Horizon Animal Hospital

We are snow birds from Chicago coming to AZ for 12 years. Horizon is by far the best . We recently had to put our 14 year old Malti Poo down my best buddy. The kindness, compassion and overall care during this time was exceptional. Dr Penn and the entire group are definitely top notch. We have had dogs our entire life and have visited many Vets never found a better place than Horizon. Thank you again to the entire staff.

Hello everybody my name is Louie I'm a pussycat, I wasn't feeling well so we went over to Horizon Animal Hospital, when we went in Brook and Dazie were having their lunch the moment the saw us they stopped eating and help us out now that was impressive I would not stop eating my lunch for anything. After Brook and Dazie we saw Allison and Dr. Scharrer, just as nice and professional, I just wanted everyone to know how happy I am that I went to Horizon Animal Hospital. PS my dad thinks you all are pretty neat too Thank you again Louie

Very happy with Horizon Animal Hospital! We have three Boxers that have been going to Horizon for aeveral years now. We have seen different doctors there and they have all been great! Recently we had to have a leg amputated on our oldest boy, Django. Dr. Penn and he took excellent care of him and we couldn't be happier with the service and the staff. Thank you all at Horizon!

Dr Patterson brings experience and highest quality care and education to each appt. The office itself offers a loving, safe environment for pets and is gorgeous and accommodating for pet and owner. Office staff are organized and efficient, and communications are remarkable. You can buy top quality food and supplies including medications and preventative healthcare treatments. Any pet is privileged to be part of this wonderful family at Horizon. I would not believe any bad review of this business, and question the authenticity. Thank you Dr Patterson and all the staff for being there whenever we need you. We appreciate you all so much ❤️❤️❤️

Dr Patteson did an incredible job cleaning our 13 year old Chihuahua's teeth. We are concerned about sedating her at this age. Dr Patterson did an incredible job. She is friendly professional, and compassionate. Highly recommend Dr Patterson and Horizon for taking care of animals, especially seniors. They not only take care of the problem they also truly care about the animal. Her teeth look amazing, a huge thank you to Dr Wendy Patterson.

!!!!!!!!! ******* Absolute horrific experience with Dr.Carey who showed zero competence and consideration for my dogs well-being. Traumatized my dog not once, but twice while administering a simple injection. Owner was in the room and I cant imagine how she treats animals behind a closed door when owners are not around.

Response:
How unprofessional this establishment is becomes clear in your response. It’s accusatory, dismissive, and shows zero accountability. Rather than making false claims and inventing a story, did it occur to you that my name is Lily because I am NOT Valerie? I am a concerned family member and co-owner of the dog, and I’m appalled by the way our family pet was treated. I have every right to leave a negative review based on how you treat your clients.

THE WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD AT A VET CLINIC

My dog has been a patient at this clinic long before I rescued him from owners who abandoned him. I continued coming here for consistency, even though I don’t live in the US year-round. Today’s visit for his monthly arthritis injection was the last straw.

First, the tech (Alison) attempted to take his temperature anally. She couldn’t get a reading the first time, and my dog began hiding. She tried again while I held him. Again the thermometer didn’t pick up the temperature. She held it anally for 7–10 seconds, causing him even more distress. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning.

Then the vet, Dr. Shannon Carey, entered. Her “exam” consisted of briefly looking at his eyes and teeth—nothing else. She didn’t ask a single question about his joints, his arthritis, or his current condition. We were there for an arthritis shot, and she didn’t examine him for it.

I explained clearly that my dog always receives this injection in his leg at another clinic, under the skin, where he never feels any pain. She ignored this completely. Instead, she proceeded to stabhim in the right front paw/shoulder area without asking the tech or me to hold him. She pulled the skin but then inserted the needle straight in horizontally, which very likely hit the muscle. My dog let out a screams I’ve never heard before. This is a dog who has had these injections for months without any issue and never vocalizes.

He ran behind me shaking. At no point did Dr. Carey apologize, express concern, or show any empathy. Instead, she turned to the tech and said, “I need to finish the needle; I didn’t get it all in.”

