Ace Animal Hospital

I wouldn’t give this place one star! They are not thorough what so ever after surgery. Our poor baby went there for a minor procedure. We had to take him back three days after the surgery when he was urinating dark blood which they said all was fine but didn’t do any tests, just visual. Two days later our baby died from a blood clot in his stomach and ultimately went in to cardiac arrest! This was a simple procedure to remove a gallbladder stone. Had they took the time to properly evaluate the poor baby he probably would have been alive still.

I just want to give another review of Ace Animal Hospital. I’ve been bringing my dog here for about 3 – 4 years after moving to Chicago from the burbs. I usually see Dr. Dougherty who is great as my other review states. However, today I saw Dr. Wallery because he was out of town. She’s is also really great at explaining everything — I always have an insatiable appetite to want to understand how things happen and what is going on with her. I like to watch all the tests — sometimes I wish I was a vet at times. However, I don’t have the mental stamina to deal with that. :-) I just find they are very thorough and patient and you never feel rushed. They really care about pets.

I’ve been taking my pets to Ace for over a decade now. The staff members are so friendly and truly caring people. If you are looking for a place where the veterinarians are gentle and knowledgable, look no further.

This place has the most caring doctors and employees that I have ever been to. I started taking my dog here because we lived just a few blocks away. Since then I have relocated to the Edgewater area and this clinic is very much out of the way be we continue to take my doggie to Ace Animal Hospital.
The people here are so kind. They remember everything about my dog when I come in. They always ask how we are doing. My dog has hip dyspasia, and Maureen actually came out to my car to give him his shot once because he had difficulty walking. I cannot express in words how grateful I am that this place exists.

We love it here. We have taken both of our dogs here over the years and feel like they are in great care.
I would highly recommend ace for your pets

I’m so glad I found this place. I am a former portage animal hospital/​Banfield/​Chicago Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center customer. The staff at Ace are amazingly sweet, kind and patience. They helped me so much with my baby’s (pet) needs. I was desperate for an answer and a solution after dealing and trying everything and everywhere else with his health problems for 3yrs straight. I was desperate and heartbroken and I needed help and I found that here. They are not super fancy but the service and genuine care for the animals is above and beyond and that’s what matters to me. The prices are affordable and very reasonable. I like that they have parking and that the staff listens to any ideas or concerns about treatment. They understand that you are your pets advocator and they include you in the treatment process and answers any questions and are willing to consider any ideas for treatment you may have. They explain everything so you can be a better caregiver to your pet. My baby is so much better/​happier. The meds and food he needs to stay healthy I get through Ace. I just call and Maureen takes my order and the same day or a few days later it’s there. No they don’t take appointments and you may have to wait a little but the wait it not bad or long. I have told other friends of this place because for me I won’t be going anywhere else.

The best! They are so affordable, convenient (with parking lot), knowledgable, nice and most importantly, SO CARING! They are also really good at getting you in for an appointment last minute, and they take walk ins! Highly recommend!

I have three cats and I started coming here a year ago after I moved to the area. I fostered 2 kittens from Paws Chicago and one of the kittens had severe upper respiratory issues. She had to have her eyes removed due to ulcers forming on her eyes. Once I adopted them both, I had to find somewhere that would handle my baby girl with much care since she is a special needs kitty! They have a nice quaint facility for the city. They treat you amazingly and they try everything they can to make your animal comfortable. My kitty started to freak out because of the dogs in the waiting area, so they let her go into the office area to stay until she had her checkup! Couldn’t ask for a better hospital.

