Alex Bell Veterinary Clinic Boarding Ripoff!! Dogs don't even go outside, and you pay for extra walks!!Centerville Ohio

I was shocked and alarmed when I read the original complaint.  Mainly because my experience at Alex-Bell has never led me to believe that anything but the best care is being given to my animals.

The doctors I have seen have always been compassionate and kind toward me and my animals.  I recently had a cat put down who was old and dying.  I was a blubbering, sobbing mess.  I could hardly speak when they took him out to euthanize him.

I sat in the chair and sobbed like a baby.  They showed nothing but compassion for me and genuine concern.  It was an awful experience made more bearable by the staff.  I do not believe that vets and their staff are less human than the rest of us.  I believe they make mistakes, I believe they can have attitude problems and I believe they can give sub-par care as well.  That is because there are people who are doing the job.  We are all the same and capable of the same flaws.

But, I have never picked up any weird vibes from anyone there and I am certainly an observant person.  If I had any doubts about the care my animals were receiving, I would walk out in an instant never to return again.

I've never boarded there and can't speak for the boarding conditions.  But, I can say that I've never experienced anything but professional and courteous service at this clinic.

If I ever experience anything else, I will leave and never return.

Magnolia

During the past decade that I have known Dr Diehl and his staff, they have been nothing but caring, compassionate, & dedicated to their work.

I have 3 dogs and one of them for the past 2 years, named Trudie, have been suffering badly with skin allergies. In following with the Dr.s advice to put her on a strict diet, bring her in for weekly medicated baths, and administer daily medication, Trudie is now to a point where she is sleeping comfortably throughout the night and has stopped digging and scratching herself raw! As you all know, this can get to be very expensive but regardless, I followed with his advice.
After doing the baths, diet, and medication for a couple of months; Dr Diehl asked if he could consult with me about Trudie and her progress, during this consultation he very kindly offered & insisted that he financially absorb a portion of my costs! How many veterinarians would do this??!! Dr. Diehl cares about his patients, and did not want the money to be the determining factor with whether or not Trudie would continue with her treatment that she so desperately needed.
I feel privileged to have Dr. Diehl as my veterinarian and would highly recommend him to anyone!

Many thanks to Dr. Diehl and his wonderful staff!

Jennifer

As they say, there are 2 sides to every story. It sounds like a disgruntled ex employee. First of all, we have had returns from clients for Hills dog food for even the reason that the dog didnt seem to like the food. The company has even accepted returns for bags of food that the clients have returned that were almost empty! Guess the pet ate some of the food. Their diets are prescription and cost more than store bought brands, but are used for specific reasons. Many pets are on them even tho the cost is more. In any food, there is always a possibility of getting "bugs". Just look in many shelf dog cookie boxes. Hills is a reputable company and seems to go above and beyond the call when it comes to returns. They dont ask any questions, but always give credit. Might this disgruntled client be asking for more than this? As for walking dogs in the fenced yard. The policies are that the dogs can only go out with an employee and on a leash inside a fenced yard. There is a reason that they are not allowed out loose, for fear of possible escape and liability. If you ever stop by, you will see employees walking dogs at various times during the day, but always on a leash and only with someone there, so they would not be forgotten in bad weather or quite possible escape. And yes I have seen the Drs get upset when rules like these are not followed, but it is for the safety of the animals and people invoved. As for handling difficult animals, there are some animals that owners wont even hold for shots or procedures. Many get very nasty and require a strong person to hold them while a treatment is given for their own well being. It is not easy to treat many animals esp when they are large and nervous or aggressive, but they still need treatment. Take it from me as I have had to hold some while they bite and scratch when even trying to take a temperature or get a vaccine, or nails trimmed. As for employees, I have work here for a long time and most of the staff has also, years in fact. You will get the person who comes and goes as with any job, but all employees come for a day or 2 to see what the job requires before being hired. Our schedules are very flexible and we usually get days off when asked in advance, or are able to switch amongst ourselves. It really makes me mad when someone like this person doesnt get their own way and makes up stories that are one sided to hurt someone else. Like I said many of us have worked here for a very long time and take our job seriously. All anyone is expected to do, is for the welfare of the animals and clients. By the way, the kennels are available for anyone to see through the windows in the doors leading into them. They are not allowed to walk up and down the aisles as the dogs and cats get excited and bark at strangers, not to mention any germs they may bring into the kennel. We try to keep them as calm and comfortable as possible in a boarding situation. Its sad that this person tried to bad mouth a clinic that has been in business for years and has had many clients for years. As I said, there are 2 sides to every story.

I swear the doctor this person worked for and the doctor I worked for could have been separated at birth because our stories are almost identical.

