Cynthia Kienzle
My 14 y/o dog has had visible signs of heart murmur/congestive heart failure for 14 mos and was under the wonderful care of Animal Cardiology Center in Brooklyn (who believes in Entresto). I took my dog to AMC’s emergency room early morning on Feb 27, 2026 because he was coughing and his breathing was very rapid and my cardiologist’s office was closed. The first (sales) man/tech told me the testing/treatment would be $10-12K. I refused. He gave up on me.The second (sales) man/tech came in and raised it to $20K. Both were insistent that I make a decision quickly, saying my dog might otherwise die overnight. I turned him down as well. In my heart, I felt it was best to take my dog home and not ply him with more drugs and tests. AMC didn't provide any care except for an oxygen tent, and a whole lot of meds, yet charged me $1,800. Mostly AMC just argued with me. This is not my first experience with AMC. On an earlier emergency visit, the same thing happened. The (sales) woman quoted around $3K and when I balked, she brought the cost down significantly. My dog did pass away several hours after I brought him home Feb 27. My loss is unbelievably painful but I know I did the right thing by him -- letting him go peacefully at home without the poking and prodding and meds that he would have to endure at AMC overnight. He was not going to live much longer anyway. At that point, I just let nature takes its course and avoided being hoodwinked by robber bandits. Then there was the recent case of a woman I know who was taking her dog to AMC for heart disease treatment. At the last appointment, the vet (salesman) said he had noticed a gallbladder issue. He said the dog would need surgery immediately -- that day -- and quoted her an astounding $26,000. She agreed. What was she to do? The surgery was performed, and her dog died 3 hours later. It is important that these stories of AMC's horrendous pressure and overcharging get around. And AMC calls themselves "non-profit"? I will do everything I can to spread the word. AMC, you have no honor. I intensely dislike AMC. --Cynthia Kienzle