Banfield Pet Hospital

I’ve been taking my dog here for years and could not be more pleased. We purchased one of the Optimal Wellness Plans that pays for unlimited office visits, biyearly comprehensive exams, diagnostic testing, two fecal exams, and a discount on most other services. Banfield’s prices are comparable to other vets offices. Not really any more or any less. After finishing the exam, they print out a list with testing, medication, etc. if any is needed with an individualized price list and give you time alone in the room to decide what you’d like done if anything. It’s definitely not high pressure and they will tell you what should should have priority. They have been great about fitting my dog in when he needs to be seen and when he needs his nails clipped we don’t even have to call ahead. We just take him in there and one of the technicians takes him right to the back and he comes back out wagging his tail without sounding like he’s tap dancing on the floor. Their staff and vets are incredibly knowledgable and great with animals. You can tell they really are animal lovers, which is obviously important for their line of work.

It is truly unfortunate that a 0 star rating isn’t possible. That’s what you deserve. My husband dropped off my two dogs (50lbs Black Lab and a 10 lbs Yorkie) this morning at this Banfield (we moved to MA from out of state), after about 45 mins of trying to get my dogs checked-​in, being told the MA has a mandatory heart worm medication regulation for all dogs (lies), and generally just knuckle dragging my husband was finally able to leave.
We called them twice during the dogs stay to confirm services and check on their status. To which the response was that they were fine. We had a scheduled pickup time of 630 pm. We received a call at 245pm that the dogs were ready to go. We again asked if the dogs were well, to which the response was again they’re fine. At 415pm my husband picks up our dogs after spending $ 130 in ear cleanings, nail Dremeling, and heart worm medications.
He packs the dogs and my 6yr old in the car and opens the drivers door to puddles of urine in both the passenger and drivers seat. Our 5 yr old house trained Black Lab urinated all over the front half of the car. My husband immediately brought the dogs back inside, and was informed that for the entire 8 HOURS that my dogs were at this «hospital» they had not been walked once. My dogs get walked every four hours when we are not home by a dog walker that we pay. We pay $ 760 a year in dog insurance and when I drop my animals off at the vet I expect (because I pay for it) for them to be treated the same or better then when they are in my care. When confronted, the front office staff said that it wasn’t their policy to walk the dropped off animals. When prompted to show that policy in writing, the story then changed to my dog was «aggressive» and that’s why she wasn’t walked.
Being military members we move often and our dogs have been seen in many different Banfield clinics along the eastern seaboard. We never have had problem. Never, NEVER have we ever been placed in a position where we have to question if our dogs are safe going to these clinics until today.
Banfield and PetSmart in Braintree, MA… I have contacted the Corporate Headquarters and this will be investigated as neglect and your practices reviewed so that you CANNOT do this to any other animals. You have lost a loyal customer of 5 yrs. You are absolutely horrible.

I am quite surprised at all the negative reviews of the Braintree Banfield location. We have had nothing but positive experiences here with our cat Rosie. The desk staff, vets and assistants have all been pleasant and professional. And the place is clean, so I don’t get these complaints that state otherwise. At any rate, sorry for those who feel that their experience has been negative. Ours has been consistently positive and we will continue to utilize the Braintree location.

Absolutely horrendous! This place is heartless and only cares about a profit from people they can prey on for their beloved pets who are truly family members. I had a horrible experience yesterday when I took my cat for an office visit. The main veterinarian Dr. Massoff was very unprofessional with us. When we asked if we could speak to him in person about a wellness plan for our cat, he said to come by the office and he would meet us in person. When we arrived to pick up my cat, he didn’t even make eye contact with me or my family. Mixed messages were given to us as well as it seemed like all gloom and doom for our cat. Come to find out, the report showed that my cat passed with flying colors. We understand that our cat is older but the approach that Dr. Massoff and his staff took with my cat was extraneous and unnecessary.
They only cared about pulling a fast one with expensive services that were unnecessary for our cat. Not to mention, our cat was very dusty when we picked him up. When we dropped him off, he was clean and groomed. However, he looked like he was in a dusty room as if he was neglected. I would never recommend this «hospital» to any of my family members, friends, or to even my worst enemy. Heck, I would want them to get the best service possible — THAT is how horrible this place is. Shame on them for being money hungry rather than actually doing what they’re supposedly there for which is to provide care and assistance to their patients. It’s a place where getting rich quick is all on their mind, not about the patients who get overly diagnosed and get wickedly aggressive treatment that isn’t needed.
Lastly, this place is very discriminatory. The other vet who worked with my cat claimed that he was «too big for her to put her hands around» when they tried to assist him with loosening up his stool. I am not making this point just because he is my cat but think about this — if this was a situation involving a human being, particularly a woman in labor, would that patient like being told, «Your stomach is too big so let me find someone with bigger hands to check on you?» Absolutely not.
Krystal D is right. If you love your pet, don’t bring them here at all. Ashley L is also right about how all they said was «I’m sorry, we dropped the ball on this one.» I’m lucky my cat is alive. When I read another review where the way this place treated someone’s dog led to their death, that scares me. I will keep complaining about this disgusting place because I love my cat and the fact he is fine is a blessing, but the fact he went through the hell he went through, I feel like this warning is well warranted for anybody us to STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.

