Complaint Review: Advanced Critical Care - Culver City California

This place has unethical, incompetent business practices and no bedside manners, money seems to be their number one priority.  In emergencies, veterinarians should have an ethical responsibility to provide essential services for our pets to SAVE LIVES and relieve suffering, there’s also a humanness that should be displayed.  This complaint is against:  Isabelle at the Front Desk and Dr. Erich Stumpp.

My sister and I are still upset by these people at Advanced Critical Care, City of Angels in Culver City, CA.  We dealt with “Isabelle” at the Front Desk and Dr. Erich Stumpp, DVM and would advise all Pet Parents and Animal Lovers not to bring their pets here if you want them to continue living.

Our over the telephone conversations and in person experience was quite different to say the least.  In person, they were not genuine, heartless and cold-blooded people, misrepresentation and deceit.  They need to be reported and never touch another animal!  Our beloved Rusty, was a handsome feline, deep orange / brownish tabby with a bullseye coat, hazel eyes, friendly, lovable, beautiful and so sweet, died at this place on June 5, 2014 at around 4am.  We are beside ourselves and trying to cope.  I personally called this place and spoke to “Isabelle” at least 3 times over the telephone prior to arriving with questions of concern.  There were things that transpired during the time we were there that were inappropriate and information that should have been revealed over the telephone prior to us coming. 

Rusty, healthy, young feline with no history of health issues, was breathing differently than normal (heavy, but in a content mode), they knew that before we got there.  When we arrived, Rusty was still breathing & living, my sister handed him over and a minute later someone (male) came from the back to the front, opened a door and said “the cat is not breathing” and he walked back in the door where he came out.  Immediately after that, Isabelle at the front desk said, “well, if you want us to resuscitate him that will be $500”.  I COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY WANTED MONEY RIGHT IN BETWEEN THE TIME RUSTY NEEDED TO BE SAVED! 

They would not revive him until a transaction took place.  Do you know how many seconds off that was? And they waited until the receipt printed and I had to sign it and then “Isabelle’ went back to try to revive him after they got their money?  How come she did not tell me over the telephone prior to our arrival that if Rusty needs to be revived, that would be an additional $500?  I would have been ok with that if communicated ahead of time instead of waiting for that situation to happen and then tell me during a critical moment! 

Also, Isabelle mentioned, after we arrived, that transporting cats can make them have anxiety attacks and go into cardiac arrest quickly.  Now why would she say this?  This was said AFTER they took the $500 to revive our beloved Rusty and during the 30 minutes they were working on him?  So inappropriate on many levels!  Had I known that information when we had 3 conversations prior to arriving, I would not have transported him there.  My sister and I feel horrible because of the outcome.  We were only trying to help Rusty get better and look at what happened to him, he must have been scared and there were other options and we picked these people because they were referred by another trusted Vet and the closets to our house. 

Rusty didn’t deserve to die needlessly.  He was only a year and a half old.  The doctor was arrogant, no emotion whatsoever and didn’t care to have the best interest of his patient.  There were no options he provided as to what we could do to try and save Rusty.  It was if him dying was the only option and neither my sister or I wanted to make that call.  The Doctor clearly admitted that he got Rusty’s heart working and claimed that it went back out.  How do any of us Pet Parents know what really goes on behind closed doors with this animal hospitals?  We have no clue if these people are doing right by our pets.

Also, after we left there to go home, my sister gets a call from “Isabelle” saying that they wanted to refund us almost 50% off the entire bill with no explanation.  There was no written documentation on the cause of death nor did they offer us to find out.  They gave me a bogus final receipt that said “cremation” on it.  We didn’t ask for cremation, there was no discussion of how we would handle his remains, they took it upon themselves to do this and had us pay for it?  All this tells me is that they didn’t do all they could to save our beloved Rusty.  Sounds like some fake guilt trip to me on their part.  These people need to go out of business because they have no regard for life.