VERG- Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group

So impressed by their late night, walk-​in care clinic! I went here last night at 1AM with my sick cat, and greatly appreciated how attentive and caring the staff were, especially for such a late hour. I saw Dr. Stephanie Pylka and if my cat needs vet care again, I will definitely request to see her. Highly recommend their services!

I can hardly put into words my gratitude for the team at VERG over the past 16 months for the care and compassion they had for my sweet cat (and myself) as he fought kidney disease. Some of the most difficult hours were spent in that hospital (6 overnight stays, countless appointments) and yet the team managed to make Mylo (the cat) as comfortable as possible and I was comfortable knowing he was in great hands — I don’t think I would have felt the same had he been somewhere else. In fact, the amazing Dr. Gavin, who cared for Mylo while he was in the hospital was just so compassionate and wonderful that I continued all of our follow up appointments with her instead of our regular vet (to the tune of $ 50 in cab fare per visit — worth it for the peace of mind).
Much has been said in previous reviews about the cost and I do think you have to keep in mind that it is a ²⁴⁄₇ emergency hospital. They have personnel and other expenses to pay for likely 12+ hours that other vet clinics do not. I specifically did not take my cat to two different well respected vet hospitals because they either did not have anyone that stayed with the animals overnight or had one nurse to monitor all of them. It’s a very personal decision. That being said, do your due diligence on what your animal is going through so you can ask questions for yourself, your pet, and your finances.

This place killed my dog. My dog came in with an emergency with an infection and needed surgery. Once the surgery was completed my dog was good to go home the a day and a half later. After a week my dog started bleeding. Took my dog bad to verg. At first they don’t even know why my dog was bleeding vaginally. They told me she need another surgery, with the first surgery was not done correctly to clear out the the infection that it caused more problems for my dog. She needed a blood transfusion and more testing needed to be done. After all this was done they told me that her kidneys have completely stop working and j had to put my dog down. If The first surgery was done correctly my dog would have still been alive. And with everything going on it was all about money. At the end of it all I had to pay 5000 for everything that was done to my dog. Always make sure you have a second opinion before going to this place. They messed up and didn’t want to admit they did and tried to cover it up.

Since 2014, I’ve brought my dog to VERG North (Warren Street) several times on an emergency basis because each time he vomited blood.
Last night I brought my dog in at 10:00 PM for the same issue on an emergency basis and
sat there watching those who were there before me as well as those who came in after me, leave. I was the last one out of there at 3:10 AM in the morning the next day. FIVE HOURS FOR AN EMERGENCY??? At 12:00 AM, I asked how much longer and was told there was one party before me. Finally at about 12:45 AM, I was brought into an examining room and sat there until the Vet came in at 1:30 AM. While waiting, I spoke to a staff member and asked her why my wait time for an emergency was so long. She indicated that they were super busy… that does not explain as to why everyone before and after me were gone already!!! I was then misled again to believe the Vet would come to me next. As the walls are thin and you can hear what’s going on, I was not next.
In my books after three years of using VERG North (Warren Street), their service has gone downhill and is no longer a place I would take my dog for emergency situations…
I see a 8÷20÷2014 Unilocal review by another individual who spent 5 hours there as well for unknown reasons and was the only person left in the office after 5 hours!!!

I would be doing you a disservice by not telling you about my experience with VERG and Doctor Cherrone.
My dog Brando recently had surgery to remove a benign cyst on his chest as well as an anal gland. The surgery went well and we put a lot of trust in Doctor Cherrone — what went wrong is the way her and VERG treated us afterwards and the way they sent Brando home.
1) When Brando was discharged he was a mess. He had a sticky substance all over his skin which now more than a month later it’s spread into an infection under his head and chest! His infection started to get worse and she barely looked at it in his post-​op appointment saying «it will work itself out just keep bathing it». Great advice and care (not).
2) I’ve called VERG asking to speak with Doctor Cherrone about how the infection was getting worse on the surgical site and she refused to speak with me. VERG also told me to go see my regular vet — refusing to provide any care or responsibility. They are willing to take thousands of dollars, but after the surgery is done, well they are DONE with you. VERG doesn’t actually care about the health of my dog.
3) Even before the surgery you could not speak to your surgeon. Besides your appointment where she hands you proposed estimates for thousands of dollars — expect to not have any questions answered outside of your initial appointment.
I’ve learned from my mistake of bringing Brando to VERG. He’s the most precious thing in my life and deserves much better care — by individuals who actually are driven by their love for animals.