let me start by saying I’ve never even written a Unilocal review before, but thought it was necessary to warn other people before they consider Banfield.
anyway! I’ve had all-​around terrible experiences here for about a year and a half.
first one was after my seemingly healthy 2 year old puppy went in for a round of vaccinations (his first ever at Banfield). a few days later I was left a frantic voicemail telling me to bring him back immediately to go over the lab results. I was told the results showed kidney and liver failure, none of which seemed possible considering I had a happy and healthy dog from the get go. They set up a transfer so he could be taken care of at an emergency pet hospital elsewhere (without my permission or knowledge, basically gave me zero options) and after 24 hours I was told that the lab results from the emergency vet came back COMPLETELY NORMAL. and I was left with a bill for well over $ 3000.
Banfield never even tried to reach out and see how my dog was doing, and I never heard from that specific veterinarian again. it took almost a 6 month long battle (multiple hour-​long phone calls with Banfield reps and so much frustration) and they finally told me they would cover the cost of the huge vet bill through some kind of «faulty vaccination» deal. although it was covered, they still remained adamant that they had no responsibly in this and that they were never liable.
aside from that horrible experience, I felt as though whenever my dog actually had an issue that concerned me, my worries were met with advice to either give him Benadryl or «not to worry, because many dogs live with it and they’re fine.»
now I’ve had enough. I found a new vet and called Banfield today to cancel my Wellness Plan. I was initially told that it was a one year/​$ 30 a month contract, and that the monthly payments would continue after and I could cancel at any time. only now, I was informed that I’m locked in to another 6 months of the plan even though I’ve been on it for well over a year. so basically I’m paying for 6 months of services that I will not be using from a vet that I don’t trust with my dog.
they’ve handled every situation so poorly, I only hope that this long, drawn out post will save someone the inconvenience of ever having to deal with this place.

If you are looking for a vet that knows your pet well then this is not the place. It is like a factory here, you’re just a number. This is likely why they have good prices. For example they have Wellness Plans that cost approx. $ 550 for a year. Office visits are free as are immunizations and a dental cleaning. Smaller vets charge $ 550 just for a cleaning and $ 50 per office visit. A smaller vet takes more time with your pet and will get you in immediately with any emergencies (if they are open). Banfield will see if they have an opening somewhere in the schedule for you (good luck). I would say if you have a young, healthy pet then Banfield is fine. Older or special needs pets should be taken to a smaller facility that can dedicate their time to your pet’s needs. I say this from experience as I have a young dog (who was healthy then had an emergency, and Banfield in Braintree is the vet) and I have a senior special needs dog at a smaller clinic.

The only thing at this Banfield that deserves a star is the office manager Erin. Although her only solution was an «I’m sorry, we dropped the ball on this one» she at least recognized just how poor this situation with my dog was handled. I DO recommend Banfield (more specifically the Woburn location), I DO NOT recommend the Braintree location.
And just a side note, this is my first review on Unilocal as I have been pushed to the point of having to warn others not to go to a specific business. Hope they address this because they’re making a bad name for Banfield.

My yorkies have been going here for the past four years and they have always been well cared for. One of my ‘kids’ has many issues such as food allergies, anxiety and aggression and Dr. Liz is fantastic! She always knows how to make him feel comfortable and never minds me asking her many, many questions.

I usually go to the Banfield in Everett since I lived in Somerville, but now living in JP, I thought I’d give the Braintree one a try.
This was my first go at it and I’m already not impressed. I had no choice but to make my appointment for 9am on a Saturday since they never appear to have available appointments. I had called WEEKS in advance and this was the earliest/​only available time they could take me. I show up at 9:10am, 10 minutes late. When I came in there were three women who worked there chatting (not about work) for no less than 5 – 6 minutes before acknowledging me. To be clear– they SAW me– but chose to finish their gossip conversation before actually doing their jobs and helping their customer. Then they turned me around because I was «more than 10 minutes late» despite the fact that I indeed was not, they just hadn’t finished gossiping. I walked out and have not gone back in since. I wouldn’t suggest you do either. I simply cannot trust them with the health and wellbeing of my dog if there were to (heaven forbid) be an emergency. I would be afraid they would prefer to gossip than actually help make him better.

