Where do I begin? My notes follow but suffice to say I had a horrible experience with the Angell ER team. My cat died after 10 hours in ER care this spring (late May - I have not wanted to relive the event but feel I must to warn others). Go anywhere else. Blue Pearl Charlestown or Waltham, IVG Woburn or Natick. They are staffed w/board certified vets. Tufts Grafton has residents (hopefully supported by experienced vets).
I attribute my cat's death to lack of care; they didn't follow my directives. After the fact, support staff/customer service said 'misunderstanding, miscommunications' but I could not be more clear - SAVE MY 4 YO CAT! Not only did my cat die, she and I were both traumatized by the experience (I'm still haunted - I took her in to save her not prolong her death).
My story - I brought my cat into VCA because she was lethargic 24 hours and was not getting better. The VCA vet said 'rush to Angell' because of bradycardia/low temperature. VCA actually rushed me out the door w/my cat because SAVING THE PATIENT comes first. Unfortunately they recommended Angell ER (but it was close).
I was greeted by reception - $150 please and you have a cat or dog and what's my matter? I handed over my credit card and a vet tech took my cat back to the ER area (eventually I got a look the ER area which was filled with crates, isolation lacking). After 30 minutes I was approached by Dr. K who said an echo-cardiogram suggested cardiomyopathy and an Xray suggested a formation of fluid starting in my cat's lungs. Didn't I want to consider euthanizing the cat? NO.
Mechanical ventilation was then recommend and I agreed. But what about fluids and blood work? Tests were necessary and Angell ER didn't have answers. I was whisked off to the finance office for a better assessment of costs ($2k was the estimate for current care but ventilation was extra). Dr. K had not provided a new estimate and I thought to take my dog (in the car) back home and return. Shortly after I departed Dr. K called and said "you didn't leave a credit card?" I noted I gave them credit info upon entry and asked for "fluids, blood work". Dr. K said they did limited blood work but still no fluids.
I was on my way back immediately. Lapsed time 1 hour. Upon my return, I was again asked by Dr. K to consider euthanasia. NO. But she said my cat was acting 'neurologically inappropriate' (I later learned that she experience a brain hemorrhage at Angell). I asked about ventilation. The cat's heart was working overtime and the kidneys, needed help. My cat's condition was growing worse!
I was escorted by Dr. K to finance yet again. The new estimate was $15k, half up front. I have credit limits and was not offered a payment plan. Plus the estimate was 'all over the place' (I have an MBA and I had a hard time making sense of it). I asked to speak to a manager - but no one was available? And I spent 5p-6p (visiting hours) in finance or in the lobby waiting on finance. Frustration apparently, I grew angry.
Dr. K had a solution. Withhold ventilation - because I had a hard time with a $8500 deposit (based on current care in 7 hours, I was disappointed and unimpressed - where were the experienced vets? Managers?). At 6p I had spoken rather loudly 'Do you only care about money?' and Dr. K said 'I care' (first time). But I brought my cat in at 11a, and at 6p, she was getting worse - due to lack of care.
Resigned, with a $2K credit for my cat, I left Angell ER to decompress and tend to my dog, other pets at home. I was called by another ER vet at 9p to tell me the cat had arrested; I got there 16 minutes later - 1 minute after she was pronounced dead.
I was traumatized. I stayed maybe 2 hours longer with my cat's lifeless body and went home. Why did I come? Why did I come to Angell?
My assessment, post-partum: #1 - financials/money first (not the patient), #2 - primarily inexperienced staff (first year residents have little experience). I note the formula is maximize the financials (based on Carter Luke's salary, I have reviewed the 990 filing and see the vet staff is motivated to bonus based on financials).
Please. Go anywhere else when you have to go for ER care. Sooner or later management will notice competition taking revenue away and hopefully respond with PATIENT FIRST and EXPERIENCED VETS. Given the choice of how you spend your money, all other things being equal, save the life of a pet! I wish I could travel back in time now.
Be forewarned. If you have a terrible experience and want to write to Carter Luke, he won't address the concerns - the director of customer service/care and the director of vet ER are called in to defend Angell's ER team (I was told my staff to file a complaint w/the board - but they will side w/Angell?). You have options; choose to save a life.
Review from Guidestar
Terrible customer service. Upsetting and bad management of sensitive information. Way too expensive. Also has a very, very high euthanasia rate that no one ever talks about. Before I knew about alternatives, I thought it was the only place to go for emergency veterinary care, but now I would work hard to go elsewhere unless absolutely necessary.
I found a nice little dog, and wanted to adopt. He had a long "wait list". I said I want to adopt him, I had everything I needed, all documentation etc. They said there are others before me but I insisted on filling out the documents. Why is this dog in a cage when I have a good home for him? I come back every day, and he is still "waiting for people who are going to adopt him who came first". 5 days I come in and take the dog out, and still they are waiting for someone else to adopt him. I finally call corporate and rip them a new one. I have donated to this charity, and now I know they are taking care of dogs who could have been adopted to good homes, but they won't cooperate. I don't know who they were holding this dog for, but he was someone's pawn. I wouldn't go away, so they finally let me adopt him. There were others who wanted this dog before me, but the squeaky wheel got the oil. They all acted nice, but there's something rotten in Denmark (or in this case Methuen).
The MSPCA saved my cats' lives. My boys were being kept in a tiny, filthy cage in a hoarder's house, and if the MSPCA had not rescued them I'm not sure who would have. This organization helps so many abused animals who have no where else to go. My cats were in miserable condition after being rescued, and the MSPCA made sure they received all the veterinary care they needed (which cost them far more than the adoption fee I paid). We have since brought them to meet with three different vets (including two specialists) and were extremely pleased with their friendly, compassionate and knowledgeable service. I can sleep easier knowing their emergency services are available 24/7. I also appreciate that they work to create comfortable environments for their animals, who have more living space than they would at many other shelters. They also keep many animals (even older ones!) up for adoption for long periods of time, truly trying to give them the best chance at a new forever home. The tragic reality is that millions and millions of US pets are homeless, and the MSPCA should not be blamed for being unable to help every animal in need. Their lifesaving work reaches thousands of animals each year.
MSPCA/Angell.....Where should I begin? If I could give you negative stars for this review I would! This once great humane society is now nothing more than a bloated, mismanaged, corporate nightmare! This organization has squandered millions upon millions of dollars on their bloated executive salaries and benefit packages as well as throwing away countless millions building massive animal hospitals-only to close the doors less than 10 yrs. later!
They invest only the tiniest of their dollars towards spay/neuter campaigns and they kill HEALTHY animals in their shelters all the time without a second thought.
Don't believe me? Just read their 990's from the past 20 years and then ask yourself where all those countless hundreds of millions of dollars went. The answer won't be towards helping animals.
MSPCA needs a NEW Board of Directors and a clean sweep of their lazy, greedy, full of themselves management. This is NOT the way to run a humane society in the 21st century. Shame on you Mspca!
Review from CharityNavigator