First of all worst customer service from the receptionists. Second, my cat had surgery (which he didn’t need) and after almost $ 4000 he went home with fever and they didn’t find anything wrong during surgery, he basically had a tummy ache.

COMPLETE SCAM. We brought our dog here yesterday to see whether we can get an endoscopy done for our dog. Instead of quoting us on the endoscopy, the hospital tried to sell us on other services, including MRI, ultrasound, bloodwork, etc. It was easily adding up to at least $ 3,000. On top of that, we were told that they would provide free xray because the ones we brought were difficult to read, but instead they were going to charge us for some of the xrays.
At the end of the day, they did not listen to the pet owners and what we thought was best for our pet. We were making difficult decisions for our dog, and they did not care to hear. All the hospital wanted to do was sell sell sell. Thank you for giving us a negative impression of animal hospitals. Now, I will need to do extra research on hospitals and look for places that actually listen to their customers.

I brought my cat here from referral from my primary vet office. Originally she going in for evaluation for surgery. Long story she had to be hospitalized for many conditions. I have to say Dr. Winzelberg and Dr. Silverman are fantastic. Dr. Winzelberg and Dr. Silverman have taken great care in following up with her condition post hospitalization and checking in on her for updates on her health. Dr. Winzelberg and Dr. Silverman are very knowledgeable, great with my animal, and provides different treatment options. My experience with the VETs have been great.
The one caveat is related to the front desk. Some of the individuals at the front desk are nice and helpful, but most seem to really dislike working in this place. If you are working in a place where many pet owners come in with sick animals it is appropriate to be helpful, compassionate, and prompt. There have been times that I have called for refills for medication and told by the front desk/​reception it will be ready. When I show up there is not documentation of the rx and then I have to wait up to 30 minutes.
I am giving it a 5 for the vets, but 2 for front desk.

Took $ 160 for exam. Don’t go here. It will be three times cheaper in different vets. They will find the way to take all your money.

We have been visiting VERG now for over 2 years (since that first review) our three legged cat is still getting around fine. We are regular visitors with Dr. Cohen their staff oncologist who is lovely. Everyone there that assists her remembers my cat by name and is very sweet. He had another small tumor that he got removed there in December 2015 and he healed up great. So we visit there every 3 months for follow ups.

I love VERG. My dog has been having a lot of issues with her eyes as she’s gotten older, and Dr. Harrington and his team and basically everyone that works there is caring, attentive, responsive and just really lovely people. They’re gentle with my dog and seem to genuinely want to see her get better.
Once, Dr. Harrington even stayed late to see us when we were having an urgent issue, during a snow storm, so that we could see HIM and not just one of the emergency vets that are there after hours (although they are wonderful too).
We don’t feel like faceless clients to them; they remember us when we call with an issue or a question. I’ve always felt very comfortable there and like I could count on them.
Great, safe place.

I took my dog here when he was very sick with cancer, and I ended up putting him down. It was a very sad story for me, but I do wish to compliment the veterinarian Dr. Torchia.
My dog had a growing cancer on his spleen. Dr. Torchia showed us detailed x-​rays, and explained everything in a way making it all easy to understand. He told me my options, and answered every question I had clearly and with excellent patience… I waited a day to think things over. Then I called Dr. Torchia the next day with three further questions, and he spoke to me and again explained everything well and politely.
My experience here was sad for me. But with Dr. Torchia, I felt fully confident that my dog was in the right hands, and I could trust his word to make my decision.

Dr. Harrington and his assistant were fabulous! I have never met a vet with such kind bedside manner and who didn’t rush us. I brought my pug, Louie, in to see Dr. Harrington (he is an ophthalmologist). His assistant loved Louie and held him carefully as he was being examined. She totally calmed Louie down and handled him with kindness, calmness and care. Dr. Harrington examined Louie and gave us an honest diagnoses. He did not push extra things and didn’t «nickel and dime» us. He was great! everything was on time and we were not rushed. I was blown away by how great Dr. Harrington and his team were. definitely recommend!

When it comes to my cat Tatis, I am a HUGE worry wart: o). I am very skeptical about taking her to just any vet. VERG is full of wonderful people and just a wonderful place! I am so thankful to Dr. Manesis for helping my cat, Tatis over the weekend. I brought her here urgently due to her having a UTI :(and she was just plain miserable. Dr. Manesis, took the time to explain to me what was going on, what to do going forward and most importantly took very good care of her. She was very comfortable with Dr. Manesis and the Techs. He gave me medication and she is improving everyday. This is the second time I have taken her here and have never been disappointed. The first time I brought her here I believe it was Dr. Prata who took care of her and he was so gentle and friendly as well as informative. I don’t know how people had a negative experience here but I can tell you I didn’t. The doctors are great, the Techs are great and the front desk staff are friendly and very attentive. I wish they had their own private vet place so I could take her. I am so comfortable bringing her here in the event of an emergency. I believe a lot of the negative reviews are based on money but «Hello People this is a Hospital for Emergency Care– NOT a regular Vet». I mean, for us Humans, going to the emergency room is not cheap! It’s expensive. DUH! You want less expensive, go to a regular Vet. I would never second guess. Thank you VERG!

