ACCESS Pasadena in
East Pasadena (CA)

Dr Garrity and all the staff were amazing, phenomenally exceptional, professional, comforting and profoundly compassionate. I called about my cat, Pepe, with a troubling condition and they arranged for a CT scan and biopsy the next day. We spent the day in anticipation but I was kept abreast of his condition and their concerns throughout the experience. I am a physician myself in Neurology, I can’t say I’ve seen or experienced better bedside manner in my time and I definitely recommend them. Thank you all again, it might be bad but I was given some hope and Pepe is sleeping gently next to me better than we brought him in. Thank you

We brought our cat here while he was clearly in pain and the experience was incredibly upsetting and disappointing. Pain medication was not provided until after we paid, which already felt uncomfortable given the urgency of his condition. What was most alarming was that no bloodwork was offered. Instead, we were immediately told we’d need to pay around $1,200 for a procedure, despite the fact that they did not actually know what was wrong with our cat. There was no clear explanation, no effort to rule things out, and no sense of thoughtful medical care. When we tried to apply for their credit card because we could not afford the cost upfront, the system wasn’t working. We asked the front desk staff member (girl with dyed green hair, you know who you are) for help, and she was extremely unhelpful, dismissive, and rude during an already emotional situation. Once it became clear that we could not afford the proposed treatment, the attitude toward both our cat and our family noticeably changed. We felt ignored and unsupported. We ultimately took our cat home with only pain medication. We went to another veterinary clinic this morning, where the staff immediately offered bloodwork and compassionate care. They took the time to actually understand what was happening and explained that his condition was too advanced, and that euthanasia was the most humane option. Our wonderful sweet cat baby passed this morning. While devastating, we were treated with kindness, transparency, and respect: something we weren’t offered here at all. This clinic felt more focused on payment than patient care. If you are looking for a humane, thorough, and compassionate veterinary practice, especially in an emergency, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere.

Visited for my cat, they gave us great care and diagnosis. Also, the doc did not overcharge us or force extra appointments on us like many other vets tend to do. Very pleased with my visit.

My negative interaction with receptionist Stephanie was enough to make me seek service elsewhere. She was rude, confrontational, refused any transparency. If a vet won't tell you prices from basic services (every vet I've called did, this is standard) then you should look elsewhere. They just want you to come in and pay and them for a visit and hit you with their high prices when you are vulnerable. I've read about this in their yelp reviews. I'm actually thankful she was so terrible, I took my pet to a reputable, transparent, reasonably priced vet and has a good experience.

I don’t know what miserable person gave this hospital a bad rating and almost made me believe they would be no good for care but let me tell you , they are very caring and a wonderful staff. My puppy was nearly dying and a wonderful Dr. saved her life and I’m super grateful for that. They cared for my Bell and I still have a bit of worry on the back of my mind of her health in the future but I have no concern that the staff didn’t do anything for her. They went above and beyond to care for her. She grew a bit of a belly ( a healthy belly ) . I learned lately that when you are kind to people that work hard , trust me they will be kind right back but sometimes when you come off aggressive or depends how you approach staff , they have the right to defend themselves and stand their ground because at the end of the day , their job is not easy. Give kindness and you shall receive kindness back. It doesn’t work with a one way story. I’m very satisfied with this hospital and you should not worry about a thing about them. I also learned they have visiting hours with you pet and that is wonderful. Thank you to all for caring for my baby Bell. May God bless each and one of you for success in life and the best .

