Complaint Review: Dr. Dennis Wilds' Animal Hospital - Riverside, CA 92501 Internet

I was a longtime employee of Dr Wilds many years ago, and for many years he was a very good vet. Sadly, he got involved with the wrong person, and that led him down a very dark path. When I left, the entire business was in freefall, and in one day he fired (or forced to quit) nearly his entire staff, including the office manager who was my direct supervisor. The problem was drugs. He'd begun using cocain, and his behavior became increasingly eratic. He became extremely paranoid, and volatile. It seriously affected his performance. 

The ultimate crash came when I had to retrieve his keys from his pocket during a surgery and a vile of cocaine fell to the floor as I pulled the keys from his pants pocket. I didn't say anything, and just picked it up and put it back into his pocket, not really knowing what to say or how to react, but from that moment forward the clock was ticking on the entire staff. Once we knew for sure about his drug use, he couldn't wait to get rid of us.

It all hit a head when I came into work and saw my supervisor leaving in tears. She'd just been fired. When I walked inside, I found the staff lined up and being called into his office one by one. Everyone was leaving his office without a job. When it came to my turn, he asked if I was happy there. I said I was as happy as was possible. He asked if I was looking for another job. I said no. He said if I were offered another job, would I take it. I said I didn't know, but it would depend on the details. He said if I was offered a better job, would I take it. I said yes. He said then I was free to go. I asked if I was fired, and he said, "No, you just quit." I said "No, I didn't." He then said I was free to go. Again, I asked if I was fired, and again he said "No, you just quit." 

We went round and round, and I said there was no way I was quitting. If he wanted to fire me, he needed to say so. After several minutes of this circular lunacy, he finally said "Okay, you're fired," So I left.

When I filed for unemployment the following day, he contested it and told the agency that I hadn't been fired but that I quit. When I told them what had happened, they said it was a matter of he said, she said, and they didn't know who to believe. So I told them to call him and ask point blank if I was fired. And when he said I wasn't, I told them to let him know I would be in to work in 10 minutes since I had never quit and therefore had no reason not to be at work. The guy laughed and told Dr. Wilds what I said, and he promptly said, "No, she's fired."

He had gone from a wonderful vet, and even better boss, to a lunatic in the span of less than a year. I later found out that he was telling perspective employers that I was a theif and had stolen drugs from him, forcing him to fire me. When I got my next job, with Dr. Schnitker in San Jacinto a few months later, it was Dr. Cantwell (the doctor who Dr. WIlds had bought his practice from, and who I had worked for from the time I was 13 years old) who gave me the honest reccommendation for the job.

He and Dr. Schnitker were very old friends, so he asked him what was going on. It turned out that Dr. Wilds had told him I was a thief, and did drugs...all the terrible things he'd told other vets who then didn't hire me. But because Dr. Cantwell knew me, and had a front row perspective of what was happening at Wilds Veterinary, he let his frined Dr. Schnitker know that the real drug user was Dr. Wilds, and that I was the best employee he'd ever had. 

Dr. Scnitker hired me at the wage I requested, and then gave me a $3/hr raise after my first week, retroactively effective so he paid the higher wage from day one, because he said I was too good a worker to pay so little, but he wanted to test me out first. It wasn't until a few months later that he told me what Dr. Wilds had told him about me. 

Bottom line...the drugs addled his brain. Nearly every one of my coworkers sued him after they were let go for workplace violations. He cheated us out of overtime, and even real time sometimes. He became verbally and physically abusive to a number of the staff. I actually saw him put one girl I worked with against the wall and threaten to punch her in the face until I intervened and he backed off. It was all the drugs. And his work was just as eratic.

All of this is to say that what this person said here rings very true from someone who worked with Dr. Wilds for years, and saw his very rapid meltdown from the drug use. I know he had cleaned up for a time, but from what I read here it sounds like he relapsed. Sad, but that's what drugs will do to a person. He angered one client so bad when I was still working there that the guy went home and came back with an Uzi, threatening to kill him. I was left to work alone on the graveyard shift when this guy was stalking him. He actually showed up on his motorcycle outside the cottage where Dr. Wilds lived right next door to the clinic, at dawn...Uzi in hand. Very scary to look out the window as I'm mopping the floor to lock eyes with a guy holding an Uzi and contemplating killing my boss.

I know this is anonymous, but with the details I've added, anyone who knows him and remembers back to the mid-80's when this happened will likely know who I am. I don't really fear retaliation at this point. Besides, he's already lied and said I was theiving druggie (ironic since he was the one doing that). What else can he do?

I have been a customer of wilds for many years and have taken many animals two him with quite the opposite experience. Even though there are closer vets to my home I no longer settle and make the drive to him. The first time I really became a fan I took my dog to another vet close to home because my dog had a sore on her lower belly just above her vagina that would not heal and she kept licking. I thought it was a foxtail. That vet told me she needed a full hysterectomy and she had a serious infection that's why she is licking it raw....$900 quote. I grew up in 4-H and F.F.A. And have been around domestic and farm animals my whole life it just didn't sound right. So I decided to pay for a second opinion Dr. Wilds mildly sedated her and pulled out a fox tail I also found out she was pregnant so this is really the opposite of the original post. The second great experience I had was when my dog had a foxtail in her ear so I took her to another close vet thinking any vet should be able to just pull it out no big deal. Well it was they wanted to do another expensive surgery to remove. I took her to wilds another mild sedation and foxtail removed no sugary required. This exact same scenario happened to a friend I referred them to wilds exact same satisfying result. I suppose if this really happened the way the story was told it could happen vice vs anywhere you go after all people are human and people make mistakes specially in the medical field. My question to you Is this do you know what you call a doctor that graduated with a C average? No? You call him Doctor!!! But in my opinion Dr. Wilds is an A+. He has great prices and has saved my thousands over the years.

Why would you drop the dog off for an exam? If you payed for the services did you sign a release or estimate??? Sounds off to me. What DVM would waste his time in surgery without your consent? That was a cheap c-section anyways. Or cheap spay while pregnant. Who would be such a dumb dumb that they would have to see potentially life threatening symptoms before treating a parasite???                   

I understand being taken advantage of but that doesn't sound like it so for that other apology I don't think it was necc. You must not be into preventing health concerns. Thank god that dog wasn't aloud to reproduce living beings for you or there would be several other parasite ridden puppies dying. You should be thankful the dog is healthy. I used to use this vet and he was short but always helpful. And when you are looking for cheap care, there you go. (I assume you were looking for cheap care since you are complaining about all the prices.) Better luck next time and next time adopt a dog that is fixed!
P.S. That is so funny that you dropped the dog off the dog for a 30-40 dollar exam and you EXPECTED to get your dog back with PUPPIES!!!!!!! You gave up your own lie. Or did you really drop it off for whelping or something???

Those in the Veterinary world cringe when they hear his name.  However, we have to keep our mouths shut because it's libel to bad mouth a "competitor"    Up until 3 years ago I was working front office for a wonderful Vet who did nothing without talking to the pet's owner, unless it was a time is of the essence situation in which case he would get one of us on the phone.

Having said this, I really want you to know how sorry I am to hear you went through this.  What his explanation for doing what you say he did is beyond me.  If what you say is true (and I personally believe you), then I suggest you report him to the Veterinary Board for possible investigation.

Good luck, BettyB (Corona)