Livewell Animal Hospital of Little Elm — Local services in Little Elm

This is the first review I’ve ever written — and I wish it didn’t have to be this one. We brought our healthy, happy 1-year-old dog, Lucy, to LiveWell Animal Hospital in Little Elm for a routine spay surgery. That same night, she collapsed at home and died in our arms. The emergency clinic confirmed the cause was internal bleeding — a known and preventable complication when proper surgical technique and post-op monitoring aren’t followed.

LiveWell was notified of her death the very next morning. We waited for any acknowledgment — a call, an email, anything. There was none. Not even from the veterinarian who performed her surgery, Dr. William Tadlock. Days passed. We reached out. Still silence. The only time we ever heard from the clinic was after posting a review — and even then, the call wasn’t from Dr. Tadlock.

Weeks later, we began receiving automated reminders that Lucy was “due for her annual vaccines.” This, despite multiple notifications that she had passed away. I had to call and ask for her to be removed from their system. It’s now been over two months, and we’ve still received no explanation, no accountability, and no sincere acknowledgment of what happened. I’ve filed a formal complaint with the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and am pursuing further action.

The fatal complication rate for spay surgeries is less than 0.2% — about 1 death per 1,000 procedures. Lucy was a healthy young dog. This outcome is extremely rare — and in our case, we believe entirely preventable. It warrants investigation and accountability.

Dr. William Tadlock and this clinic failed Lucy catastrophically — and failed us as her family. The lack of communication, compassion, and basic responsibility we’ve experienced is beyond anything I expected from a medical provider, especially one trusted with the lives of animals.

Lucy wasn’t “just a dog.” She was part of our family. She was deeply loved. We trusted LiveWell to care for her — and that trust cost her life. If you’re considering this clinic for surgery or any procedure requiring real medical oversight, I strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. Don’t risk...

Best vet team I have seen in my life! We found them through Little Elm Adoption Shelter. We adopted a pup that was in need of a rabies vaccine and the voucher the shelter gave us was only valid here. We are newer to the area and hadn't had a good experience with the 2 emergency vets we've had to go to here so we thought it was going to be another "get in and get out- thanks for the money" type of place. Boy, was I wrong! The dog we had just adopted was very shy and could be reactive with strangers. He had quickly warmed up to us within a few hours but in the first few minutes, he had bit my husband for trying to pet him. I let the front desk know that and I was sure they would muzzle him for safety. Nope! We got back there and Dr. Austin Thompson probably spend a good 30-45 minutes just chatting with us and handing him treats (also this man is like 6'7" and was sitting on the ground for most of this). We have always had scared and skittish Australian Cattle Dogs (didn't plan it but they always find us), never have we ever seen a vet put so much effort into respecting the dog's space and taking the time to earn their trust. My husband tends to ask A LOT of questions, and past vets seemed so annoyed and in a constant rush- which I get. But Dr. Thompson and the two techs working with him on both days were so nice and so patient. Let's just say we went home, called them back, and asked to bring in our other dog the next day to get them established as our new primary vet. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the other veterinarian, Dr. William Tadlock, but every single passing encounter with staff has been so positive, so I am sure he is the same.

I could literally go on and on even more. But to summarize it, this is the only place I will take my dogs from now own. Stop searching now and just make an...

Dr. Tadlock was an incredible find; he's exceptionally compassionate, not only for his furry patients but for his patients' parent(s) too. Doc has been our vet for several years now and has seen us through instances of new puppies through end of life. I trust Doc implicitly; he is not one to order unnecessary tests and he clearly communicates the issue at hand and always partners with us on options for the right course of treatment in times of illness.

It's important to note that Dr. Tadlock recently opened his own practice of Livewell Animal Hospital in Little Elm, in Fall 2023. Doc personally designed the layout of his clinic with his patients at the forefront of every decision and from Doc's previous years practicing at other clinics and making mental note of what works, what doesn't work, and what his dream clinic ought to have. In addition to the modern front lobby and comfortably appointed treatment rooms most patients see, there's a dedicated end of life/bereavement room designed for the comfort for the patient and the patient's family, including a separate door to exit immediately into the parking lot. In addition, the back half of the clinic includes a separate, rear-entrance to a treatment & holding area for patients who have highly contagious illnesses, there's a technologically-modern operating room detailed to ensure sterility during each procedure, as well as a separate dental procedure room, etc.

If you're looking for a new vet, please give Dr. Tadlock and his amazing staff an opportunity to meet you and your furbaby - I'm confident you'll immediately see how down to earth Doc is, as well as his passion for helping both people...