Once you become a client of ours - you, your family and your pet become a part of our Animal Kind family.  We are here to help!  We only want what’s best for our furry (and less furry) animal friends.  We understand modern times and ill pets can cause great stress but we ask that you show us the same respect we endeavor to show you.  Aggressive, offensive or threatening behavior will not be tolerated and we will decline to provide future services for you or your pet at Animal Kind.

We see our patients by appointment only.  We do have some reserved slots for same-day/urgent care visits. When scheduling your pets appointment please specify which doctor you would like to see and why your pet is coming in for a visit.  Appointments can be scheduled by visiting our website at www.animalkind.com , texting us at 718-832-3899, emailing us at [email protected] or calling us at 718-832-3899.    

Whenever possible, we see our clients and patients by appointment. This allows us to provide the best care. We have reserved several slots every morning for same-day/urgent care visits. Beyond that, walk-ins and emergencies may be seen as our schedule and staffing permits. We will make every attempt to accommodate our patients’ needs. Our emergency and walk-in hours do vary depending on the day, time, and how many doctors and staff members we have available. Therefore, we ask that you please call ahead. Emergency appointments will be seen as a “drop off” appointment and the patient will typically be in the hospital for at least 2-4 hours. The doctor will contact you by phone to update you on your pet’s condition as well as recommendations and costs for testing and treatment beyond the exam. In the event we are unable to see your pet for an emergency appointment that day, we can provide you with information on the options for emergency hospitals in the area and ensure they have the relevant medical records. Our experienced technicians are also available by phone to review your pet’s condition with you, help determine the urgency of the medical complaint, and schedule a next available appointment with us when appropriate.  

As we all recognize, emergencies are unplanned and unpredictable. For this reason, the occasional appointment delay is unavoidable.  Here at Animal Kind, we try our very best to adhere to your appointment time. If there happens to be a delay with your appointment, we would like to thank you for understanding and for your patience.

If you are a NEW CLIENT, we ask that you visit our website and fill out the New Client form.  Once we receive your information one of our team members will give you a call to find the best appointment time for you and your pet and take a deposit to reserve your appointment.  We also request you email all of your pet’s previous medical records (vaccine history, all medical notes, etc.) PRIOR to the day of your visit. Please send medical records to [email protected]. It is most helpful to have the full medical records, rather than just invoices – in many cases it may be easier to ask your prior veterinary clinic to send the records directly to us (again, to [email protected]). The medical records of the past 2-3 years are generally the most helpful and relevant to future care. 

If you are an existing client, please let us know if your pet has been seen at an emergency or a specialty service, or at another veterinary clinic since your last appointment with us. This will allow us time to contact the facility and obtain your pet’s records prior to the appointment.  We would also be grateful to have records sent following your pet’s care at another clinic to add to their file and update our records even if no follow up is needed. 

In order to give your pet the proper medical attention and care, and respect the time of all our clients, we ask that you arrive on time. We do have a 10 minute lateness policy; if you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your appointment, you will be asked to reschedule. 

To help remind you of your appointment, Animal Kind sends out automatic save the dates, reminders and confirmation communication.  These communications go out via email and text.  Therefore, it’s always important to inform us of any changes with your contact information.  When you schedule an appointment you will receive a Save the Date email and text message 2 hours after you schedule the appointment.  You will get an appointment reminder 3 days before your appointment via email and text.  Keep in mind you will have the option to confirm your appointment within that communication.  If you don’t confirm your appointment, you will continue to receive a reminder email/text until confirmed or  rescheduled.  The day of your pets appointment you will also receive a friendly text reminding you of your appointment time, 2 hours before your appointment.

Animal Kind understands that life gets hectic and at times it can be hard to manage scheduled events.  Being able to see your pet for their appointment is as important to us as it is to you.  If an unforeseen event arises please contact us to reschedule your appointment.  If we do not hear from you prior to the time of your appointment, it is considered a No-Show appointment.  Clients with a prior no show appointment will be required to leave a deposit for their next scheduled visit.

