West Kootenay Animal Hospital

The doctor and staff are all very professional and caring. Thank you for helping our sweet Lily.

When I moved from Vancouver to Trail 10 years ago I remember being really nervous about finding quality care for my two French bulldogs. I could have never imagined the kindness, compassion, and expertise I'd find at WKAH. Every single member of staff here has consistently gone above and beyond to provide the highest quality care (and love!) to our dogs. We have grown to become very familiar with the staff here due to our high-needs dogs, and I trust the team 100%. We are so thankful to have found them!

Our family is so blessed to be clients of West Kootenay Animal Hospital. The whole staff there makes this office the best in the Kootenays. I feel they all go above and beyond what they should, making sure our furry loved ones are taken care of.

I have taken all of my animals to WKAH and have always had an absolutely incredible experience. The staff are kind, professional and honestly just wonderful. That being said, I had a particularly spectacular visit today with Dr Emma. I have never felt more comfortable at the vets. Dr Emma was kind, thorough, professional and had such a calm and easing presence. I was assured that I was doing the right things for my dog, while still looking at ways to improve his current health concerns. At the end of the appointment I received a typed out a very detailed step by step of the medications and feedings for my dog, which was very personalized to me and my puppy. Props to all the staff at WKAH but a special thank you to Dr Emma today.

We had a disastrous experience with this vet clinic, and have heard similar stories of their poor compassion in an animal’s time of need.Let me preface this review by saying a few things. #1 – I believe end of life care for pets is one of the most valuable and honorable service offerings of any veterinarian. #2 This business may have new owners, but they did not rebrand. The only reason not to do so is to profit from existing clients and an established reputation. #3 Not all aspects of our jobs are pleasant, but avoiding the tough parts means we are not doing our jobs.Duke was my dad’s Chesapeake Bay Retriever. My dad passed away in 2020. We kept loving Duke as our family pet, despite worsening behavioral issues. He was extremely energetic, oddly possessive, frequently domineering, in addition to also being a very sweet boy. Eventually, Duke bit my mom and broke the skin. She had to go to the emergency room for the injury. We came to the determination that we had no other choice but to put Duke down. He was a 9 year old dog with a bite history; rehoming was going to be next to impossible in today’s climate where so many young large breed dogs are in need of homes.Duke had received care at West Kootenay Animal Hospital on several recent occasions. In 2020, he had his rabies shots, in 2021 he had a tumor removed, and way back in 2015, when he was ran over, he also received treatment from this veterinary clinic. Point is, we had an established client relationship with this business.When my mom contacted West Kootenay Animal Hospital on Monday, August 15th, she inquired about euthanasia and booking an appointment for this service. She was supposed to have a return phone call after 4:00pm, but the vet never called. The next day when calling to inquire again, she was informed that she would have to do a pre-consultation appointment with the vet to make sure she had not changed her mind. Then they could schedule it for the following week. This was not acceptable, it would put undue stress, dread, and grief on the human client; it would require payment for a service that would do nothing to change the inevitable or help the animal. Ultimately, my mom had to take Duke to Spokane. Poor dog so anxious on car rides that he’s barking the whole way down. So in addition to dying that day, he had to also be anxious and stressed for over 2 hours.My feedback for West Kootenay Animal Hospital is simple: charge whatever you need to for euthanasia, but know that a lot of people simply will not be able to afford this service if it’s unreasonable. You will cause undue suffering to animals. Presumably, you went to vet school because you love them and want to help them. Your current business practices are NOT compassion. I understand that your job is tough; ending the lives of animals has to be difficult. Prolonging their suffering is worse, I dare say even unethical given your skills, experience, and qualifications.My message to existing and potential clients is more complex. I know you love your pets, thinking of them sick and dying is awful. I implore you to consider if you could review this clinic positively if you were in our shoes. Consider what your expectations and needs will be when the time inevitably comes that your pet needs to be put down. Have this discussion with your vet. Set your expectations early on, require a commitment that end of life care is both reasonably priced and compassionately scheduled.A previous owner of this clinic came to our home late one night in 2006 to put down our dying/suffering Golden retriever. That’s the type of service that deserves to be branded as “compassionate, professional care” ! Not what West Kootenay Animal Hospital is currently offering.

Attended with our pup on an emergency basis. Very impressed with professionalism and efficiency of this facility. Front end reception was organized and friendly. Physical atmosphere was clean and well maintained. Dr. Chris was awesome,with his knowledge of animal issues and excellent people skills. The place to be once the need arises!

I have used these guys since my dog was just a wee puppy. They have always been fantastic and responsive. We had to put our beautiful angel to rest just after New Year's and Dr. Chris made one of the worst days of our lives easier and with the utmost compassion. We are extremely grateful for the entire team. Thank you so much ❤️

Very helpful and friendly. Made me feel good leaving my cat there.

Thank you so much for the professional service we get always and also today. Amazing, caring and professional. Losing an animal of 16 years is these worst of the worst. It was pure hell but they got us through this terrible day. ❤️

Have been taking my dogs and cats to WKAH for years and they are truly amazing. I have taken my pets for everything from their first shots, surgeries, to saying goodbye and the staff are exceptional. I love how thorough the vet, reception, and technicians are when explaining information and answering questions. I couldn't imagine bringing my pets anywhere else!