Noah's Ark Veterinary Practice — Attraction in New York

We went to Noah's Ark to have my elderly cat put to sleep. She was 16 years old (a patient there all that time) and had gone from 12lbs to 4lbs because she had a tumor on her lung that was pressing on her esophagus. She could no longer eat or breathe properly. We had taken her to the hospital 10 days ago and they gave me pain relievers and steroids to make her comfortable for the time being. She was still jumping and purring and playing, just not eating. They said to start thinking of an end plan in the next couple of weeks.

The tech was awesome, as the techs there always are. She asked us all the questions about why we were there. I cried while I explained and told her I didn't want my cat to suffer. The poor cat was just in a doorway crying for an entire day. Enough was enough, it was selfish of me to keep her around.

We could hear the tech telling Dr. McBean the whole thing. Dr. McBean came in and asked us to repeat all of it, while I cried. She then DID AN EXAM on my dying cat THAT SHE CHARGED $85 FOR. Mo's legs literally gave out from under her as the Dr was doing it. I begged her to stop. She continued undaunted. We offered to give her the records from the other place, she just kept going. When my cat was back in my arms her heart was pounding. She clawed my chest trying to get up higher and away from the situation. Why make my poor old girl scared again like that on her last day? In her last moments?

In most cases (3 different vets, over a dozen different cats) there is no exam. The questions were asked over the phone or in the waiting room. When you get to the exam room the cat is taken to another room for sedation. While there, away from their caregivers the vet would insert a catheter in their front leg for the final drug. The vet would hand the cat back to whoever brought them in and give the option to let them pass in your arms or on a table while you pet them. Then they put the medicine in the catheter and the cat passes peacefully away.

I put Mo on the table right in front of me to be sedated. After she was seday I picked her back up and she was shuddering. I was afraid she was suffering. I asked them to come do the final medicine before she got more upset. I had to put her back on the table. This is when Dr. McBean began to poke around my cat to insert the catheter. Lying on the table in front of me while I sobbed. After 5 or 6 times, I kept apologizing to my poor cat. She deserved so much better. I will always feel terrible I put her in this position.

I asked "Can't you do it another way?". Dr. McBean said no. The Dr. poked her multiple times (at least 8) in 3 legs. Dr. McBean then flipped my sweet girl over so I could see her furry little face. The cat was now clearly dead. She died from the sedative and didn't need to spend the last seconds of her life on a table in a vets office instead of in my arms. Dr. McBean took a very sick sedated animal from the person who loved her most in the world and let her die on an exam table while she stuck needles in her.

At this point, while Dr. McBean still poking, the tech also realized Momo was gone. She was just carrying on POKING MY DEAD CAT saying "no" every time it didn't work. My toddler does this also. It was way less cute from Dr. McBean and it's not even a good look on my toddler.

When we asked her why she makes this event as traumatic as she possibly could she just let us know it's how they do it there. She didn't seem to care that she could have inserted the catheter when the cat was not in front of the person who has loved her for 16 years and is sobbing. She just maintained that she always does it that way. She said she puts it in the back leg as opposed to the front, no matter what. It was horrendous.

My sister spoke to the office manager who was quite apologetic and they took money off the bill but nothing will ever give me my cat's last minutes back. She deserved to feel safe and loved not like a terrified pin cushion. I have never left a euthanasia without feeling some sort of peace. This experience will haunt me the...

Over the last 12 years, I’ve been bringing my 10 dogs to Noah's Ark Veterinary Practice. Thanks to Dr. Abraham, and the incredible care that he has given my dogs, they all lived well beyond their normal life expectancy, even though most of my dogs have had special needs. Most were/are blind and deaf, as that is what I rescue. I now have 2 blind and deaf Dachshund’s remaining. As a business owner myself, I am aware of how important it is that a company/office/practice provides the best service and care to its customers.

