I chose Alberta Veterinary Care by reading reviews online and also factoring in proximity and was lucky enough to find this one that's only a couple of miles from our home. Having said that, after going to them, I would drive across town for their services. My sweet kitty, Sophie, had a growth on one of her nipples that hadn't gone away after a couple of months. They did a thorough exam and unfortunately, it was a tumorous mass and they did a mastectomy on that one breast. When I started crying, the vet tech and vet did as well. I can tell they truly love animals and hated giving me the news. They kept her all day for recovery and gave excellent postcare advice. One thing I was very appreciative of were the detailed notes of everything that happened and information about her condition they emailed to me because when hearing a medical diagnosis that hits like a ton of bricks, most of what you hear goes out the window. They also send the bill, completely broken down, so you know where the money goes. I am going to say-this was a pretty expensive vet bill but after her diagnosis, they worked up the bill while I was there so I could make an informed decision. When I picked Sophie up, she had a soft cone on and was expectedly woozy. I was instructed to keep her calm and to try to keep her from climbing as best I could. I removed all of the cat trees but after a few days, she was clambering again. One day she managed to get the cone off and kicked her wound so much, I was worried and took her back to the vet to be checked. They didn't charge me for this visit. She ended up healing beautifully. Sadly, when the pathologist report came back, it showed that she has an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer. They were so kind and went over the options with me but I chose not to move ahead with further treatment because it is only postponing the inevitable, extending her life by only 6-12 months and I don't want her last days to be lost in getting chemo (from another doctor-oncology). She's recovered from her surgery and feeling good. I intend on making her time left the best possible. I have nothing but good to say about this vet. Everyone who works there is kind and professional. The clinic is sparkling clean and the care, exceptional. They've even called me just to check in her and have emailed reminding me that I can get pain meds when needed. I appreciate the genuine kindness and compassion extended by all to both my sweet Sophie and me. Even if just for routine care, you'll appreciate it, too.

I thought I would try out supporting a solo veterinary practice rather than the corporate animal hospital where I had previously taken my cats (though the care there had been good). Dr. Cates was very thorough and professional as well as timely in communicating results and follow-up treatment plan. However, for me there was a lot lacking by the way of his interpersonal interaction with myself as well as no demonstrable affection or compassion toward my pet (as is usually the case for those who dedicate a career toward working with animals and the people who love them). His demeanor was very clinical and in my initial visit and subsequent phone conversation felt his language to be condescending and impatient. In addition to this, his office contacted me multiple times per day over the course of a couple days while I was at work (and do not have access to my mobile phone, no reception) to collect payment for a lab test added on after my visit. Before I had opportunity to remit payment around work hours, I received an email from Dr. Cates chastising me for not responding to the voicemails and demanding I make payment that day. Literally this was over a few days when I previously made payment in full for exam, prior labwork, and medications. Most bothersome to me of all was that Dr. Cates administered a sedating medication to my cat (who was not cooperating with blood and urine draw) without requesting my permission or notifying me. So to sum up, I will not be going back. If you are seeking plain clinical competency, I'm sure you won't go wrong with Alberta Veterinary. However if bedside manner is something you value, I would advise looking elsewhere.

Incredibly mixed review so far. They’re like…. Kinda incredible so part of me wants to keep going here. They’ve treated both our dogs incredible. on entry to their practice and I’m loving them… sorta. Except for them being too polite to be helpful on one incident. My puppy was getting microchipped and they came out after and told me that he was “bitey” and needed trazadone for future visits. I’m trying my best to train him to be less bitey, so I asked a lot of follow up questions like, “Did it seem aggressive?” “Was he playful?” I was not trying to avoid being a responsible pet parent but instead better understand what happened to better respond and parent better. But I kept getting non-answers like “it would be best if he was sedated to adapt to us”. This tells me nothing, and I’ll probably pick up the trazadone soon, but I’m reluctant to return or give it to him, until I have a better answer out of them. Because I want to be able to understand how to make the medication part of a complete training program, not just sedate my dog. I should note, I did follow up once before writing the review asking for more detail of what happened and I got a lot of overly sensitive being really nice to me about telling me I should give him these pills without any more info. Maybe I just have too many friends from the East Coast, but being this nice to me without actually being helpful about any decision-making, is just frustrating.

