Very disappointed. Not one star because nobody died but i wish I had paid attention to the reviews. My experience would line up with others about frustration with the desk/staff, but think it must reflect lack of respect for the patients and clientele that starts with the vet. Medicine requests ignored for days, refusal to send records or prescriptions anywhere. My ferret’s medication that the doctor put him on in the first place was ignored, a medication he needs daily. The couple of employees there who are helpful and attentive deserve mention. Like I said. Disappointed . I paid you. Take care of my pets. Thats the job.
These guys was wonderful. I absolutely don't have a bad thing to say. They took care of us from the time I made the first call to see about getting her seen to the time we was finished the next afternoon. Dr. Hardy called me personally later in the afternoon the day I made the appointment. He asked a few questions and also made sure I knew what not to do after midnight the night before her appointment. Both of his assiants was so sweet and caring. The staff was gentle and treat my baby girl like she was a princess. They x-rayed her leg and her femur was broken. Dr. Hardy explained the X-ray pictures and discussed what the next steps we could take. So far things are doing good. She is healing fast and back to her normal self with stricked limitations no climbing or swinging from trees stuck to ground level for a few more weeks. His price for everything that day was very reasonable. Emily and his other assiants I forgot her name my bad made me feel super comfortable about Dr Hardy knowledge and express his many of years or experience he had said he takes his time and genuinely cares and of course I was worried about the bill. The ladies assured me it wouldnt be as much as I was thinking. Things did take a little longer then I expected but we was comfortable while we was waiting to be seen and when we was called back she was the only one he was taking care of yes he had someone else waiting in the lobby but he finished my girl up first. A hour and half past closing time is when we walked out 9f his office from our 3pm appt. But was worth every bit of the 3 hours Oh... my bill was way less than I thought it would be. Loves this place and the staff!!! By the way I had contacted 38 other vets from Kansas Arkansas and Oklahoma and Missouri. Been to one in Fair Grove earlier that week which was my regular established vet and we told for me to contact Kansas University they was the only ones that could fix her.
Well Dr. Hardy has a new client... but we don't plan on seeing him but once a year lol.
I went to James River today so my snake could be seen. It had a lump for 6 days, completely healthy otherwise. The doctor took my snake back for 30 minutes and it was actively dying when he brought it back to me. My snake died as I was walking out of the door and I took it back inside and the vet confirmed it was dead. The vet tech with dreads was absolutely amazing and so sweet. She also knew and said something was not done correctly and said it died of shock. The little girl at the front desk was so incredibly disrespectful, called me a liar and threatened me. I asked her before I left if they could take payment over the phone, she said yes, called me 3 times and that’s when she threatened me and called me a liar about my name and address. I would NEVER recommend using this vet clinic to anyone. The vet was extremely rough with my snake, he laughed the entire time he was telling me my snake was dead. The office is absolutely disgusting and looks like it’s not been cleaned. The tub they put my snake in to weigh it was absolutely filthy. They’re going to be lucky if there’s not a lawsuit on their hands after this experience, it was absolutely deplorable.
UPDATE 2026:
I have to give a huge shout out to Dr. Hardy and his staff. I do understand they have recently been "slower" the past couple of years, which can be frustrating if you have a busy schedule and need to get in and get out quickly. But the level of care provided for the price is unbeatable. I have 7 senior rescue dogs and 3 cats and i had 2 turtles. I have taken them here over the past 7 years. Dr. Hardy is very "old school" and can be a little bit "Tell it like it is" but he is so genuinely dedicated to providing care for the animals. He BROKE HIS HIP and was back at work a week later!!!!!
My 15 year old dog died unexpectedly in March, and shortly after, my 11-year old cat got very sick, so i was going through a very rough time. My cat had stomatitis for several years, and after some years in remission from her symptoms by removing her teeth, she developed an infection. I first had to take her to the emergency vet and then followed up at the clinic pretty much weekly between April-May. She even had to be hospitalized for a week due to the level of care she needed. And even though Dr. Hardy really didn’t have the staffing to be able to take that on, he let her stay at the clinic and he stayed in a camper to be there at night!! He would even call/text me in the evenings to give me updates on her. That is the mlst DEDICATION and genuine care that I have never witnessed (nor would I expect) from a vet or Healthcare provider.
The vet tech Marcie is super sweet, I feel like she's my friend at this point. We talked, laughed, cried. And she sacrifices so much of herself to help those animals. I don't know when she ever gets a day off!!! The receptionists are also very kind and caring. Can occasionally be slow, but they were also great supports to me during this time.
My cat did end up having to be put down in May after doing everything we could, due to an abscessed tumor on her jaw and her ongoing autoimmune issues. It was the most gut-wrenching decision I ever had to make, and I still cry about her almost everyday. But Dr. Hardy even called and texted me a few times after she passed to give me his condolences and let me know that I didn't need to stress too much about the bills. Vet care can be so expensive and with as many animals as I have, I am blessed that I haven't gone bankrupt with them lol. He gave me a significantly reduced price on all of her care and he didn't give up on her until it was clear that it was her time to go.
I will come back (and of course take my other pets) and let them know just how much they mean to me, but until then, I wanted to update my previous review and just express my gratitude. I am forever grateful for everything they did for me. And I know my animals will be taken care of in the future as well.
So incredibly grateful for this clinic.
-------------------------------------
Original Review 2019: I was seeking a second opinion for my doxie's teeth removal procedure. I took her for a yearly exam and she was treated for whipworms and got her yearly medication for a reasonable price. The quote I got on her teeth was half of what my previous vet had quoted and they talked me through the thorough procedure and addressed all risks. I really appreciated their time they took with my dog and explaining her issues to me. Will continue using them for all my pets!
James River Animal Hospital is a place I've taken my pets to for years. They are very sweet, caring, staff. It's a very small town feel to it, not a "sterile hospital" setting. I like that it's like that though, and not like a busy, rushing around, medical building. It's welcoming. I believe they are fairly short staffed, in that they seem to have a regular set of staff, and so they don't have a ton of staff. I believe it is only the one veterinarian, and usually we have the same (very sweet, kind, and personable) nurse. The front staff is usually just busy, which is to be expected.
Overall, I feel they've done well with my animals over the years. I've taken several and different types of exotic pets to them, and they're great with them each time.
Recently we'd taken our bird there, and he was pretty sick. He ended up passing away the following day - but I can hardly place any blame at all on James River Animal Hospital with regards to it, because I think he was just sick, and it happened really quickly. They tried to help and gave him some pain medication, so I hope that helped him in his last hours. However, there's no telling if anything would have ever helped him survive. I believe they did what they knew to do.
I was wondering what their thoughts on what might be going on with him, specifically were - but that wasn't communicated, so his death caught me off guard.
I am in no way blaming them for anything - and appreciate all they've done for my pets. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wish I could have heard more communication about what might be going on, what we might expect, etc...
Other than that, I do recommend them and think they do a great job.
