Our Policies

Building a Collaborative and Compassionate Environment

At our clinic, we are committed to creating a space where pets, clients, and staff feel safe, heard, and respected. Mutual respect is the foundation of the relationship we strive to build with every pet owner. When we treat one another with respect, we can work together to provide the best possible care for your pet.

• Treat all clients, pets, and visitors with compassion, dignity, and respect
• Communicate clearly, honestly, and promptly about your pet’s heath, treatment options, and care needs
• Listen actively to your concerns, questions, and feedback
• Create a welcoming and non-judgmental environment, regardless of background, financial situation, or medical decisions you make for your pet

• Treat our veterinarians and team members with courtesy and respect
• Speak and act in a calm, respectful demeanor
• Communicate openly about your pet’s condition, your expectations, and any financial concerns
• Be patient with our team during busy times or emergencies, as we work diligently to care for each patient
• Follow clinic policies and treatment recommendations to the best of your ability, and ask questions when clarification is needed.
• Understand that our staff is human, and mistakes, though rare, may happen. We are committed to resolving any concerns professionally and compassionately.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for:

• Name calling or verbal abuse
• Harassment or intimidation
• Discrimination of any kind
• Aggression or threats
• Bullying
• Disruptive, rude, or disrespectful behavior

Any Violation of this policy may result in the termination of the VCPR. In such cases, we will provide medical records and care on an emergency basis for 30 days following the separation.

Thank you for being part of our clinic, and for choosing and trusting us to provide care for your furry family.

Professional guidelines and State Law require that we must have a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) in order to prescribe any medications or prescription diets, perform any services or treatments, or administer vaccines. A valid VCPR requires that your pet be seen in our office, annually, for a wellness exam performed by the doctor.

For the safety of all pets and people, all dogs must be on a leash at all times and properly controlled while outside, in the waiting area or exam rooms.

All cats must be secure in a carrier or on a leash.

If you do not have a leash, please contact us before entering the building and we will happily provide you with one.

We are a family-friendly establishment! But, if you are arriving with children, we kindly ask that they remain supervised at all times. For everyone’s safety, please use extreme caution when allowing children to interact with other pets in the lobby or outside, as animals can be unpredictable in unfamiliar environments.

If your pet is too stressed, fearful, or in pain to be safely examined or undergo a procedure, we may require that your pets appointment be rescheduled. In that case, we’ll work with you to discuss options to reduce stress and anxiety or pain, and together we’ll create a plan to help encourage a more positive experience for your pet at their next visit. Medications or sedation may be recommended.

For pets younger than seven years old with no chronic illnesses, we recommend annual wellness examinations to maintain their health and catch any potential issues early.

Pets aged seven years or older are considered senior pets. For them, we recommend bi-annual examinations to better monitor age-related changes and ensure early intervention when needed.

To uphold our commitment to a high standard of care, all pets with chronic illnesses, medical conditions, or those on long-term medications, bi-annual exams are required in order to continue medication refills and ongoing care.

We maintain a well-stocked in-house pharmacy and are able to fill most prescriptions within two business day. To ensure timely processing, we kindly ask that you submit refill request at least 48 hours in advance.

Please note:

• This policy does not apply to preventative medications such as Heartgard, NexGard, Bravecto, or Revolution.
• Occasionally, medications may be temporarily out of stock or on manufacturer backorder. In such cases, refill processing may be delayed. If a medication is on backorder, the doctor will review your pet’s medical chart to determine whether an appropriate alternative is available.
• Special order or compounded medications, which are processed through an outside pharmacy, may take 3-7 business days to arrive. We place all special-order medication request on Tuesdays. In urgent cases, we can place an order on a different day; however, an additional fee may apply.
• For walk-in or same-day refill request, a $5.00 processing fee will apply.
• Some prescription medications require that patients be up to date on specific services, such as bloodwork or heartworm testing. These protocols are in place as part of our commitment to providing safe, high-quality healthcare for all of our patients.

We are happy to provide you with a written prescription upon request at the time of an exam.

Please note:

• All written prescriptions must be requested and issued at the time of an exam
• We do not approve prescriptions via fax or email, and we do not contact outside pharmacies on your behalf (including calling, faxing or emailing prescriptions).

We truly enjoy seeing you and your pet in person! Picking up refills in clinic gives us the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with you. We also encourage you to bring your pet along for a quick, low-stress visit even if it’s just to say “Howdy!” While they are here, we can also do a friendly weight check and record it into their medical history. Oh – and let’s not forget, we have tasty treats for our furry friends!

These casual visits can go a long way by helping build positive associations with the clinic, which helps make future appointments easier and more enjoyable for your pet.

If your pet refuses to eat their new food or stops eating their current food, we accept returns of both opened and unopened bags of Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Diet products.

All qualifying returns will be issued as a clinic credit only and refunds will not be processed back to the original form of payment.

For food purchases made online through the Hill’s to Home platform, returns must be made through them by calling their customer support team at 1-800-235-6877.

Our prescription medications are regulated by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and are subject to the same laws and regulations as human pharmacies. In accordance with FDA Compliance Policy Guideline 7132.09, we cannot legally accept returned prescription medications, open or unopened, therefore we are unable to issue any refunds.  There is no exception to this rule.

Late Arrivals

We make every effort to be on time for your appointment, and we kindly ask for the same mutual respect. Late arrivals can significantly disrupt our workflow causing delays, often affecting the entire day’s schedule and other patient appointments.

To ensure fairness to all our clients we have implemented the following guidelines for late arrivals.

• Arrivals 5-15 minutes late will be treated as a work-in appointment (if our schedule allows), which may result in an additional charge.
• Arrivals more than 15 minutes late requires the appointment to be rescheduled. A rescheduling fee may apply and must be paid prior to booking the new appointment.

This policy helps us offer timely care to all our patients and keep our schedule running smoothly.

Cancellation Policy

We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel or reschedule, we ask that you give us at least 24 hours’ notice.

• Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice may be subject to a cancellation fee.
• Repeated no-shows or late cancellations may require pre-payment to schedule future appointments.

This policy allows us to accommodate other pets in need of care by opening up appointment slots in a timely manner.

We require full payment at the time services are rendered. We accept cash, all major credit/debit cards, and checks. Checks will only be accepted from established clients.

We also accept CareCredit and Scratch Pay.

CareCredit is a credit card issued by Synchrony Bank for healthcare related expenses (human or pet). To apply or for more information visit https://www.carecredit.com/.

Scratch Pay is a loan service offered exclusively for veterinary services. Scratch Pay often approves applicants with less-than-perfect credit. To apply or for more information visit https://scratchpay.com/ .

By providing your email address to FPC, you consent to its use for purposes such as communicating with you about your pet’s health, responding to inquiries, processing payments, and sending appointment reminders, updates, and promotional materials.

We may also share your email address, phone number, and/or address with a limited number of our trusted partners who assist us in delivering these communications and services. These partners are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and use it only for authorized purposes.

You can opt out of promotional emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the message or by contacting us directly. Please note, unsubscribing may also result in the loss of important reminders about your pet’s upcoming services, essential announcements, or other clinic updates.

For the privacy and protection of our patients and their owners, FPC does not release medical records, patient or client information to callers who are not affiliated with another veterinary clinic unless we have received explicit consent from the owner listed on the account.

If you are requesting records for personal use, third-party services, or any non-veterinary purpose, the account holder must provide written or verbal authorization before any information can be shared.

This policy helps us ensure compliance with confidentiality standards and protect the privacy of our clients and their pets.