All Creatures Pet Hospital

D. Leighann Batemon

Michelle at the front desk remembered our dog from when she would come in with her prior owners, which I thought was amazing as it had been a few years since they had moved up to Kansas City. I was really impressed with that! We had moved up our appointment because Mabel bit a young child, completely unprovoked by the child. It was a shocking attack, and luckily, the child was not as badly hurt as he could've been as mentally unstable dogs can be incredibly dangerous. I have a family friend what was forever mutilated when their nippy family dog bit off her cheek as a child. Another friend from middle school ignored their dog's random aggression and reactivity or justified it, until one day the dog attacked their son so badly that doctor's could not save his mangled leg. Hunter became an amputee at only 5 years old. So I was grateful Mabel's bite to this little boy was a slightly punctured lip. But I will never forget the slow-motion horror of watching her attack this little boy while I talked to his Mom. And I felt so stupid for justifying and excusing away her prior nips and lunges, all of which were completely unprovoked. So, I think deep down inside I knew there would be nothing Dr. Blackburn could prescribe that could make Mabel calmer, less anxious, less reactive. She had worked with professional trainers with her prior family, and we had hired a professional trainer as well after she went after our three year old when our daughter was only trying to hand her some kibble. But I was still hopeful. I really appreciate Dr. Blackburn giving me a more clear picture of Mabel's past aggression and bites, as her prior owners were too blinded by their love for her (they enlisted in the Army, and had to re-home Mabel before they were deployed). I cried a lot. Called my brother who is a veterinarian in Nevada. Cried some more as he agreed with Dr. Blackburn. My husband told me he had lost trust in the dog when she came for our 3 year old. I called and cried for hours over the phone with my friend, Mabel's former owners who had rescued Mabel from an abusive situation. When I called All Creatures to let them know we decided to move forward with euthanasia, Rhonda cried with me. I asked if Dr. Blackburn could come to our home, as his exam rooms and back rooms always made Mabel anxious and I wanted her to be as calm and as loved as possible in her final moments. They referred me to Dr. Sellers with Peaceful Crossings. Dr. Sellers agreed with Dr. Blackburn and my brother. The next day I called our trainer, and they agreed that it was for the best as Mabel was a mentally ill animal and no amount of training could guarantee the next time she was triggered she wouldn't severely hurt another living thing. They also referred me to two Facebook support groups, one for Behavioral Euthanasia (BE) and the other, Losing Lulu, a grief support page for people who lost an animal to BE. It was one of the most difficult periods of time, and I appreciated the sympathy card All Creatures sent with the picture of Mabel from her file. Thank you, Dr. Blackburn, and staff. For grieving with me and my family. For breaking the news clearly and logically and empathetically giving me a big chunk of time in your exam room to process the news. For the referral to Dr. Sellers. For treating Mabel in the past, though her aggression was ramping up. I don't know when our family will heal from this, and be able to open our hearts and home to another creature. But when we do, we'll be back!

Dec 24, 2023

Vicda Davic

Staff and Doctor were wonderful. Very professional and pleasant. Glad we chose them for our Vet. Would recommend them to anyone looking for a good Veterinarian with good prices.

Jun 20, 2024

Mel Wood

Boarding our dog here was a terrible experience for us. We usually board him without issues. We picked up our dog who went there clean and came home smelling horrible. He lost 5 lbs in two days from not eating. He came home and drank water like crazy. The ladies working in the front were not particularly kind. It was stressful for the dog and the owners. When we left, they said "what a sweet dog he is and please don't bring him back because doesn't eat." Then they said "Sorry he's sick. Hope he feels better." He wasn't sick when we brought him. No eating or going to the bathroom for three days. Nope. Not coming back. This place is not the way it used to be.

Jul 19, 2024

May Thompson

All Creatures Pet Hospital is the place I always go back to. No, not the cheapest but definitely fair priced in my opinion and well worth the quality of care. Dr Blackburn has been treating our pets for 22 year. He has helped us welcome pets into our family and has been very compassionate in helping us let them go as well.

Mar 12, 2024

David Davis

I’ve been taking my pets to All Creatures Pet Hospital for the last 20 years. Dr. Blackburn is like part of the family. We had to put our dog Ollie to sleep one which we’ve had since 2000. Dr. Blackburn ALWAYS gives you options on how to care for your pets. Ollie began having issues with his health about 5 years ago but we weren’t ready to let him go so we tried preventive care for him. He had a pretty bad tooth that with a younger dog it could’ve been removed, but with Ollie being so old we opted for some pain medication to keep the pain at a minimum because Dr. Blackburn was not comfortable putting him under to resolve the issue. He started to have a lot of issues with his joints and meds were prescribed for that as well. For awhile it all helped but he just kept going down hill. This past year we’ve been preparing ourselves for the inevitable. And that day finally came where we had to say our goodbyes to him. Dr.Blackburn was the best!!! The meds were delivered and we were allowed to stay as long as we wanted to say those last goodbyes. We have 4 cats and they all are under his care and wouldn’t have it any other way. I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND All Creatures Pet Hospital if your looking for a vet that really cares for your pet look no farther than here. The pic is of Ollie at his first grooming getting ready to go camping.

Nov 14, 2023