I have never been more disgusted or infuriated with a business in my entire life. Banfield Pet Hospital in Braintree uses appalling business tactics in order to steal your money. NEVER bring your pets there.
When I brought my kittens in to get their spray and neuter the veterinarian there gave them a special flea treatment prior to the surgery because he said that he found a flea on one of them; but he did so without my consent, and nowhere in any of the surgery prep paper work was there even a hint that this treatment may be necessary. I was also not verbally warned either. When the bill came to charge me for it (as a surprise to me of course) I told them I refuse to pay for something they didn’t get my consent for in the first place. The meeting ended with me under the assumption that my valid complaint had successfully waived these fees. I continued to bring my pets there and paid their health insurance directly from my bank account monthly, however, I just received a letter in the mail from a third party debt collector for the amount of the flea treatments because Banfield Pet Hospital has reported me for non-​payment!!!

This place is great:) Nurse Jill is so gentle with our puppies and she always takes her her time and answers our questions. For a doctor, we highly recommend Dr. Liz, she’s the best!

Been going here since February and each time I had a good/​great experience.
I recently got my dog spayed and the attentive check-​ins are amazing.
They would call me before and after she got her blood work done, as well as before she went under anaesthesia and after she woke up.
They also notified me during her physical check up that she had a baby tooth that hasn’t fallen out yet but her adult tooth already grew on, and they recommended we get it extracted while she was under, to make it easier and get everything done right then and there.
In a general doctor’s visit, everything is also great. Though there is one front desk staff member that doesn’t seem too nice or attentive.
But this one nurse we alway get, Liz, is amazing! She loves my dog and treats her very well and answered every question I’ve had.
My only big complaint was when we scheduled a follow-​up appointment, the date that the front desk person input was incorrect to the one that we both agreed on, and that caused me to get a warning on my account saying that I missed the appointment, and that next time I’d be charged a fee. They’re generally very attentive, but everyone makes mistakes.
And speaking of fees, everything can be assessed and you can be given an estimate of the entire visit’s cost before you head in, which is great! Nothing is hidden.
Their receipts are a bit excessive to most people, because they are incredibly detailed avidity report – down to the descriptions of medications/​conditions and reasons why your pet was given it.
Location details:
It is connected to the Petsmart and you can walk right through, so no hassle of going in and out the front door. It is somewhat small and there are only 3 rooms where the clients are allowed.
It can get pretty hectic when there are a lot of dogs everywhere but it is sufficient.
It is clean and generally doesn’t smell at all.
TL;DR
Semi-​attentive staff
Attentive, courteous check-​ups
No hidden fees (can be given an estimate before going in)
Detailed visit report at the end
Somewhat small facility

I am very surprised at the negative reviews! I think most people review bad experiences, but don’t give credit to the good. (I know I am guilty of this!)
I have a 6 month maltipoo puppy. The first couple days I had her, I took her to an overpriced VCA and after her first round of shots and over $ 100 for one visit, I knew I had to find an alternative. To see a vet at a VCA you pay $ 50-​$ 60 just for the vet to see your pet, then of course, $ for whatever vaccine you get. I can’t!
A coworker told me about Bandfield and the puppy plans they offer. The first year of a dogs life, they get vaccines so frequently. and spaying/​neutering is included! I was defiantly interested!
They do offer a free first exam, with that said, the bad reviews confuse me even more! If you tried them out for free first and didn’t like them, why’d you go back? I have taken my pootch to bandfield 4 times already in her little life and i haven’t waited more then 15 minutes… my own doctors office is a lot longer :) they have 3 vets and 3 nurses in at a time, and there usually pretty busy, but I personally see that as a good thing! If lots of doggie/​kitty parents go then there must be a reason why right?! I’m paying for the plan every month, but I also use it every month as well!
So I did sign my pup up for the puppy plan for 12 months. It comes to about $ 300 a year and that includes getting fixed and vaccines so I personally think that’s great. The only thing I DONT like is that they are not open 24 hours, and they make you pay for the benedryl to avoid vaccine reactions. I’m sure other vets do too, but I knocked off a star for those 2 reasons.
Overall, I have really liked the nurses and vets I have met so far. Even the girls at the front desk are very knowledgeable. They answer questions and are clearly not just receptionists. I’ve even called a few times just to ask random questions and they always take the time to give me the best response they can. As for the office, I think it’s pretty standard. I haven’t seen dirt or poop anywhere!!! And I HAVE also seen them cleaning/mopping…jeez the place is constantly crawling with animals, it’s not going to sparkle!
Sorry for the super long review, but I wanted to add my positive 2 cents!