My experience with the Noah’s Ark, up until recently, has been nothing short of wonderful. Throughout the years, I have recommended many many pet parents to Noah’s Ark (more specifically to Dr. Abraham). I’ve always raved about how personalized the care there is, and how Elise and Richie remember all my dogs’ names. They have always been loving, considerate and kind, and have ALWAYS been accommodating and attentive to my dogs and their special needs, as well as my needs as a worried pet parent.

Elise manned that front desk like a fine-tuned ship. If she said Doc would get back to me, he always did. When I needed special considerations for my dogs’ dentals and or other procedures due to their genetic mutation, they went above and beyond to make me feel safe for my dog’s wellbeing as well as did everything to make sure my dogs where in the best care and monitored them above and beyond. Dr. Abraham is the most caring, kindest, and considerate VET I have EVERY had for my dogs. So why am I now giving a 1-star review? Well firstly, because it did not give me an option to give a -1-star review. Sometime over the last few months, the wonderful front desk staff, whom I have grown to love, respect and appreciate, have been replaced. The new people are disingenuous, neglectful, rude ...incompetent, and don't really seem to care about the pet-parents or the pet.

I had called the office, the day after my appointment with my dog (an appointment that cost me over $800 for a variety of tests to determine what was wrong with her, as she was sick) just to get information and clarity on one of the meds that Dr. Abraham prescribed that was a very important medicine. The receptionist told me that Dr. Abraham was not in, and I did not need to give the medicine, and I could wait a couple of days until Dr. Abraham was in to talk to me about it. It was not her place to dispense medical advice, so I asked to speak to a vet tech, or another Dr. and she told me; “NO” and hung up on me. In my distress, I called back again, and the receptionist lifted the phone and hung it up. I called back repeatedly, and she did the same thing repeatedly. Because of her cold, heartless and irresponsible actions, my sick dog went without her medication for several days until I was able to speak to Dr. Abraham. When I told Dr. Abraham about what happened, he was beyond upset, but told me his hands were tied to do anything about it. I then learned that Noah’s Ark Veterinary practice is now part of a bigger corporation who removed any power that Dr. Abraham has over the front desk staff.

To date, I continue to have issues with the new incompetent, disingenuous and uncaring front desk staff and office management. All I can say is "What a Shame!”. Now Dr. Abraham is the only good thing left about Noah’s Ark, along with a few long-time Techs. I hope he leaves to go to another practice so that I can follow him, or that this new incompetent management just brings Elise back, so that Noah’s Ark can run efficiently and compassionately the...

Being a long-term client, this is a particularly difficult review to write, but I think it's important to share with others the decline in service I've experienced as a Noah's Ark client.

First, medical care provided by Dr. Abraham is exemplary. I have a long history with the practice, virtually since they opened. Doc A has always been, and continues to be, a caring and knowledgeable provider. Through the years he has seen me through all of the routine exams and some occasional illnesses. He also saw me through the worst moments a pet parent can experience; letting go humanely when the time has come. He once came to my home to put my boy Pete to sleep because Pete was uncomfortable in the office and Doc wanted him as happy and peaceful as possible in his final moments. Pete took his final breath in a sun spot on the back lawn. I will never forget that act of kindness. It illustrates Doc A's relationship with his clients beautifully.

All of that said, my issue is with the operation of the office. It is impossible to get a call back when leaving a message. I've had an appointment rescheduled, was kept waiting for well over an hour in the office, only to find the vaccine we were scheduled for was out of stock and we needed to come back another day. Getting records sent to our insurance company was virtually impossible and ultimately required me to visit the office and stand there while the front office sent them while I waited.

The latest disappointment is that the office has been closed...for weeks. No notice, no explanation, no instructions on how to proceed or when they will open on the outgoing phone message...just closed. When I've left messages no one returns the call. My dog is on prescription meds, needs a refill immediately, and I have no recourse except to go to another vet.

As a side note, it occurred to me that the practice's long-time front office person/office manager Elise has not been in for quite some time. I'm not sure if the current issues are a product of her absence, but service was NEVER less than wonderful when she ran the operation.

It is very sad to see such a decline due to operational issues. It is difficult to find an excellent vet, and Doc A is top notch. That, however, is useless if as a client you are unable to get an...