I’m sharing this review factually and neutrally to help other pet owners make informed decisions, especially in emergency or surgical situations. This is a 24/7 emergency veterinary hospital, so pets arriving here are often critically ill or facing serious complications. As owners, we depend on professional guidance when our pets can’t tell us what’s wrong, and unfortunately the worst outcome is sometimes saying goodbye. My 14-year-old dog underwent tumor removal surgery after pre-op bloodwork showed good organ function and the surgeon felt confident the mass was localized and the procedure would be straightforward. The surgery itself went well, and he was discharged the same day. During recovery, he developed an infection with significant fluid buildup and blood-tinged drainage from the incision. We returned to the ER twice over Thanksgiving weekend but were unable to speak directly with the surgeon. The ER veterinarians advised conservative monitoring, cleaning the site and allowing the drainage to resolve, stating there was no immediate intervention needed. About three weeks after surgery, the stitches were removed, the incision appeared healed externally, and the biopsy later confirmed the tumor was cancer. Shortly after stitch removal, my dog suddenly became critically ill. We rushed back to the hospital, where imaging revealed internal abdominal bleeding. At that point, euthanasia was the kindest and only realistic option. The staff was consistently kind, compassionate, and professional throughout our visits. I’m not writing to place blame. Complications can and do happen, especially in senior dogs with prior health issues. My dog had recovered from IMHA years earlier. That said, the total cost exceeded $8,000, and I do wish there had been clearer, more direct follow-up from the surgical team during the post-operative complications, particularly given the repeated emergency visits and difficulty obtaining specific answers.

I highly recommend this emergency animal clinic. Our first experience there was with our small dog having a digestive issue. She was seen in a reasonable amount of waiting and her treatment was effective and not inflated price wise. Our recent trip our dog had a laceration that needed stitches. Again the wait time was reasonable, and they treated her with the utmost care and concern. It was a bit costly but they worked with our insurance and with the minor surgery repair and recovery we were in and out in about three hours. Watching the staff and vets work with other clients with more serious issues I can say their services are top notch. We had a very unpleasant experience with nearby Animal AM Emergency so I suggest you put Access Specialty Pasadena in your phone should you ever need emergency vet services. Shout out to Dr Tran for her expertise and the compassionate staff all around.

They Let Our Cat Suffer Instead of Giving Us Honest Guidance We brought our 14-year-old cat Penelope to Access last Thursday for labored breathing and open-mouth breathing. While the front desk staff was kind and got her back quickly, and the initial vet saw us within 10 minutes, what followed was deeply upsetting and ultimately caused our beloved cat unnecessary suffering. After testing showed her lungs were filled with nodules (likely cancer), we received a quote for $10,000-$12,000 in additional diagnostics. When we called to say we couldn't afford that amount, the response was simply "so you want to discharge her?" - no discussion of other options or what was best for Penelope. When we arrived to pick her up, we specifically asked to speak with the vet about what we should do. Instead, we only saw a vet tech who gave us steroids and other medications. This gave us hope that maybe Penelope had a fighting chance - why else would they send her home with medicine? Why wouldn't they discuss euthanasia if she was truly suffering? We were made to sign a paper saying we were going "against medical advice," yet no one clearly explained what our options were or told us the truth: that Penelope was in critical condition and the humane option was euthanasia. When we picked her up, a nurse aggressively called out "Penelope parents?!" and while handing her over said to our cat, "I'm so sorry they are doing this sweetheart, I am so sorry." This was cruel and completely uncalled for. Halfway home, Penelope began panting severely. We rushed her to another clinic where we were told she needed to be euthanized immediately because she was choking. We had to watch our sweet girl suffer in her final moments because Access failed to communicate clearly with us. If the cost was too high and euthanasia was the kindest option, someone should have told us that directly and compassionately. Instead, we were treated with judgment and sent home with false hope while our cat was in crisis. Penelope deserved better. We deserved better.

Took a 12 week old kitten I found near my house, literally on its death bed. I BEGGED them to hospitalize him because he was in such horrible condition, they cleaned his eyes and gave me some meds and said “oh he’s okay to go home no need to hospitalize.” He died on me that night. I was furious, knowing that at least if he was hospitalized, then he would’ve had a better chance.

