I have been bringing my family's dogs to this Banfield location since the early 2000s. Over the years, this hospital has cared for 11 of our dogs: Spotty, Monty, Namac, Fel-Fel, Oxford, Chance, Cosmo, Maya, Mac, Joey, and Rocky. Because of that history, writing this review is disappointing.
My dog Joey was scheduled for a dental cleaning that was supposed to be covered under his wellness plan. Unfortunately, I came down with a serious case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and had to reschedule. What I did not know was that Joey's plan had expired 5 days earlier.
The problem is that nobody told me this when I called to schedule the appointment. The appointment was booked, no concerns were raised, and I was never informed there was a coverage issue. I woke up at 6:00 a.m., got Joey ready, and arrived at the clinic by 7:00 a.m., only to be told after I got there that the dental cleaning would not be covered because the plan had expired.
Had someone simply informed me on the phone, I could have discussed my options before making the trip. Instead, it felt like I was being presented with the problem only after I was already standing at the front desk.
I was told the decision ultimately rested with DeeDee, the Practice Manager, who declined to make an exception despite my documented illness, a plan that had only been expired for five days, and more than two decades of loyalty to this location.
What makes this especially frustrating is that over the last year I paid approximately $100 per month per dog for wellness plans on both Rocky and Joey. During that time, aside from routine examinations, I barely used the plans. The dental cleaning and other benefits included in the plans were never utilized. After paying into the program month after month and rarely using the benefits, I was denied coverage over a five-day lapse caused by a serious illness.
I also have concerns about the overall direction of this location in recent years. Banfield did a very good job for my family for many years, which is why I stayed. However, since the pandemic, I feel the quality of the experience has declined. The facility often has a persistent urine odor, and it frequently does not smell as clean or sanitized as I would expect from a veterinary hospital. Having worked professionally in the dog industry myself, I am very familiar with what properly cleaned and disinfected facilities typically smell like.
I also experienced a troubling incident involving my dog Rocky. During a visit, he received a Carprofen (Rimadyl) injection that I do not recall authorizing. Shortly afterward, Rocky suffered a severe gastrointestinal episode that required emergency veterinary treatment and ultimately cost approximately $18,000. I cannot state with certainty that the injection caused the event, but the timing raised serious concerns and damaged my confidence in the practice.
For many years, convenience and the wellness plans kept me as a customer. After entrusting this location with 11 dogs over more than 20 years, I expected better communication, better customer service, and at least some effort to work with a long-term client facing extraordinary circumstances.
Unfortunately, this experience has convinced me that loyalty counts for very little when an exception is needed. After more than two decades as a customer, I expected much better and promptly canceled the remaining plans for all of our dogs and will be telling my friends that have signed up with them to follow suit.