Horrible staff. After struggling to get my extremely anxious cat into a carrier, I called at 3:40 explaining the situation, letting them know I was going to another ten minutes late and asked if this was ok. I was told this wasn't an issue. As I'm driving, they call, so I pull over and it's the staff saying I should instead try to be there by 3:45. Ok. I walk in at 3:50 (the original 10 minutes late I asked them about, probably would have made it sooner without having to pull over), and was turned away. I was blown away that the same person who originally told me it was fine refused to let us see the vet. Their claim that they were fully booked seemed pretty laughable. Their office was empty with multiple staff mulling around. What upset me so much was that I would have saved my cat the added anxiety if they had just told me to reschedule in my original call! It's not like I walked around n late without asking before. I'll be finding a new vet that actually cares about the well being of my pets.

We have an English Bulldog and finding a good vet has been hard, as not very many vets know the uncommon things that can be occurring in their breed. We have had to do a lot of self teaching and finding a new vet when our gut tells us our dog isn't getting the care she needs - BUT I think we have found the vet who can truly help us ensure our girl is getting the best care and quality of life! The support staff got me scheduled, well prepared me for what was needed for the appointment, and made checking in and out easy! Dr. Cates examined every component of our dog from head to toe, and found things that other vets have missed or over looked. He was thorough in his options of care, and honest in which order was best for diagnosis, and priorities for her comfort. We are very excited to continue to get care from Dr. Cates and his team!

I recently moved and needed to find a local vet for my dogs so I called this office to see how the customer service was . Annie answered the phone and I asked a question reguarding ultrasounds just to kind of get a feel for this place and she was not friendly at all. I feel if she new I was asking questions to get a feel for the way she really is when she didn’t think I was calling about being a client then I would get a great feel for how she behaves when she is being herself n this is very important to me considering I speak to the reception people so much about medication refills appt and ect... so this is important . Hopefully she will see this and next time someone calls with any questions you will be nice and not so rude . Thank you

The folx here take incredible, thoughtful, compassionate care of the creatures in their practice. The providers talk through concerns, explaining the pros, cons, & otherwise of various healthcare options, while also allowing space for the pet parents to make their own decisions. I have never felt pressured, but rather supportively provided with information. One of my dogs was badly bitten a while back and had to come in almost weekly due to an infection, stitches, growing back the dermal layer—while this would understandably result in my dog being averse to the vet—not the case. She LOVES coming here—loves the techs, the vets, & all the human helpers. I think that speaks highly of the gentle care given here.

As a recent transplant to Portland, I had to find all new people- doctors, vet, hairdressers, etc. and I feel really fortunate that I chose Alberta Veterinary Care. From the front desk to the vets themselves, everyone is friendly, kind and obviously love animals. The office is very clean and inviting and I never had to wait more than five minutes to get called back. My cat warmed right up to the vet techs and docs. She also had to have surgery and they did a great job. After each visit, they send a detailed email with notes about the visit, what was discussed and found as well as suggestions. They also send a detailed bill via email as well. I am very happy with my choice!

My labradors and cats have been seeing Dr. Justin Cates for over 8 yrs. We also followed him when he would move to another Veterinrian clinic and to this day now that he has his own Veterinrian clinic. While we don’t live in Portland anymore when it came time to put one of my dear labs, Shayna to rest we drove from Santa Fe, NM in May 2022 as we knew we would fell safe and at peace with Dr. Cates putting Shayna to sleep. Dr. Cates, was so kind, so patient and gave us all the time we needed before proceeding with putting her to sleep. I will and continue to be grateful for his knowledge, help and kindness. ❤️

The owner is not an honest person. We received a price range for a specific procedure including pre-procedure appointment and anything after. They charged us the very top price in this range (obviously no explanation to it was given) and decided to charge an extra afterwards just because the greedy owner felt like it. When I pointed out that we already paid what was agreed at the beginning he transferred the charge to collection. Currently law case is pending to dispute the charge. I'll never set foot into this clinic again, there money is the first and well-being of your pet is the last.

I've been taking my cat here since I moved here 6 years ago. They're the best vet I've ever been to. Communicative, fairly priced and they're very knowledgeable. I had to take my cat to another emergency vet a few times because Alberta was booked up. I spent thousands of dollars and still did not get a solution to my kitties ailment. Alberta doctor suggested a skin biopsy at a fraction of the price and he found out that it is most likely a rare skin disease and eliminated many other issues. They even send cute little cards for both of my cats. They're the only vet I trust.

I have just left the services of this office after 6 years of loyalty. I had an unexpected delay in my arrival time and was 2 minutes past the 10 min appt cut off. 12 min late and they canceled my appt. This decision to leave is heartbreaking but also necessary due to my growing disappointment in their care over the past year. Policy is now their priority and not understanding and care. Should you decide on the services of this clinic, which I can no longer recommend, please read and abide by the increasing rules they list.