My cat was diagnosed with heart failure at this clinic and sent home with multiple medications. Just two days later, he developed strong side effects, including nausea and complete loss of appetite, which I understand can happen with these medications. When I called the clinic seeking a simple anti-nausea medication so he could tolerate his heart meds, I was told that the doctor who saw him was not available and that nothing could be done. Despite the fact that they had all his records, recent exams, and medication history, I was told the only option was to schedule another appointment with a 5-hour waiting time. At that point, my cat had not eaten for over 24 hours and was still expected to take medications twice a day on an empty stomach. Being refused basic follow-up support for a patient seen within the last 48 hours. especially one with a serious, chronic condition, felt unreasonable and unnecessarily cruel. My heart was broken to see my baby in need to take the meds but in a bare stomach and in pain, after a heart broken diagnosis I felt mistreated by the staff when I simply needed help with the meds they just prescribed! I understand policies and limitations, but should be a way to provide supportive care without forcing a critically ill animal back into a long, stressful visit. This experience left me feeling unsupported during an already extremely difficult time.

My cat's veterinarian heard a heart murmur and recommended he see a cardiologist. I brought him to ACCES Pasadena to see Dr. Cole, and I cannot speak highly enough of the experience. Dr. Cole and his team were incredibly kind, thoughtful, and thorough. I would highly recommend Dr. Cole to anyone in need of a cardiologist for their pet! Update: I feel compelled to leave a second five star review for the incredible team and care provided by ACCESS. Over the weekend, our kitty Humphrey started vomitting and stopped eating so we took him to a primary care vet. He received bloodwork and on Monday we were told his kidney values were through the roof and he needed to be hospitalized immediately. We brought him to the ER at ACCESS and they quickly took him in and began his care. Dr. Cole once again provided INCREDIBLE care to make sure Humphrey's heart was safe for aggressive fluids, and the ER team took quick action on his treatment. He was then sent to internal medicine during the day and received round the clock care and testing to monitor his progress. At first, his kidney values were declining and Dr. Garrity, a fantastic internal medicine doctor, prepared us for the worst but did not give up on Humphrey. After continuous care by her. Dr, Qiu and the team, Humphrey started to improve and over time his kidney values returned almost to baseline, and we are thrilled to be taking him home today. ACCESS has a really incredible system where your pet will be transferred to the proper specialists and receive world class care. From the front desk staff, to the technicians, to the doctors, we receive the best treatment and care and we cannot thank the team enough. To Dr. Cole, Dr. Garrity, Dr. Qiu, Esmeralda (a fantastic tech), another amazing tech in the ER whose name we can't remember (sorry but we love you!!!) and the rest of the team, we cannot thank you enough!!!!

Thank you so very much to Dr Cole at Access Speciality in Pasadena and his wonderful team for taking such great care today of our Molly. Molly was diagnosed with a heart murmur recently at 12yrs old. We were really scared for her as she has become an amazing therapy dog for my disabled son. Molly was super comfortable with everyone after she met them. I truly appreciate all of you.

Dr. Garrity and her team were so professional and caring, I highly recommend going here if you need a specialist. My dog had been suffering from a foreign body being lodged in her nose for over a month now. My dog began behaving differently, was more skittish and timid and not as affectionate as she used to be. I had one common procedure done elsewhere in early November (the other vet couldn't find the problem) and a rhinoscopy was needed to dig deeper into my dog's nose. Dr. Garrity identified the problem and took extra precautions. Within the same day, my dog was back to her old playful affectionate self. I cannot thank Dr. Garrity and her team enough.

Having a pet is a huge responsibility, and when emergencies happen, you want to know you have a trustworthy place to go. ACCESS Pasadena Specialty Animal Hospital has been that place for me. They’re open 24 hours a day, every single day, which is incredibly reassuring — especially when something happens late at night or on a holiday. The convenience of knowing your pet can get immediate, high-quality care at any hour is priceless. ACCESS offers almost every specialty service you could think of under one roof: • Emergency and critical care • Internal medicine • Surgery (routine to complex) • Cardiology • Neurology • Oncology • Advanced imaging and diagnostics • And a full team of specialists who handle cases most regular vets can’t This is why so many people come here — when your pet needs serious, advanced, or urgent care, this hospital has the team, the equipment, and the expertise to actually solve the problem. The staff and doctors are outstanding. You can tell they truly know their craft and care deeply about every animal that comes through the door. They explain everything clearly, stay calm in stressful situations, and treat both pets and owners with compassion and professionalism. Now, it is expensive — and that’s important to be realistic about. Specialty and emergency care anywhere will add up fast, and a facility of this level isn’t cheap. Honestly, having pet health insurance is a must if you want peace of mind. When the unexpected happens, insurance makes the difference between stress and relief, because the costs for advanced treatment can be significant. That said, ACCESS delivers top-tier, state-of-the-art care, and you’re paying for a level of skill, technology, and availability that few places offer. For anyone who wants the best possible outcome for their pet, especially in an emergency, ACCESS Pasadena is absolutely worth it. Highly recommended — this hospital is a lifesaver. ?

