Helping Hands Vet Surgical

Had made an appointment for a rescue dog, then had a personal emergency, was willing to pay upfront as they asked, but this woman Kristen makes no sense , keeps talking over you , just absolutely rude, guess I will not take this and my other dogs there anymore more

I had used this clinic for a foster dog many years ago and did not have any issues, when they were located at Cary St. However, they moved and have clearly expanded their operation, with many people in the front waiting area. They treat people as in an assembly line, and rush to get your animal back and paperwork filled out. Charge is up front, and in the case of animal death, customer is responsible for pick up or paying for cremation service. You will not get your money back in the case of death. They have all sorts of liability forms you fill out. Desk staff lied to me several times when I told her I did not want to pick up the body, if that were to occur, telling me that they no longer wanted to do the procedure on my animal and that she needed to talk to her supervisor about it. Then she came back with no supervisor but with my pet instead, saying her supervisor wasn't there but that she, all of 25 years old, was the “office manager” and had the authority to send me packing. I asked to see whoever she talked to, but she refused this request, saying her practice manager would be in at 12. However, on my way home now, not work, I received a voicemail from another young lady less than a hour later who said her name was Jackie and that she was in the office. Before I left, I said I could not take the pet home right away, she said they would "call animal control." I obviously took my animal home but not without telling her that she was rude for saying that. Given the distance that I drove, I was going to be several hours late to work. It was an incredibly disappointing and upsetting experience. more

We brought our cat to Helping Hands last year for a dental cleaning and several extractions. Our regular vet (who we really love, but is rather expensive) gave us a quote of over $700 to do this; Helping Hands cleaned our kitty's teeth and did the necessary extractions for just over $200. The staff was friendly and efficient, and the vet did a great job with our cat's teeth. It was well worth the 1-1/2 hour drive to Richmond. We will definitely be bringing our cats here in the future for any dental/surgical needs. This practice is simply wonderful! more

They were an out of town surgical hospital. We F/U with his vet. We got pain med for him to be comfortable AND follow up phone calls. Bad reviewer, they are for acute surgical immediate needs..... I would THINK the pet owner was informed and then told they should follow up with their vet. I say think, as I was not there as neither were you. Your review is the only one NOT of first hand experience AND is the only bad one.... funny how that worked out. more

My dogs are 10 lbs each. Little Japanese Chins.one was attacked by neighbor's dog. While "care credit" covered his immediate needs and emergency vet care, we found that his hip was not going to heal without further surgery. We were maxed out. He needed a "FHO" procedures. I called everywhere and there was no chance we can afford this. Our only choice was to surrender him to a rescue so that they would pay for his surgery.if we surrendered to a rescue, he would get the surgery he needed, but we would never see him again. Helping hands provided the surgery at almost half the cost and we were able to retain custody and afford the surgery!!!! my children and myself would have been devastated to surrender him to a rescue, but would have been grateful that he would be able to live pain free. However, were more grateful that he was able to have this surgery and stay with us! :) ??? Thanks Helping Hands!!! Rayna and Rocky :) more

I had read about Helping Hands a few years ago, and suddenly I needed surgery for my dog, so I called. Out-patient surgery was easily scheduled, and the staff prepared me for what to expect. The surgery was a success and it didn't take me broke (my vet had quoted me a price that was over $100 more), and best of all, Dr. Pasternak did a great job. I rested assured that she would do her best and she did. Thank you for helping pet lovers to be able to afford surgery for our beloved companions ... It is a shame that most vets charge just too much which has caused some animals to be prematurely euthanized. Thanks, Dr. Pasternak! more

I've had my 14 year old dogs teeth cleaned 4 times in the past 3 years. The price was from $200 - $1,100 cheaper than my vet would have charged for the same work. Helping Hands informed me right up front that they are a day procedure outpatient clinic and not an overnight facility. They informed of need to do blood work (raising cost minimally) to be sure my older dog would be ok with anesthesia and procedure. My dog did great, he gets lots of extra love with his clean mouth, and our experience was that everyone at Helping Hands was kind, caring, and wonderful with our pet and us. I've recommended them time and time again. more

Pet owners please beware of this place!! They are excellent at marketing but are horrible at pet care and follow-up. They act like they are a non-profit....They are NOT a non-profit. They are out to make money, even if that means doing procedures when they can be harmful to your pet. I have inside knowledge of many animals that have been harmed under this scam of "affordable care". Please check your local vets prices as they tend to be pretty competitive. Make sure you are comparing exactly what you are getting at your regular vet vs. helping hands. I can not stress this enough. Don't be fooled by the marketing. They are not a full-functioning hopsital and there is NO follow-up if something were to go wrong. Please, please beware of these people....I've seen it too many times. Example.....a friend brings a dog to Helping Hands for a dental, they do bloodwork that shows the dog is in kidney failure, they do the dental procedure anyways failing to address a life-threatening condition in this pet. Why? Because they wouldn't have been able to make any money on treating the patient because they are not a fully functioning hospital so they did the dental anyways when it should not have been done. The kidney disease should have been addressed first. The dog had to be hospitalized at a real veterinary hospital and was subsequently put down. Your pet's health is not worth saving a few bucks. more