My partner and I LOVE this vet. We have a fearful reactive German Shepherd Dog who we have been bringing to Alberta for years due to the staff's wonderful accommodations. They always schedule her when no other dogs are in the lobby and help us get in and out of the building without her encountering other dogs. Thank you for making a stressful experience way less stressful than it would be at other vets! We bring our little GSD here, too, and will continue to do so despite not living in the area anymore.

I've used this vet since 1993. Never had an issue. Dr Hammond has taken care of our pets for decades and now the lady vet (I can never remember her name, i am so, so sorry - terrible with names) has done an even more amazing job for us . She's kind, fast and above all else treats our animals with respect. The entire staff there is amazing. Especially the girl who does training at Para - she is the only one who can calm down my Rottweiler puppy, razor. Make them your vet. You won't regret it.

We started going here after taking our dog to four other vets over the course of a few years with no solution to all of his health problems. The vets we saw either blamed us for not taking care of him or put him on so many meds I could barely keep track of them all. Dr. Cates figured out what was wrong on his first visit and he's never had his symptoms come back since the first visit two years ago. They're also always kind and have done a great job with all our other pets as well!

This Dr. is a real five star guy. We were recommended this vet because he is a fan of Pugs and Boxers. We have a pug boxer mix named Winnie. She is less than 6 months old and he basically went over her with a fine tooth comb. It felt like a technical loving review of our pup. I researched a ton because a Brachycephalic airway surgery was threatening our pack. We drove from Vancouver and will continue to do so. I forgot pictures will do next time.

Friendly, experienced, competitively priced, clean, honest, and excellent diagnosticians. My dog loves them and my cat just had a dental procedure there and was THE happiest cat post surgery I've ever seen. Dr. Corbet is Da bomb! I almost don't want others to know because this place is a rare gem. The other veterinarians I've been to got too big, sold their practice and started to really not be awesome. Love everyone at Alberta Veterinary Care!

Just switched veterinarians based on recommendation from friends. I couldn't be happier. Dr Cates is phenomenal! Very thorough, professional, empathetic and explains everything really well. Dog ended up being very ill and needed emergency surgery and Dr Cates got the ball rolling. Dog is home now recovering. To top it off, the facility is beautiful, clean and in a convenient location with excellent ancillary staff!

Dr. Cates and his team were wonderful when I got my new puppy. Very very informative for someone who has never taken cared of an animal, much less a puppy. They were able to give me good estimates of cost and a timeline as to watch to expect for the following 6 months. They were very receptive to questions when i called and had a lot of references for me to check out. Highly recommended, they are super friendly

I've taken two dogs here (one from puppyhood) for years and every visit has been a positive experience. Also, they'll provide a verbal estimate before treatment and take your payment right there in the exam room. You're in and out of the waiting area without having to stop and pay while your pet tries to explore. Nice! Street parking can be tight but I often find a spot right outside the entrance.

Alberta Vet Care has been wonderful to me and my pup! They're always very friendly and helpful. They clearly make an effort to do their job well and are very considerate and friendly. They've taken great care of me during appointments, over the phone, and through e-mail. I'm very glad I found them and moved my business away from VCA. Alberta Vet Care is definitely a top notch place.

I can't recommend Alberta Vet Care enough! My pup Charlie was a patient here from when she was a tiny puppy until 3 years old, as we recently moved out of town. I always felt that the vets and staff here cared so much for her, and always gave her the best care possible. We are so thankful and are sad to leave. If you are wondering if this is the right vet for you pet - YES!

Great care here. They were able to fit in our cat on short notice and treat his foot. The level of care was very high. They showed the treatment plan and costs in advance and adjusted some of the medication to more affordable options on request. The power went out but they still took great care of our cat and even hand-wrote the medication labels. Overall excellent service.

I love Alberta Vet Care! We have been coming here for years, and no matter who we see, we feel so cared for. Everyone (from the front staff to the techs to the vets themselves) truly cares about the well-being of both us and our pets. We’ve been through a lot with our very high-maintenance cats, but we’ve always left feeling like we made an excellent choice in care.

Incredible veterinarian. Justin is attentive, patient, unbelievably knowledgeable and genuinely loves dogs. He is understanding of the severity and complexity of all of our pets visits and has a professional and impressive way with dogs. On top of that the vet assistants and team are responsive, punctual and best of all it seems reasonably priced. Highly recommend

Just had Ax’s first appointment at Alberta Veterinary Care and wow, what a breath of fresh air! Lower cost, more welcoming environment, & attention to detail (like checkout in the room so there’s not chaos of dogs in the lobby), etc. 5 ⭐️ all the way!!! Thanks Justin! They are probably going to be able to save the tooth AND the total cost is about HALF of VCA!

