AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! The BEST Animal Hospital EVER!!!!!!!!!! I rescue and have had up to 15 dogs and cats. I have 4 special needs. Without Ark I would not be able to do this. They are wonderful!