To the One Who Left That Review: A Message from Your Veterinarian
Dr. Geoff Carullo, DVM, FPCCP, DPCVSCA
- GPH Vet Business
- 3 min read
You may be reading this because something didn’t go the way you hoped at a veterinary clinic.
Maybe you felt ignored.
Maybe you were frustrated with the outcome.
Maybe you’re grieving and trying to make sense of it all.
Or maybe—without realizing it—you left a 1-star review that now lives forever on the clinic’s page, possibly harming the very people who’ve dedicated their lives to helping animals.
Before you post another comment, kindly hear us out.
Veterinarians don’t work in air-conditioned comfort, sipping coffee and checking likes.
We:
We’re not perfect. But we are human beings doing a medical job, with all its risks, limitations, and emotional weight.
Some reviews are fair.
Many are not.
We’ve seen them all:
Sometimes, what you’re calling “bad service” was actually a vet trying to protect you, your pet, and themselves from a situation spiraling out of control.
Let us be clear: you have the right to review a service.
But when your words become:
Then it’s no longer a review.
It becomes bullying.
It can damage reputations, careers, and even lives.
If we truly failed you, we want to know. We’re open to feedback.
The best way forward?
Talk to us directly. Give us a chance to explain, correct, or make peace.
Use your voice to heal—not to destroy.
Ask yourself:
Because while we may be the subject of your review…
We’re also someone’s parent, someone’s child, someone’s partner—and someone’s reason their pet lived longer than expected.
We became vets to serve life, not to fight comment wars.
So if you’ve read this far, thank you.
Thank you for the pause.
Thank you for the empathy.
And if you’re still upset, we’re here to talk—not to argue, but to understand.
Let’s be better humans, for the sake of the animals we both love.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