Animal Kind requires a deposit when scheduling certain appointments: new client, multi-pet appointments, ultrasounds, echocardiograms, surgeries, international health certificate appointments and grooming. The deposit amounts vary depending on the type of appointment. Please contact the office for the exact amount. These deposits will need to be collected upon scheduling; if you are unable to leave a deposit, we will be unable to schedule the appointment. NO EXCEPTIONS. We do understand situations may arise and you may need to reschedule your appointment/procedure.  Please contact us at least 72 hours (3 business days) prior to your appointment for a full refund of your deposit.  If you do not contact us within 72 hours of your appointment your deposit will be lost. You can contact us by calling or texting at (718) 832-3899, or emailing us at [email protected].

We regret that we are not able to schedule appointments for international health certificates if you are not a pre-existing client. We are unable to provide any guidance on timeline and requirements when we do not have complete records, vaccine history and a current physical exam. 

For International Health Certificate appointments for our patients who have been seen within the previous year, we will send out a questionnaire prior to your appointment, along with a link to the USDA APHIS site reviewing travel requirements by country. The questionnaire MUST be completed PRIOR to your appointment. We may request additional prior medical records and vaccine certificates if your record here is incomplete.  Without the necessary information, we cannot assess if your pet can meet the requirements for travel, and ensure that the travel documents can be properly filled out and endorsed within the required time frame. Your appointment may be canceled if the necessary travel information/documents are not provided, or if we determine it will not be possible to meet the travel requirements for your pet. Please also remember to check with your airline as they may have additional requirements and paperwork. We will do everything within our power to ensure your pet meets the requirements for travel and has the correct paperwork, but ultimately, as per the APHIS website, "It is the responsibility of the pet owner to make sure their pet has met the requirements of the destination country."

When you come in, we ask that you check in with the front desk. Please let the front desk know if we need to update any contact or pet information in your account.  For the safety and comfort of all our clients and patients we ask that you do not let your pets roam our lobby. We ask that all cats arrive and remain in a carrier and all dogs arrive and remain on a leash or in a carrier.

According to the laws of New York State, as well as the guidelines of the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), veterinarians must have a valid veterinary-client patient 

relationship (VCPR) in order to dispense/write prescriptions. Please keep in mind that we will not legally be able to dispense any prescriptions if the patient has not been examined by one of our veterinarians within the past 12 months.  In many patients with chronic conditions and medications, we may require an exam at minimum within 6 months. We make every attempt to accommodate the needs of our clients and care requirements of our patients. Deviations from this will be evaluated on a case by case basis.  Our doctors reserve the right to decline to refill or provide medication with or without an exam if we feel that the medication is not in the best interests of the patient.   

Please plan ahead and request medication refills at least a week before your pet's medication runs out. Please let us know when scheduling an appointment if you would like a refill at that appointment.  If you are calling or emailing us for a refill please keep in mind that we have a 48 hour turnaround time for all medications and prescriptions.  If you do not pick up your prescription within 10 days, it will be returned to stock and another medication request will have to be put in.

We have an online pharmacy that can ship medications or prescription diets directly to your address and can be set up for auto-ship on a regular schedule  https://animalkind.vetsfirstchoice.com/.  We also have a direct link on our website www.animalkind.com, or ask for more information. We work with all reputable online pharmacies to electronically authorize your pet’s refills when appropriate.  Drugs that are also used by humans may be able to be called into your personal local pharmacy if you prefer. We can provide written prescriptions on request. If you are not able to pick up the written prescription at the clinic, there will be a fee to mail the prescription via registered mail to ensure delivery.

We regret that we are not legally allowed to accept prescription returns, used drug drop offs, or used syringes if not in a Sharps container.  

We require payment in full at the time service is rendered. Please let our staff know if you would like a treatment plan prior to anything other than the exam being done to your pet. We would be more than happy to provide that to you.

We accept Cash, AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, Care Credit, Scratchpay, ApplePay and Money Orders.  Unfortunately, we do not accept personal checks.

We do not offer payment plans. Care Credit and Scratchpay both provide multi-month no-interest options for veterinary care payments.