Can you imagine a vet assistant telling you “your cat is highly likely to diet tonight “ when you refuse to pay $5000 for 24 hours hospitalization and want to take your cat home? If you want to experience this situation, just take your pet here and try their emotional and financial blackmail. I can’t imagine in what world would some professional vet assistant want your money so much that they can say everything to scare you to pay crazy money for over medical treatment. Plus, my cat is not dying, just pressure reaction after a pet grooming and breathing quickly. This vet refused to give her blood test or xray, insisting to let her hospitalization. Fortunately the doctor is not totally heartless and gives some medication to my cat. I took her home and made appointment with her regular vet, turns out she does have some heart issues but not going to kill her immediately like the assistant said. This vet is unethical, because they know people can do anything for their pets and they’re using it to make unethical money. I would suggest you avoid this place at all costs.

We came in around 2 am for a dog emergency. Over the phone I was told a 3-4 hour wait, but when we showed up we were seen immediately Unfortunately, it was not a good visit because we had to put her down because realistically our dog was 16 and a half and had several problems. When the doctor came in, I can tell she was crying which meant it was not good news. We definitely felt the empathy and know they really care about pets here. Won't be getting any pets soon, but will definitely keep them in mind if we do. Screw Flanders.

I’ve been taking my dog to Access for at least a couple years now, and this recent year since my dog is a fairly complicated senior, he has check ups there every 3 months or so. The admin at Access is horrible and communication is poor and has been this way for a long time now with no improvements. The only reason we stayed so long is because we trusted the doctor my dog saw here. Unfortunately, for the last year or more, any appointment beyond just having standard bloodwork ran takes 3-4 hours to complete - no exaggeration. The staff never acknowledged or apologize for the long appointment times. At our last appointment I asked for an ETA and I was told I couldn’t have one, which means you’re stuck in their building waiting on stand by. My dog was prescribed an inhaler for a coughing issue by his doctor at access a while ago. Recently while we were out of state he was having a coughing fit that was not improving. When I called the department for help they refused to give any insight on how to simply make him comfortable while we were still waiting on answers from a local vet. Later I found out he could have benefited from a humidifier, nebulizer and increase of his inhaler use all of which I feel they could have told me on the phone. I dont expect a diagnosis over the phone without them seeing my dog but advice on how to keep him comfortable in the meantime seems like a reasonable ask considering he’s being seen at their clinic for this issue. I texted the department explaining the situation that I just want advice on how to keep him comfortable while tests are still being ran and I was ignored. When I called, the department refused to speak to me relaying rude messages to the receptionist like, “she needs to see a primary vet” (which I had explained I had already done - twice - and had their records submitted to them). They also told the receptionist “we already spoke to her” when I called. I’ve called ACCESS twice to discuss this matter, no one called me back. I called again and spoke to a night manager who assured me she’d call on Monday and she never did. I’ve already discussed the long wait times with management a year ago and nothing has changed. The front desk is usually cold and apathetic at best, or sometimes just downright rude. Ultimately this place seems simply too busy to care, even with their new private ownership.

