This place is a joke. I will never bring another animal there again
VCA West Hartford is truly a special place. Everyone from the front desk, emergency vets, vet techs, and surgeons are extremely skilled and caring. My three rescue dogs have been seen here on an emergency basis more times than I would have liked, but the outstanding staff have made these emergencies much more manageable. Dr. Kovacs in particular has been so caring and thoughtful in her care of my senior dog Charlie. I cannot recommend VCA West Hartford emergency enough.
I had an incredibly disappointing and unprofessional experience with Dr. Connie Lee. My dog, Ela, was suffering from diarrhea with mucus, yet no medicine was prescribed. Instead, Dr. Lee repeatedly pushed for more blood tests and X-rays, despite the fact that we had already completed an ultrasound, blood work, and fecal tests—all of which came back clear. It felt like she was prioritizing unnecessary procedures over my dog's actual recovery.
Her dismissive attitude was even worse. When I mentioned that Ela had started snoring and I was concerned, she brushed it off by saying, “Who is normal anymore? My husband snores too.” When I asked her to check my dog's ears because she was scratching and tilting her head, she barely touched them before saying they looked "normal." To top it off, she insisted on sending us home with chicken-flavored canned food, even though I explicitly told her I suspect my dog has a chicken allergy.
When I tried to advocate for my pet and asked for clear instructions, she became hostile and told me: “You keep testing me. I feel you are testing me. I don’t want you to come back complaining about your dog having diarrhea if you are not going to listen to me.”
This was my first encounter with Dr. Lee, and it was the most disrespectful treatment I’ve ever received from a vet. She was dismissive of clear symptoms and rude when questioned. I will not be returning.
We cannot thank VCA Veterinary Specialists enough for saving our dog Chloe’s life. What started as one of the scariest moments of our lives turned into a story of hope because of their incredible team. From the moment we rushed her in, every single staff member treated Chloe with urgency, compassion, and the highest level of care.
She underwent emergency surgery, received a blood transfusion, and spent time in the ICU, and throughout it all we felt supported, informed, and reassured. The doctors and techs went above and beyond, not only caring for Chloe but also helping us navigate such an emotional and overwhelming situation.
We are especially grateful to Dr. Charity Uman, Dr. Rachael Currao, and Dr. Tabitha Gionfriddo, as well as Matthew, Jacob, and Eric, for their compassion, dedication, and exceptional care. They made an incredibly difficult time a little easier and gave Chloe the chance to come home to us.
Because of them, Chloe is home with us today, and we are beyond grateful. We will never forget the kindness, expertise, and dedication shown by everyone at VCA. They truly gave us more time with our sweet girl, and that means everything to us.
Today we lost our most precious dog Nena by a pit bull attack. We have no words to describe our pain. We brought her still alive to the VCA. This was heaven. Dr. Morris is an angel sent from heaven. He was compassionate, empathetic and explained everything to us. They tried to save her but couldn’t the damage was severe. I am so grateful with all the staff, from front to back and surgeon. Thank you for helping us in the time of grief. Thank you for caring! Dr. Morris, thank you for caring! You are truly the best! Forever grateful!