I was not happy with my experience here. I do not want to get into the details. The waiting area is dirty and I have seen much better Banfiled hospitals. Steer clear of this place.

I completely agree with Judy’s experience at Banfield. They are very pushy about the puppy plan. This puppy plan forces you to pay each month for a year «no matter what» as in if your puppy tragically passes away within that first year you still pay for the year. I’m not sure a vet that supposedly cares about your pet’s well being should advertise a plan like that. Also, we have waited up to 2 hours to be seen there. In fact it’s hard to get in and out of there in under two hours. Granted I usually take the late afternoon hours because I work but it’s awful to sit in that waiting room for so long with a puppy who is just done being there and cries and barks to leave. While some of the veterinarians are very friendly and helpful others could care less and one even blatantly rolled her eyes at me. Same goes for the technicians that take you into the room. I have a pretty cute puppy if I do say so myself and she had everyone’s attention in the waiting room but the tech that took us back didn’t even glance in her direction. Shouldn’t this office be more involved in the animals there?

I would give this ZERO stars, if allowed.
We wanted to try this location due to its convenience to PetSmart (which we’re always at). We scheduled an appointment for 5:30 on a Wednesday evening. We arrived at 5:15 and were greeted by the receptionist who gave me forms to fill out since this was our first time here. Paperwork was brief and non-​eventful.
The waiting area. One word to describe the waiting area: Eeewwww. It’s a dump. I didn’t even want to sit on one of the benches for fear of the nasty towel someone left behind and all the other dogs around. I get it: it’s a vet so there will be some «nastys» around from time to time, but I would expect to see someone, practically constantly, cleaning and did not see this. In fact, the whole (LONG) time we were there, I only saw someone briefly bring a mop into the exam rooms — nothing around the waiting area.
There was a lot of hustle and bustle going on («doctors» moving in and out), but I didn’t see a lot of patients being called in (and there were about 4 families with dogs, and one person with a cat all waiting). The waiting area is not conducive to animals not being threatened by each other. My dog is a puppy so we kept her away from the other dogs because all she was doing was barking and barking (which was, I’m sure, annoying everyone).
After waiting about 30 – 40 minutes, we were finally called over to weigh our dog. We had to skirt around a technician talking to a dog owner as there wasn’t enough room for her kneeling on the floor, and us walking around. To me, that should have been happening in an exam room — not the waiting room.
We weighed our dog and were directed to an exam room where we, once again, waited. We were told a «nurse» would be in shortly. About 10 minutes later, some «skater dude» with a beanie and greasy hair walked in.
«Skater dude» didn’t introduce himself, smile, acknowledge my puppy — anything. He asked us what we wanted (which was literally, «What do you want today?»). We said we simply wanted a checkup and to start her distemper shots.
Before anything else, Skater Dude took out their «wellness plan» brochure and started telling us all about it. Ten minutes later, he was still talking about it. We said we weren’t interested today, but would think about it.
So now he, again, said, «So, what do you want?» Well, we’re here with our PUPPY and we already said we want a SHOT! How hard is this? So every time he’d mention something (i.e., shots, checkups, etc.), he’d start with, «Well, you’re not on ‘the plan’, so it’ll cost $X…». I finally had to say to «Dude», «We’re not getting the plan, so let’s just move on and get to the shot». Mind you, this is the abbreviate version — this was not a quick interaction with «Skater Dude», nor was it without high-​pressure sales.
So he checked my dog’s temp and her ears (I had to hold the dog which I’ve never had to do before, but that wasn’t a horribly big deal). Mind you, he never put gloves on, nor did he wash his hands before or after interacting with my dog.
All the while, he NEVER acknowledged my dog. She’s a puppy so naturally she’s cute. I would think that a Vet Tech would like animals, but he seemed to want to be anywhere else BUT here surrounded by all these animals.
We asked about spaying our dog which then turned into another series of nickel-​and-​diming. He said we should do it «NOW» otherwise at 6 months, my puppy would magically turn into an adult and the cost would increase.
So after about 20 minutes of high-​sales pressure, he left saying the vet would be in to administer the shot.
We waited another 10 minutes and finally said, «That’s it; we’re leaving». So I stopped by the front desk to tell them we were leaving (we just didn’t have a good feeling about this after Skater Dude’s unprofessionalism). The receptionist said, «Oh, the doctor will be right in», and I said, «No; I’m done.» So she had to leave (for some reason — not quite sure why) for about 5 minutes. Then someone else came out and said, «So you’re leaving?». Um. Yes. I already told someone else this! So she did something on the computer and then said one of the receptionists would have to come out to «enter a code» or some silly thing.
I told her how dissatisfied I was and she really didn’t reply at all.
So, she left and I, again, had to wait for someone. Finally the receptionist came out and said we were all set to go.
I hated this experience. They’re there simply to push their wellness plan, make a buck (which is obvious), not show any compassion toward the animals or their owners’ time. This whole experience was about 1 ½ hours. We had an appointment. I get it, emergencies happen, but if you can’t schedule better, then don’t schedule at all.
My personal recommendation is to stay away from this place like the plague. Go somewhere else — spend a little more money, but get a reputable docto