Whenever the vet was with a client, she was as sweet as pie. As soon as she was behind the scenes, she turned into a raging lunatic. She routinely abused animals: kicked a cat until the spay stitches burst, sprayed chemicals in a boarding dog's eyes, choked a cat until it's eyes almost burst from their sockets, slammed another cat's paw in a door on purpose, killed a cat on the operating table through sheer negligence and then lied to the owners and threatened everyone to keep the secret.

The kennels were a joke. We didn't have fenced yard. We had a cement alleyway. The dogs walked once in the morning and once at night. In and out, no pausing. If the dog didn't do his business, tough. Time was money. The owners were allowed to bring toys and blankets, but we didn't give them to the pets because the animals were sitting in their own waste most of the time. All toys and blankets went into a labeled bag the second the owner was out the door. What's worse is she kept the lights off in the kennel all day so the dogs wouldn't bark. I thought it was cruel at first, but when I saw her go into the kennel and abuse barking dogs, I decided lights off was the best policy.

This vet was all about the almighty dollar and checked the till every 30 minutes.

Some of her clients absolutely loved her. They thought she walked on water because they never saw her in action. Yet, she often bragged about how she could get away with any crime because she was small and cute and she could convince any jury that she was a saint.

One always has to wonder what the ulterior motives are for former employees and how much they stretch the truth...most of them are young kids that don't realize that this IS a business and needs to be operated as such. If clinics didn't charge for services they would go out of business and those "former" employees wouldn't have a job to begin with.

I have known the owner for about 15 years and have nothing but respect for him and how he has treated my animals. He and his staff have always treated my animals with care and concern.
As far as the person that said the animals don't get to go out, I have come in to pick up my pets and have seen both of them out in the yard area having a wonderful time. Yes, they vets don't always remember their names but who could if you were seeing hundreds of animals a week? The folks and their pets that have been coming in for a longer period of time, they remember.
If they were as awful as some of these people have said I don't believe my pets would have lived (8 and counting) to be well over 10 years of age- one even made it to 19.

I have known many other veterinarians that are really bad (downright scary in fact) from this area and none of them have been at Alex-Bell!

I have been a customer of this wonderful clinic for over 13 years. In that time I have had 3 dogs who have received vet care, surgery, boarding and grooming services. Prior to that my mother and my sister have both brought their dog and cat to the clinic. Like any organization that provides a service, there are good days and bad. The staff of a vet clinic if faced consoling customers who face grief through loss of their loved ones. While I was always close to my doctor at the clinic (she was simply tremendous in showing attention and detail when examining or taking care of my miniature schnauzer) nothing was more heart wrenching for me when having to say goodbye to him after he turned 15 years of age due to liver problems. I can tell you, I was mess. I could not even face coming inside. I sat in the parking lot crying, and called the clinic staff on my cell phone. They came out to the parking lot and assisted me in a very heartbreaking moment and supported me and assisted me. The staff followed up with daily phone calls checking in with me. The doctors took the time to explain all of my options for handling his body, etc.. I still have 2 dogs (both German Shepherds) and the staff know me well, take excellent care of me, spend time visiting both dogs and petting them when I come in for exams. Like for yourself, choosing a doctor for your animals is a very personal decision. You entrust your animal(s) in their care. I can honestly say that the quality of care and attention, and the relationship this staff have provided me, is outstanding. It is so easy to make a complaint, but it takes a truly satisfied customer to go out of their way to write something positive in today's world.

Recently I went to make an appointment with the clinic and looked up their telephone number on the Internet. I was SHOCKED to read the posting by the ex-employee in this forum. To all of my experience with the clinic I had never witnessed anything noted by the ex-employee. I was concerned however and I personally spoke in person with the owner of the clinic. I am glad that I did. In today's cynical world - there are people who will go out of their way to discredit something when they dont get what they want. To be "fired" from the clinic for being a sub-par employee is unfortunate, but I trust the clinic in their decision making process to have world-class employees who provide the top care, compassion and service to animals. It is extremely unfortunate that this employee decided to lash out publicly with lies and distorted truths in order to hurt the business she was fired from.

There may be shades of truth and different perspectives in how people see the truth, but honestly - all I am concerned with is the quality of care that my pets receive from their doctor. I trust this clinic, as they have worked to earn my trust. I have used their boarding and grooming services and am very satisfied with them. My animals have had surgical procedures without issue. My doctor is one of the most loving and caring individuals that I have met. When she experienced her own life challenging illness with cancer I witnessed a even stronger compassion exhibited towards my animals. She was in tune with what illness was and she survived the cancer. It made her better, stronger and a finer doctor. When the time came for me to say goodbye to my Schnauzer, she ensured that I was comforted. I am so glad she was there for both him and myself.

I have toured the facility, have met the staff and talk with the doctors. I simply cannot say enough about this wonderful clinic.

Mark S. with Casey and Baron