I have taken my dogs to Ace for many years now — They were referred by many of my doggy friends. as I was unhappy with the vet’s down the street in Portage Park — they seemed only to care about money, unnecessary test etc… and not my dogs– Dr. Dougherty has been my dogs vet… He has been good with all our dogs and the staff is first rate. I found Dr. Dougherty to be caring, sensitive, empathetic and appreciate his expertise, professionalism, honesty and integrity — He really cares about animals and does not do unnecessary test — more reasonably priced. We had to make some tough decisions when putting Maggie down our Brittany — Dr. Dougherty was very sensitive but told it was in Maggie’s best interest to put her down — I feel good that we did because she was in pain and I trust Dr. Dougherty’s opinion.
Just last week our little Maltese — Yorkie had gotten through the closed front decorative gate– someone dismantled the secured wood and screened area on the gate so she could not get through. Since it was taken apart She ran right through the gate and was hit by a car and died within 5 minutes. I brought her to Ace and I cannot tell you how empathetic and caring they were w for us and Teenie. When I brought her in I was not sure if she was alive or dead. They insured me that she had a major head injury and felt no pain. Thank you again Ace for having the best Veterinarians and Staff that I have ever come across. I would highly recommend Ace for any of your pets.

Dr. Dougherty is definitely the best vet in the City. Although he had to give us some bad news this time, I appreciate that he was honest and didn’t try to sell us a bunch of unnecessary tests and treatment that would not save our cat’s life anyway (which is what our prior vet tried to do).
Very reasonably priced. I actually prefer not needing an appointment. Everyone who works there is very pleasant. I would recommend Ace to my friends and family without a second thought.

My Husband and I love Ace! We take out little long haired Chihuahua here. We have never been to a vet that know our dog by name when we walk in and remember everything about him. They genuinely care about the animals they treat. Our dog is prone to catching colds and stomach bugs and they always have him feeling better in a day or two. The walk in appointments are so convienent because you don’t have to worry about not getting an appointment if its an emergency and we have never had to wait more than five minutes to be seen. We made the mistake of signing up or Banfield who gave our poor dog three vaccines at once even after we questioned them if was safe. He had a terrible reaction but thankfully Ace Animal Hospital was there. We called, and the front desk lady said she would call back after talking to the doctor, five minuntes later they called back and told us everything that banfield should have told us and are helping our baby to feel better. we have nothing but good things to say about Ace and strongly recommend this place :))

I saw a lot of great reviews on Unilocal and this place is only a few blocks from where I lived so I decided to give them a try. I won’t be back unless I have an emergency.
First of all, they do not take appointments which might be great if your animal has an emergency but really doesn’t work so well if you’re just taking your pet in for shots. I had a morning off from work so I took my cat in for her yearly exam. We arrived 20 or 30 min after the clinic opened and still had a wait time of nearly an hour. The vet was with my cat for less than five minutes and then I had to wait longer to pay my bill. Everything about this place seemed inefficient. I cannot imagine what the wait time would be like in the afternoon/​evening or on a Saturday.
The wait might not have bothered me if I didn’t have to be at work later or if my cat wasn’t so scared. She hates being in her carrier and shakes and cries and makes herself sick. On top of that, the waiting room is very small. Some dog owners were not very attentive and their dogs were sniffing/​trying to get at my cat’s carrier which only made my cat more upset. If your animal spooks easily, this not an ideal situation.
When we finally got into to see the doctor, my cat started coughing. A nurse asked if she was sick and needed antibiotics. I explained it was just her nerves. One of the nurses was very sympathetic about the wait and acknowledged that it is hard on some pets but the other nurse in the room was more gruff and just told me I have to get used to waiting because they do not take appointments.
The vet was fine. The support staff were nice except for the one gruff nurse. They are very cheap. None of that is a problem. If you’re not on a schedule and have a mellow pet, maybe this place works for you.

Love them! They are reasonable and caring. My cats have always gotten great care here. I don’t hesitate to take them in if I am worried about something, I know I won’t be ripped off.
The spay and neuter price is very good, hint: go in February when the city pays $ 40 towards the procedure!!!
Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Wallery both have a calm demeanor even when the cats are not being helpful. Since coming here though, mostly my cats have been calm and relatively patient during the poking and proding. Which is a nice change from them freaking out!
No appointments are necessary and they take you in the order you arrived, unless of course an emergency comes in — but hey I’d want to be taken right away if I have an emergency too, so turnabout is fairplay. Plus I can’t stand to see those babies in pain!
I usually go early if it is just for their yearly visit. I don’t think I have ever waited in total, with the examination more than 30 minutes total.