If you have a pet that you care about you should care enough to go to a decent vet.
When I adopted my first dog he had not yet had any shots, been neutered, etc. A colleague of mine recommended Banfield to me so without having done any research I made an appointment. When I arrived the staff could not seem to have been bothered to stop their conversation to deal with a customer, the office was dirty — not just untidy but very grimy, dusty, etc. After I was taken in to the office to have my dog looked at and get his shots, etc the tech has acrylic nails which are not allowed in any medical office I’ve ever seen, the vet took my dog from the room to do his shots which is not done anywhere else for any reason, and made sure to attempt to sell me any additional item that I could get. Have you ever been told that it was 100% necessary to give your dog benadryl before shots? You probably haven’t because it’s unnecessary. This place is solely out to make a buck and does not have the well being of your animal as their first interest.
There are many other options for vet care in the area. Do some research and don’t be afraid to spend a little more money, it’s your pet after all and you shouldn’t be afraid to spend a couple extra dollars to get them decent care. You’d do it for yourself if you were going to the doctor…

When I moved back to Boston from Florida (in 2008), I purposely selected a Banfield location because they were the group who took care of my animals while I was down south.
I was a «difficult case» because I had 3 cats, lived in the City and also had to only have Saturday appointments.
Right off the bat, my 1^st experience was with Erin. Completely understanding and accommodating. Never once did she make me feel like I was that «pain in the ass» customer. I was, once again, sold on the reasons I chose Banfield to care for my animals.
The Doc’s are kind; and despite me having 3 for 1 appointments, I never felt rushed… no matter how busy they were.
Then my staff interactions introduced me to Stephanie. Stephanie is one of the most personable people to experience. She knows your face as soon as you walk in the door. She knows your history as soon as you call in. Quite frankly… it was BECAUSE of Stephanie that when I moved further north of Boston I made a conscious choice to remain at this particular location.
If there was a need for an unscheduled appointment, I had no problems waiting any length of time (someone else complained that they had to wait as a walk in on the weekend… but that’s for another rant, not here).
Yes, of course, you want an excellent Veterinarian. But you also want the entire experience to put you and your pet at ease.
Well done in my book. Thank you.

Disgusting.
Someone referred me here for my new puppy a few years ago. They sold me on their yearly plan prior to me coming in.
The waiting area is foul. There were pee stains frequently. I understand pee happens at the vet– but most places clean it up asap.
The front desk staff was unprofessional, and not always pleasant.
What completely horrified me was the techs. They had ACRYLIC NAILS. They also did not wear gloves. Those things are a huge no no in any sort of health care– including animals.
They will sell you everything they can to make a buck. They remove your pet from the room to do simple things like draw blood and give shots (FYI most vets do all this in front of you)
This place is the McDonalds of vets. If you can’t afford to bring your pet elsewhere then don’t bother getting a pet in the first place.
Disgusting. I can’t say it enough. I coughed up the dough to pay in full and brought my dog somewhere better.

I’ve contemplated about reviewing Banfield for about a year now… I just don’t know how to rate it.
Love:
I LOVE most of the staff at Banfield. They’re very friendly and helpful. They absolutely adore pets and love my dog. They offer advice and did i mention they love my dog?
However, i’ve spent more money and time there than I needed to.
The Not-​so-​great:
1. The vet did not treat my dog’s problem. My dog had severe stomach issues for a few month and Banfield kept prescribing her new food and medication. The food they prescribed is a brand from their company which costed me a lot of money. At the end, I brought my dog to a different vet and their advice was to switch to a different brand of food and she specifically told me to stay away from the prescription food that Banfield was prescribing and Wah-​la, the problem was solved.
2. There is usually a bit of a wait even if you have an appointment. They just do not have enough vets working in the office.
2 ½. And her name is Meatball, stop calling her Meatloaf!!!