Complaint Review: Animal Care Center and Dr. Williamson - Smyrna Georgia

To begin with, I don't see why anyone would make repeated calls to a doctor's office asking questions.  If you suspected anything was not being right for your cat, you should have just taken it to another doctor.

Dr. Williams was my vet for the 15 years I lived in the Atlanta area (March 1994 to June 2009).  He took care of 4 of my dogs, including one which we took in after one of Dr. Williams' clients abandoned the dog after boarding.  He cared for the large dog at his expense for 5 months.  The dogs was traumatized from being abandoned and would allow no one near her even to feed or walk her.  Dr. Williams was afraid that he would have to put her down.  Then he asked me if I thought the dog, a Bull Mastiff-Rottweiler mix, would be a good thing for my 14 year old son to focus on just weeks after his father was killed.  We are true dog people and know that a dog can be "loved back to life" so I brought Rubi home as a companion for my grieving child.  For the next 11 years, Dr. Williams gave that dog and our other dogs the best in care.  I never had trouble getting him on the phone, day or night.  He even made house calls if I needed him.  If my dogs had to go to after-hours emergency animal hospitals, the vets there always knew and respected Dr. Williams.  Rubi iwas perfect for my young son after the loss of his beloved father.  They took care of each other, feeling each other's loss.  In August 2007, Rubi suddenly got very sick with her hind leg swelling.  We rushed her to Dr. Williams in the middle of the night.  He told us frankly that he thought she had a fast moving leg cancer.  He spent the next 2 days, around the clock, trying to do everything he could to, first save her leg and, then save her life.  My son, by then a grown man, and I decided that because of her age (13 y/o), rather than amputate her legs, we would have her put to sleep.  We made arrangements with Dr. Williams to come be with Rubi the next day before he put her down.  But Dr. Williams called us 7 am the next morning, very sad, saying that she'd taken a turn for the worse and that she would not even survive waiting for us to drive in the rush hour traffic from Gwinnett County to Cobb County.  He said, for the sake of my son who loved that dog more than life, he would take care of Rubi for us.  He called me back in a hour, telling me she was gone and that she passed peacefully.  He was crying.  Then he called my son.

Dr. Williams is a competent and compassionate doctor.  We recently moved to another state and I miss his care so much.  I don't trust anyone else with our 2 remaining dogs and we are having a hell of a time finding anyone whom we like so much.  Fifteen years and 4 dogs, cared for with love and superior knowledge.   WE are the ones ultimately responsible for our pets.  If you thought Dr. Williams was so bad and if he didn't return your calls, it was your fault that your poor pet suffered like that. 

Val: I am familar w/ that Vet Ofc. I had a yellow Lab for 12 years and I took him to the aforementioned vet once. My experience w/ this vet was negative; therefore, I took my dog up the road a piece to another vet. I don't believe this site will allow me to post the name for the same; however, the name of the ofc. begins w/ a "C" and ends with the word "Clinic". They are great there. We have been treating our animals for 17 years there. It is located on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna. Good luck and remember, there are animals at the Cobb County Animal Shelter that are desperate for new homes.

I just wanted to let you know that even though the veterinary hospital were definitely slackers in this case, the fact that the hospital did not vaccinate against FeLV is not uncommon. I'm a Vet Tech and the hospital that I work for only recommends vaccinating against feline leukemia if the cat goes outside. The reason is because in some cases (although very rare) the vaccine can do more harm than good. Now obviously the chance of your kitty getting leukemia is a lot higher than having a reaction from the vaccine so if your cat goes outside, vaccinate it against FeLV. People, if you adopt an animal and know nothing about taking care of it, get a book or go online and read a little. You're not expected to know everything but all doctors have different opinions about vaccines and whether you should give them and how often they should be given etc. Also, never assume the receptionist knows all there is to know about vaccines and animal care. Most of them have not had any schooling in the field, it's pretty much a very low-paying job. Some hospitals have vaccine clinics which means the pet will be taken care of by the receptionist and tech only. The Doctor won't even know that you're there. I recommend for your pet's first visit, to make an appointment for an exam with the doctor and discuss which vaccines need to be given and also make sure that your pet is fit for vaccines. Sure it'll save you a little money by going to the clinic but is it really worth risking your pet's life? One more thing to think about, why is your cat allowed outside? Is it because you don't want to clean the litter box, or they're scratching your couch, or maybe you think it's not fair on an animal to leave it in the house all day every day. Well FYI we receive calls from people every day saying that their cat got attacked/eaten by a coyote. Now what's unfair? Most cats can adjust to living inside. I couldn't imagine any of my cats being attacked by a coyote, it would just break my heart. If little Teepo would have been an indoor kitty, he'd probably still be alive.

It is imperative that anyone who has a companion animal find a good vet BEFORE illness or injury strikes. One good way to find a vet is to check with local rescue groups in your area. They generally keep information on hand regarding vets and what their specialty might be. You should also find a good emergency clinic if your vet is not on call 24/7. When you contact a vet, feel free to ask for references, check with the State where they are licensed. While all of our present vets are wonderful, I have dealt with horrible vets. While I believe that all vets should be professionals, I also believe that my companion animals are my responsibility. If my child was sick and the doctor was refusing to see her, I would take her to a different doctor. I feel the same way about my companion animals. They depend on me to make sure they are healthy.