Horrified, I told her not to inject the same spot again and asked her to do the leg as usual. She ignored me again and simply told the tech to hold him. My dog, already terrified, tried to wiggle away. And unbelievably, she stabbed the exact same spot a 2nd time—again causing him to scream in agony. Terrorized and traumatized my dog jolted towards me for safety.

Again, no apology, no acknowledgment, only excuses: “Every dog reacts differently,” “maybe it’s the medication,” “it’s different every time,” etc. Not once did she take responsibility or attempted empathy for the dog. She simply left the room.

Afterward, I asked the tech, at least 5 different times, who in the clinic had more experience with injections so I could request them next time. She refused to answer, repeating only, “We are all competent and trained.” What I had just witnessed was anything but competent and I told her that.

When I went to pay, a loud woman—presumably the office manager—opened the door and shouted my full name across the waiting room with other people there, in an unprofessional, school-principal tone. When I stepped in, she immediately said, “You were very rude to our staff, and for that reason we are terminating our services with you.” She never asked me what happened, never listened to one word. Astonished at the rudeness, I left.

The level of incompetence, lack of empathy, and dismissiveness I experienced is unfathomable. My sweet rescue dog was traumatized—twice—within minutes. I fear this will set the stage for his extreme fear onwards. If this is how they behave with the owner in the room, I shudder to imagine how they treat animals when the owner isn’t present.

This clinic showed me three levels of disaster: an unskilled tech, an unprofessional manager, and a vet whose actions caused extreme and unnecessary pain. She should have her license stripped!!! Save yourself and your pet from this kind of trauma. Go somewhere competent and human.

What a disaster!

Technician staff are well trained, helpful and empathetic. Horizon's support when our geriatric cat was very ill met the highest caliber of professionalism. The hospital itself is clean and roomy with many exam rooms.
Knowledgeable veterinarians who take the time to explain their findings, lay out options with pros & cons of each. They partner with the pet owners to ensure that the patients receive the very best outcomes.
Horizon Animal Hospital has been a great resource to us. They helped us meet the changing needs of an aging pet, and also helped us learn how to properly care for kittens. If you're looking for animal care in the Scottsdale area, you can't go wrong with Horizon Animal Hospital.

If I could give zero stars, I would. It has taken me months to find the strength to write this, but after processing everything that happened with Dr. Penn and his office, I feel it’s important to share. I would never want another family to go through the pain and trauma we experienced.

We lost our sweet Golden Retriever, Leia, after a terrible experience with Dr. Penn at Horizon Animal Hospital. We went to him specifically for an ultrasound, hoping to get answers about Leia’s vomiting. Instead, he gave us vague results and immediately pushed for surgery. When we said we wanted a second opinion, he got aggressive and warned that waiting could kill her—pressuring us into saying yes. In a panic, we said yes, and it was the worst choice I could ever make.

After the surgery, Dr. Penn told us the findings were inconclusive and casually admitted he did not even finish the procedure himself—it had been handed off to someone else. We were shocked. We assumed Leia would stay overnight, but only then were we told Horizon doesn’t offer overnight care. He recommended we transfer her to a third-party ICU but insisted we pick her up before 5 PM when they closed. On our way there, we got two calls from his office pushing us to hurry.

When we arrived, Leia was unconscious, unbandaged, covered in dried blood, and barely hanging on. There were no real instructions—just a rushed handoff with her on a stretcher, loaded into our car. She died three days later from sepsis. The ICU hospital confirmed her surgical site was not closed properly.

While we were at the ICU, another animal arrived in almost the same condition—also from Dr. Penn office. I can only pray that the dog survived.

We believe Dr. Penn is a butcher who cares more about money than the animals he treats. We deeply regret not looking into the complaints already filed against him with the AVMA.

We love Horizon Animal Hospital and have been clients of their team for over 10 years. Whenever I call with a question or concern involving our Golden Retriever, Charlotte, I never feel rushed or not listened to by their staff. The doctors and technicians genuinely care, are not panicky, are honest and forthright with their care. As long as we live in the area, we will always bring our pets to Horizon.