Claws and Paws Animal Clinic

I waited several months to write this review to ensure I could reflect thoughtfully after losing our beloved Sheltie. I want to clarify that this is not a reflection on our longtime veterinarian, Dr. Sleeper at Claws and Paws, who provided wonderful, trusted care for years. This is specifically about our final visit with a new associate doctor at the practice. My dog became ill over the weekend, and i took him to the Monday walk-in clinic first thing, and instead of seeing our regular vet, we were placed with a doctor we did not know despite seeing Dr. Sleeper in the office that day. The communication during this critical visit felt incredibly heavy-handed. The discussion immediately turned to putting my dog down before any bloodwork had even returned only x-rays. Instead of guiding me through my dog's unique situation and options, the doctor spent time comparing my pet to her own personal dog's medical scans to justify her conclusion. I felt pressured and directed rather than supported during a deeply vulnerable moment. Dr. Sleeper had treated our pup previously with the same presentation with shots, and he responded remarkably. I was too emotional to think clearly, and I was about to pull the trigger to have our beloved dog euthanized despite being alone and one hour away from home. Not a drive i wanted to do solo. When I decided to explain that i was 1 hour away from home and could not make such a monumental choice without my husband, I was met with warnings about the clinic's lack of walk-in availability and "if things went South", which added immense pressure rather than reassurance. Only after I explicitly asked if there was anything else we could try were medications finally discussed. Still i was confused that the meds were not given as shots like when Dr. Sleeper treated him, only the B vitamins and not the antibiotic. When she prescribed pills i conveyed how difficult it was to administer them when he is healthy and she said you will have to just shove them down his throat. Hindsight, I should of asked for Dr. Sleeper for reassurance of the decision. The discharge was abrupt, lacking any parting words of comfort or instructions to call with questions. The vet left the room without saying anything and the tech returned with the meds and escorted me to the receptionist to pay a bill larger than expected but that was ok. Sad...not one word of compassion upon leaving for my dog. I left the practice feeling utterly confused, devastated, and unsupported. We ultimately sought a second opinion elsewhere a few days later with my neighbor's recommendation. The busy vet immediately accommodated us with a 7a.m. appointment, proceeded to do x-rays and blood work at no cost and with his years of experience proceeded with treatment to make him comfortable. While that veterinarian did not sugar coat the situation, they provided an alternative comfort procedure and treated us with immense empathy, guidance, and kindness. Explaining everything clearly to us. Leaving the office, they followed up with us daily encouraging us to call if we had questions. Our pup was obviously comfortable and perked up for many days after. I do not expect miracles or false hope from a clinic. I expect honest communication, patience, and compassion when a family is facing the heartbreaking end of a pet's life. They sent a lovely card from all the drs and staff that meant so much when he crossed the rainbow bridge. We have been down this road facing kidney failure with our first sheltie, and with compassionate guidance, our family was able to make the difficult decision with grace. Sadly, we do not feel we received that support during our final visit with Dr. Motley. I believe this practice does amazing heartfelt work, but this last experience was not what i expected. I share this in my dog's memory so that other grieving families might receive the kindness they need.

What an amazing experience! We have 2 rescues that are afraid of everyting. Dr Sleeper, Stacy and the staff did such an amazing job with them. They took the time to make sure they felt safe and comfortable. Can't thank you enough!

Everyone at claws and paws treats every fur baby as if it was their own baby! They have always been amazing and we have been going here since he opened! One of our babies we swear would act sick just to get to go see Dr.Sleeper! The whole staff is amazing! Wouldn’t trust our babies going anywhere else.