I cannot be thankful enough to Dr. Cassie Lothery and Vet Assistant II Alia. We first spent sometimes with Alia. She took thorough notes and she is very sweet not only to animals but also nice to people. As a first time dog owner and a 6 day mom of a 10 weeks Newfoundland puppy I have been very overwhelmed.
I came here due to a free wellness coupon I received on Facebook. I just showed Alia the email I received for coupon and I was all set. Alia suggested me to get CareClub junior at $66 which is a great deal despite having FIGO insurance with vet visit included and wellness basic (since it only covers one wellness). This allows me to have peace of mind knowing my puppy is in great hands.
Let me tell you, I came here with puppy being in Chillicothe Animal Hospital on October 6, with no problem and quite healthy, and assuming I am here just for him to have a wellness check and establish a vet in Indiana. Well, starting right off, Dr told he had skin infection (he’s been scratching his belly and neck a lot past few days) and gave him antibiotics. She also showed me his ears were really dirty and they gave me a medication for ear flush. Alia very patiently showed me how to administer it in both ears and did his first dose.
They also gave me dental powder for topping his food. They confirmed the Hill’s Science large puppy brown rice and lamb suggested by his breeder (who is also a vet tech) is great to continue. Further, they gave me guidance on plan of care and we established the next two visits for vaccinations.
I work full-time and for me Saturday appointments are a must and unfortunately in my own town of Columbus, Indiana not many places have Saturday visits or if they do they are books for months. So this was very important for me that they do have Saturday visits.
Dr. Lothery was super nice to my puppy. I have been thinking about microchipping my puppy for two reasons first since he has been super playful and loves front and side yard sod and likes to jump around when I take him to them. Second reason is that FIGO insurance told me since I have Costco executive membership, I have free access to Pet Watch 24 so I though it may be time for him to get microchipped but I was very anxious about process and was afraid he would feel pain. When I saw how nice Dr. Lothery and Alia are, I was able to trust them and know my puppy is in good hands. They told me my puppy didn’t make any noise and was super calm during microchipping.
The front desk staff was very nice to BooBoo too. She wrapped a bandana sprayed with Pheromone that calms down puppies a bit. My puppy was not anxious but my drive home is like 50 min and I thought this was a great idea for that purpose.
Alia trimmed my dog’s nails for free. This was very sweet of her. Dr told there is no necessity for my puppy being groomed on October 25 and suggested I cancel my grooming appointment. I am very happy she went out of her way to explain everything to me very well.
I believe combining FIGO insurance (with 15% Costco discount) and CareClub junior is a great way to save for medical bills.
Prior to my visit I was given clear instructions and was able to chat with medical staff about my questions prior to visit. It is very important for me to be able to sms/chat not just call to get answers given the nature of my full time job.
They also have very nice lawn side of their office. BooBoo enjoyed some lawn time after his visit there.
KP
Kirsten Phillips
Oct 4, 2025
We initially chose VCA Sugar Grove due to its convenient location and the Care Club membership, which seemed like a good fit for one of our dogs. While the medical care from the vets and vet techs has been competent, the front desk staff, particularly the office manager, made the overall experience increasingly frustrating.
Our dog is highly anxious, especially at the vet, and we’ve gone to great lengths to minimize her stress, including using prescribed “fear-free” medication prior to appointments. I originally scheduled her annual vaccines online but then called to confirm the timing would work under the Care Club coverage. I was told we needed to reschedule and was given a new appointment date that should have met the requirements.
When we arrived for that rescheduled appointment, after medicating our dog and taking time off work, we were told we were still two days too early and they could not administer the vaccines. This was extremely disappointing considering I had taken the step to confirm the timing in advance. I stayed calm and we rescheduled once again.
At our second attempt, I was met in the parking lot by the office manager, Jen, who informed me that their system was down and no patients could be seen. When I expressed my frustration, understandably high at this point, she offered no empathy and seemed extremely dismissive of the situation. I explained that this was the second failed attempt to get our anxious dog routine care, and asked if there were any options available. She simply stated that the visit would be comped, which didn’t make sense since we were already paying through the Care Club membership. She provided no meaningful solutions and made no effort to acknowledge the inconvenience or stress we were experiencing. I told her to cancel our membership and that we would seek care elsewhere. She walked away without any further discussion or attempt to help.
Since we had travel plans approaching and couldn’t find a new vet with availability, I walked into the clinic to try and speak to someone else. From the lobby I could hear, what I assume was Jen, loudly yelling in the back about me. I have never experienced that level of unprofessionalism in any setting. It was disturbing and uncomfortable. Fortunately, a vet tech came out, calmly reviewed the treatment plan I had on my phone, and was able to administer the necessary vaccines. She was compassionate, helpful, and took the time to find a solution. I genuinely appreciated her professionalism in an otherwise very stressful situation.
While I take full responsibility for being frustrated, I simply could not keep taking time off work and medicating our anxious dog in hopes that this clinic would follow through on what should have been a routine appointment. I understand that systems go down, but the lack of communication, empathy, and leadership, especially from the office manager, made an already difficult situation far worse.
We will not be returning.