After visiting an emergency vet, where i was told my feline friend would need a $ 1600 procedure that i could not afford, i followed up with my vet at Ace today, where i was assurred that my furry friend needed a course of antibiotics and a prescription diet, and that the procedures they wanted to do at the ER were frivilous and unnecessary. The décor at ACE reminds me of a country doctors office. They are old school and do not have fancy equiptment, but the quality of the service outshines any office adorned with flat screen TVs and hi-​tec machines. I feel like this place might be overlooked by many– but I am happy to be a supporter of this locally owned and operated business. They will not take you to the cleaners with overpriced fees. They are reasonable and understand that not all pet owners are made out of money.

My wife and I have visited several veterinarians in Chicago and the suburbs, but nobody has cared for our little Banks like Dr. Dougherty. What we love most about Dr. Dougherty is how carefully he listens to us when we bring in our guy for a checkup — he takes everything into account, and doesn’t immediately turn to pharmaceuticals before exploring all less-​invasive options. He has a very gentle nature and puts our dog at ease, no small feat. He seems to know about everything, including our little dog’s rare liver condition. And just earlier this week, when we woke up to find our little guy with a swollen snout and took him in to Ace, Dr. Dougherty recognized that he needed to have some teeth pulled due to an abscess and needed the work done right away; so rather than take some time off as he had planned that day, he undertook the procedure right away! Along with Dr. Dougherty, the staff of Ace is all very helpful and friendly and clearly loving of animals. I can’t speak to Dr. Waller, as we and our little Bankies have grown attached to Dr. Dougherty, but I’ve heard wonderful things about her as well. Finally, if price is important to you, I can say that the prices at Ace are at or below any we’ve found anywhere else in the city.

I decided to bring my cat here after reading reviews on Unilocal.The people are very nice and show lots of compassion. The office is very out dated and has a dirty look due to an update being needed. After weighing everything out. I’d rather take my cat to a compassionate place rather than a fancy showplace .This place is the best!

Everyone here is very nice, and you can tell they all really do love animals. My cat Shadow is usually very skiddish around people she doesnt know, but every time we come here she is very well mannered and not scared. She probably senses that none of them would hurt her. She is my baby and I trust her with Ace Animal Hospital! The last vet I went to always seemed to want to inject our animals with weird vaccinations that cost a fortune, but the vets at Ace are always honest and tell you the truth on what your animals really need. I have never had any issues here, so I will continue going!

This is the best veterinary clinic around! I’ve never taken any of my pets anywhere else. Everyone is so kind, caring and friendly. My cat, Seamus, is on a prescription diet. Every time I call ahead to make sure they have cat food for me to pick up, Maureen always recognizes my voice!
When I need to bring Seamus in for his yearly checkup and shots, everyone gives Seamus so much love, attention and pets. They really do treat your pet as if it were their own. Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Wallery are so knowledgeable and nice. They are happy to explain, in plain English, anything that isn’t clear or that I didn’t understand.
I can’t say enough good things about this clinic! The only (slight) issue, is that they do not take appointments. It is first come first serve. The wait isn’t usually unbearable, but if you do have a time crunch, call ahead to see if there is a wait, or to find out when there’s an off peak time.

Great customer service, great prices and very quick!
I will now be taking my dog here for all his needs, this place has to be one of the most friendly vet’s that i have went to by far and a very clean place.
They do have a parking lot and plenty of street parking!

A friend recommended Ace when we brought our 11 week old Boxer home. When we went in for shots, everyone seemed nice and pleasant enough.
The real test was when my puppy developed some pretty serious health issues a couple of weeks ago– dramatic weight loss, diarrhea, lack of appetite, eye infections… it all came up suddenly. Dr. Wallery was an angel. The care she took in treating our puppy and in explaining everything to me was amazing.
We’ve since been back for three more follow up appointments (additional testing, a chance in meds, weight gain check ins, etc), and we’ve worked with Dr Dougherty now, too. I trust both Drs 100% with my puppy, as well as the kind nurses and office staff.
The charges for visits and meds are definitely lower than other vets in the area. Even if they were higher, I’d come back here to continue working with Dr Wallery and Dr Dougherty– wonderful vets.