Wonderful staff, I’m a first time dog owner and they were very helpful in answering any questions I had. Dr.Martin was amazing. Came in for a surgery, not only did they take wonderful care of my dog but they went above and beyond by trimming her nails and cleaning out her ears while she was under. I cannot recommend the office more, everyone is very sweet

We've been taking our three dogs here for years and continue to be impressed. With senior dogs we're here pretty frequently and the staff are all so friendly and are so sweet to our dogs - and are of course incredibly knowledgeable and provide excellent care. They've helped keep our little old dogs going strong and feeling good!

Nice space, everyone is helpful and kind. Docs and techs did a great job of explaining what they were going to do next, and why. Vets are knowledgeable and handled my cats kindly, listened well and gave information and choice in clear language. Not cheap, but not crazy expensive either. Weekend hours!

I would give them 100 stars if I could. Alberta Vet Care is the best of the best, they are thorough, kind, patient, explain everything clearly and they never try to force unnecessary procedures on your pet. I drive almost an hour to see Dr. Cates, I would drive further if I had to, he is the best.

The staff was extremely welcoming and knowledgeable making our puppy's first visit feel like a VIP experience. All of their communication has been fantastic and they answered all of our questions in depth. They have left us feeling very assured and prepared to embark on our journey as new parents.

Never been a more attentive, compassionate, and honest staff. They’ve gone above and beyond with comforting our family through our young pups heartworm treatment and just the regular check ups for both our dogs. Can’t say enough nice things about AVC and their staff. Best in the biz :)

Such a wonderful staff who pay attention to details, help explain difficult problems/process, symptoms etc and has taken great care of our two dogs. They have also done super well through all of COVID and never skipped a beat with our care plan. Highly recommend.

Dr. Cates and staff are the best!!! Dr. Cates is brilliant, professional and incredibly compassionate. I have followed him since his first day of practice and can't imagine entrusting any other veterinarian with the care of my precious pets. He is THE BEST!!!

As always, Dr. Cates was knowledgeable, friendly and compassionate. You can tell he and his wonderful staff really love pets and are always willing to go above and beyond in making the best possible experience for our pets and their parents. Thank you!

Dr. Cates and staff are amazing. Dr. Cates is the only veterinarian that successfully helped me manage my dog’s skin allergies and now all of my dogs going forward come to see him. The staff treats you as part of the family. Highly recommended!

The entire team at Alberta Vet Clinic are amazing. They were kind and took excellent care of my cat. They answered all my questions and kept me updated about the process and results via email (by my request. They can also call.)

Great vet! They treat our pup so well and even call to check in on her when she's not feeling well. You can email them with questions and they get back to you ASAP which I really appreciate. Very professional and great service.

Just took our cat there and they were awesome. Friendly, knowledgeable, and great witn animals. Thank you Alberta Veterinary Care, we left feeling confident about the appointment and our cats health and well being.

Attentive and friendly. They pay special care to the name of your pet which is a green flag to me. They were gentle and patient with my cat who was a bit stressed about getting her vaccinations.

Best Vet I’ve ever taken my pups to. Dr. Cates knew when my pup had cushings disease when no one else could figure out what was wrong with her. Very Friendly staff as well!

We’ve been taking our cat, Fritz, here for the past two years. Very caring people with great service. They are very accommodating for emergencies or urgent visits as well.

My cat hates this place way less than other vets. Everyone is very nice, punctual, and clearly loves animals. They never try to upsell and are sensitive around expenses.

I've taken my dog here his entire life. The level of care has always been everything you want from a vet. Professional, trustworthy, compassionate, with excellent care.

Great local pet hospital. They have taken great care of allot of our pets. Very friendly, clean, and friendly staff who generally care about your pet.

Dr Cates and the whole Alberta Vet team are fantastic! I have been taking our two pugs there for the last 8 years, since the pugs were 9 weeks old.

Been coming here for like 8 years. Always great care for my animals. Great staff. Dr Cates is a great leader/mentor that sets the higher standard.

Everyone there is so nice. Have been taking both of our dogs there for a few years. Always patient and communicative. So lucky to have them

Great team, warm and inviting. Lovely, quaint neighborhood. I was visiting on behalf of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and impressed.

These vets have treated my dog Max very well. I'm glad I was finally able to get him in as a patient.