I know how hard it is to lose a pet, and I know the responsibilities you have owning a pet. But how come you din't seek out for a diff vet? Why did you chose to waste your time and your pet's life with this vet, clearly he was not interested in helping your pet. Just wondering!!!

just a little correction..... i personally could be mad at ur rip off b/c he is a procrastinator and he is very unorganized. You think ur the only one he's done that to... NOPE ur one in how ever many patients he has!!!!! No offense to him personally, but he thinks that if he improves his staff then he will better his business...WRONG answer! He needs to be on top of his game and call back those people who are calling to speak to him!!That's why he has a different staff everytime u walk in. He also needs to hire another Doctor!!!! It's just him and his employees!!!!As for the lady who answers the phone u can't get mad at her that is what she is told to say! Trust me she takes down the info and show Dr. Williams it's just that he doesn't return the call!!!!!!!

I also am sorry about the lady's cat dying. But I have to agree that she was very irresponsible to not seek help from another vet. As the first respondent stated - one would not do that with their child. To the editor: I think your comments are unbelievably childish, immature & unprofessional. Surely YOU aren't one of those "judgemental people..."? Anyway, I believe the real "victim" here is not the cat owner, but the poor cat who would probably have taken himself to a competent vet, if he only could.

I'm very sorry you lost your kitten, and I'm sorry you've had to learn a painful lesson regarding the Pet Industry.

If one reads the reports against Animal Hospitals/Vets on this site one will realize that they are mostly interested in the bottom line. There are very few willing to give out free medical information, as that doesn't help pay the bills. Also, one mustn't be fooled into thinking Vets take the same kind of oath Doctors take regarding "do no harm". Remember: Animals have no rights.

That being said, in this specific instance, you must accept some responsibility for your actions (or lack thereof). You say you "assumed" your vet gave immunizations for "everything" but didn't bother to ask exactly what they were. Once you started calling and not receiving responses to your inquiries, you obviously became aware of this hospital's lack of concern. But you chose not to act until it was too late. Even with the benefit of the doubt, after two or three unreturned calls shouldn't you have realized you weren't going to get assistance?

There are great vets and there are lousy ones, just like everything else. The Animal Care Center is obviously a misnomer, and you are correct in posting a report about them here, as I believe if the receptionist had asked you to make an appointment for Teepo you would have. Correct? And this situation would (probably) never have happened.

I am truly sorry for your loss, and I sincerely hope that in the future if you choose to get another cat that you take more of a proactive stance in their care (ask questions!)and that you KEEP IT INSIDE, as that would have prevented the cat getting sick in the first place.

I am sorry Editor, I agree with you both, The Dr knew the pet was sick and the Receptionist ( which i was one as a teen) should have put her on hold and let him give a 2 min breifing. But She did not, and the pet owner knowing that the cat was having a difficult time breathing let it go for more than 6 months.

If you watch Tv, animal planet has a new show called Animal cops, they put owners in Jail for neglecting to find proper Vet care for there pets. Its the law!

I havent worked in a Vets for some time, but I am a Breeder, and they need there shots, and once in a blue moon they can get hurt and need emergancy attention.. Am i going to set on a phone with some receptionest .. Heck no, I will pay a little extra and see an Emergancy Vet and save my dogs life , (or in my case, just get stiches in the middle of the night).

I feel soo terrible that she lost her lovley cat. I think that the Vetin the roung should pay for all the medical expences that included the Herpies back. But she still could have, should have seen another vet.

Hey Mr. Editor...You couldn't be any more wrong in your assessment of my "career". I happen to work for an airline and have owned cats all my life. While I agree that a Vet should be more professional, if an animal/patient isn't getting the required care that they need for themselves or their beloved animal, they need to go elsewhere and seek a responsible Doctor/Vet.

This woman knew for months that her cat was ill, that the Vet was ignoring her from Sept-March, but did nothing to remedy the situation. If you had a sick child would you allow an incompetent Doctor to give you the run around for months while your child got sicker, or would logic kick in and you would high tail it immediately to someone with real answers.

I happen to be defensive because I am an animal lover and would only seek the highest level of care for my cat. I wouldn't sit by month after month while my cat got sicker and sicker and then call the Vet and say "I told you my cat was sick, you didn't listen, and now it's dead and it's your fault". The woman by her own admission knew the animal was ill, that the Vet was irresponsible, yet chose to do nothing till it was too late.

Why? A parent/ pet owner is ultimately responsible for seeking the best medical care for their loved one, especially when they know that their Doctor/Vet is a loser. So Mr. Editor, quit trying to be a psychic because your guess as to my "defensive" motive is way off base. I guess my only fault is thinking that the human race should have more common sense and quit trying to blame everyone else.

EDitor's Response:

The Rip-off Report is dedicated to supporting victims. Your attack on this victim is unwarranted and in your weak-headedness you fail to address the former issue...because you are dead wrong. As soon as you consult a professional, you have the right to trust them. If you go to court are you expected to know the law well enough to know whether the advice given is competent? I love animals, too, but why blame a pet owner who does seek help, pays for it and does not get it. You make no sense and judgemental people like you usually have no life.