My senior (14 year old) Chihuahua mix was crying in pain, stumbling, and acting confused. My husband and I brought her into ACCESS at the recommendation of our regular vet. While the staff is friendly I was not impressed with our overall experience. The staff members I spoke with seemed to not know much about what was going on when I asked about my pet. A number of tests were run on her and she was clearly in pain when she was brought in and the vet noted she has severe hip dysplasia and joint disease, but no pain medication was given while she was there. I was told to not even start the at home pain medication until the evening, but I requested she be given a pain shot while at ACCESS. The person who returned her to us seemed to think she was just anxious while she yelped loudly (she was basically screaming and she has never done this before other than today which was part of why we brought her in). At my insistence she was given the shot. Although ACCESS is just five minutes from my home, I won't be returning for any future emergencies.

If I could give this place no stars I would, worst experience!!! Called to confirm if they do emergency c section on frenchies. I spoke to Gaby. Our frenchie had a puppy stuck coming out. She said yes they do to come in. Unfortunately the first puppy passed away. We arrived around 7:40pm and my dog ended up needed emergency surgery. Everything was paid for in advance like they ask for. We waited about 2hrs knowing our dog had a puppy stuck. Just for them to come back and tell us their on call doctor wasn’t answering and we had to drive to Culver City so they could perform the surgery on my dog. We had to transport my dog like this at 1am. All for access in Culver City to let me know they were having problems recieving the funds from access in Pasadena! We lost 3 puppies because of their lack of urgency and my dog now has an infection with an open wound and will need surgery AGAIN. We are down $10k and now will need to pay another 2k to close up her wound!!!! Think before coming here. They do NOT care about ur pets they care about ur money!!!

Our experience with ACCESS Pasadena and their Neurology/Neurosurgery department was excellent from start to finish. At a really scary time for our dog and family they took excellent care of us at each step from initial evaluation, follow-up, clear and fast communication, surgery, hospitalization, and post-op. Our experience with the Neurology team consisting of Dr. Tauro, Jessica, and Michael was fantastic. They listened to our concerns and spent so much time explaining options and caring for our dog. Dr. Tauro thoroughly went through medical vs. surgical treatment for our frenchie's IVDD. When we first elected for conservative management she followed up frequently via phone call every few days to ask how he was doing and helped adjust his regimen and answer questions extensively. When he was not progressing with medical management, we decided to further discuss and employ surgical management with Dr. Tauro. She was always caring and never pushed us in either direction - always letting us guide our dog's management with her expert opinion. Jessica was also in frequent communication with us and was kind and caring throughout each visit and virtual communication. The surgery went well and we received multiple update calls from the hospital about our dog over the nights he stayed in the hospital. Each step was very transparent with an open line of communication regarding procedures and costs along the way. Our overall experience with ACCESS Pasadena was excellent and we are so grateful for their genuine, efficient, and effective care for our baby. Our family highly recommends ACCESS Pasadena to any fellow pet owners who want the best support for their pet in a time of medical need.

I brought my cat in for severe anemia, and Dr. Tracy’s only recommendation was three blood transfusions and a three-day hospital stay costing around $10,000 with no guarantee it would work. When I asked about more affordable options, I was bluntly told there were none and that my cat would likely bleed out if I didn’t at least try . The way this was delivered left me feeling hopeless and I was seriously pushed toward euthanizing my cat because they made it seem like there was no hope and no other way forward. Until I decided to take my cat home and got a second opinion at Dr. Domotor’s Animal Hospital the next day . They immediately suggested a steroid treatment to help her blood levels. Two weeks later, my cat is healthy and back to normal and the medicine almost around $41 which is crazy to think about how affordable it was that fixed my cat with just medicine and I didn’t need to spend 10k ! Also it’s incredibly upsetting that the first clinic offered no alternatives. It felt like they cared more about money than actually helping my pet.

I know a lot of people online warn against Access, but honestly, my experience with the Pasadena location was very positive. Yes — it’s expensive. I don’t have pet insurance and ended up spending over $10,000. But my cat Bobo needed surgery urgently, and this was the only place I fully trusted. Every staff member I interacted with — from the front desk to the nurses and doctors — was incredibly kind, professional, and thorough. They explained every step of the treatment plan and were transparent about all the risks, which made a stressful situation much easier to manage. The hospital itself is also very clean and modern — it honestly felt more like a human hospital than a vet clinic. Working with them was a smooth, reassuring experience despite the high cost. If you’re in an emergency and budget isn’t the top priority, I would definitely recommend Access Pasadena. It’s not cheap, but in my experience, it’s a trustworthy and compassionate place.

I can't begin to share the quality of care that I received regardless of the horrifying outcome of making the most difficult decision that I had to make as a 4legged mom to say good bye to my loving Charlie, but I would love to share how everyone at the Access pet hospital treated me and my angel from the minute I walked in with Charlie throughout the evening, which it didn't end well for me. The veterinarian and every single staff member were professional, compassion, thoughtful, and ethical. I was supported emotionally and spiritually ✨️ to be able to make the right decision ? for my baby love ❤️. The veterinarian had a chance to give me false hope to encourage me to spend more money by hospitilizing Charlie, but she was completely honest and extremely ethical to guide me to make ? the right decision. I am grateful ? ? for the outmost professional services by most caring staff. I am also thankful that this hospital took very care of me, and they didn't take advantage of me at the most vulnerable time in my life. I have been at the most unethical emergency hospital called Beverly Oaks Animal Hospital in Sherman Oaks, where I spent more money to bring my sick dog home with excruciating pain ? all night. I hope more people reach out to Access Emergency Pet Hospital to receive the best care for their pets and themselves. Thank you, Access Hospital in Passedena, for taking care of My love ? Charlie and I, during the most difficult time. I couldn't have gone through it without your help. ??? As you see in the attached photo taken from Charlie's room, there is a heart ❤️ ? above on the right-hand side. These wonderful and loving staff go out of their way to make the patient and his or her parent feel loved and supported. God bless every single employee, including their professional and ethical veterinarians who work very hard to save our 4legged angels ?.

They saved my dogs life twice this week :( was very quick, very professional, and realistic. Inside is really nice! Shout out to jasmin, Dr Cole, Dr Wong!

I really loved this clinic, they helped my cat cross the rainbow bridge in the best way possible for his situation. We spent about 3 hours, uninterrupted to say goodbye and the vet offered a solution to hopefully not let him pass out be in too much pain before the rest of our family arrived. Rondo was absolutely everything to us and it seems they understood that. I requested to see him as he was stabilized in the back, they gladly let us in to pet him and talk to him. I also requested if they could get his whiskers after along with another set of pawpad prints and his nose. They put the whiskers tied in a little string with the bags of clippings of fur which were all free keepsakes, and really priceless. They didn't tell us though that if he had another seizure in there they can give him more medicine into his IV. He had about 3 more seizures in the exam room as my dad and sister weren't ready to let go of him. When it came time to push the button, the vet was kind and explained the process calmly and professionally and let us hold him after he was gone. The total was about $1k for a goodbye and have him live just a little longer for us to be ready. It's a miracle my dad was able to afford it all upfront as they have no payment plans. I'm glad he's not suffering anymore.

So picked up a new Cane Corso puppy today. Called in to Access urgent Care because she was having diarrhea. They asked me to come in and pull into slot number 10. Waited for a few minutes till somebody came out who gave me a patient form to fill out which I did in minutes. Took them another 12 minutes before they came out to get it and asked me to wait out in the parking lot with my 4-month-old puppy. Said it could possibly be parvo. It was 86° today and the poor dog was hyperventilating in the Sun, as was I. They made us wait 40 minutes in the hot sun next to our truck and no one ever came out to check on us. I have never been treated like this, when I finally went inside and ask for my paperwork, they acted like they didn't care. Three or four vehicles pulled up and someone came out to attend them. All of which had no appointments because they asked and I overheard. Makes no sense why I was treated so horribly with my little puppy. I highly doubt I will return to this clinic. I highly recommend that you asked about waiting times as well as whether or not you will be helped.

This review is for Sarah, I believe she’s a tech here at Access Pasadena. I’ve been here many times and I always notice that Sarah goes above and beyond doing her job. She stands out positively and does everything with a smile. Thank you for helping our Lucky! Thank you for all that you do each day for pet owners. Your compassion for pet owners and their pets is something you should be proud of.