It’s not easy to find comfort when you have to put your beloved companion down. The one you can always count on being thrilled to see you no matter how bad your day was, no matter how grumpy you may feel. The one that believes you are the best thing in the world and is satisfied with a pet and a hug.
But I did take comfort in knowing I had done all I could for my dog, Penny. The team at VERG were amazing and I’m not surprised because they have always been great whenever she would get herself in trouble and needed emergency care. This time it wasn’t an emergency but rather a blood condition.
The front desk people were great. They could see I was upset (I imagine they get a lot of upset people as who wouldn’t be upset when your pet is in distress). The examining vet was great and gave us all of our options, explained the pros and cons and really took her time with us.
We decided to treat her with blood transfusion. It was the best option and it would either work or not. When it didn’t they took the time to explain what this would mean and again reviewed our now more narrow options. Penny meant the world to us so we wanted to continue to treat her and requested we use a more experimental drug to help her but her body was aggressively rejecting everything. We could see she wasn’t her happy self and was very ill. We finally made the decision that was best for her and hardest for us. We had to put her down.
The team at VERG were amazing. They had the compassion you would expect a staff at a hospice to have. They understood what we were doing would be excruciating for us. They gave us time to be alone with Penny, to hold her and say our goodbyes. The vet sat with us on the floor so we could all still hold Penny and comfort her. It was a highly personal and intimate experience and there was nothing clinical about it.
Our hearts were broken that day. The team at VERG were so compassionate. We are very grateful. That was a year ago. I couldn’t write the review then because I was just too sad. Since then we have a new treat-​begging powerhouse, Diego. While Diego will never replace Penny he has also stolen our hearts and it gives us SUCH PEACE OF MIND to know that VERG is right down the street and should this little devil grab a box of Godiva or something, we can whisk him off to VERG and he will receive the excellent care Penny always got.
So thank you guys at VERG. Please keep up the good work!
PS. I love that they are only in Brooklyn and not a chain and subsidiary of some big corporate entity. I think that plays a big role in why they are the way they are.

I can’t help but shake my head at the reviews below (3÷15÷16).
I’ve happily known and trusted the VERG staff and Dr. Brett Levitzke since 2013. Each of their employees are kind, caring, and knowledgeable in their respects to the veterinary field. Dr. Levitzke even went as far to personally meet a patient and friend of mine who was seeing a different doctor in the practice to calm his nerves about his fur-baby’s leg surgery.
The hospitals are both clean, warm environments to walk into. Yes, veterinary care is expensive — especially if you don’t have pet insurance, but the same is to be expected anywhere. Think of it as a hospital visit for your sick child, who is uninsured. These people aren’t looking to take your money. They are true animal lovers, who want the best for your pets.
As some may know, VERG is partnered with a non-​profit for animals called Positive Tails, who provide veterinary care to animals in need — INCLUDING pet owners who can’t afford regular costs for emergency services.
I recommend ANYONE in the area to VERG, and have never been disappointed. If I possible, my sweet golden doodle would see Dr. Levitzke for all his regular check-​ups and appointments.

So far I’ve there 3 times with my puppy and each time they have been very kind, knowledgeable, professional and quick. Even calmed me down when I was freaking out and submitted all forms to my pet insurance company. Love you guys and will be back if needed!

I am so thankful to Dr. Manesis and the wonderful staff at VERG. We’ve been struggling to figure out what to do with our little shitzu who randomly refuses to eat and I finally feel at ease after taking him to this ER.
The receptionists, nurses and veterinarians were all welcoming and professional.
We were never pushed to consider additional expensive testing. (Anyone who’s been to a crappy vet hospital knows there’s nothing worse than feeling like vets care more about your money than your baby.) And Dr. Manesis took the time to explain everything that was happening in the gentlest manner.
Yes, you might have to wait half an hour but that’s just par for the course.
Thank you all again. We appreciate it!

My pup is 10 months old and has been to VERG three times already in her short life, and each time we have left incredibly grateful that we live a quick car ride away. The staff are great – the ladies at the front desk are incredibly helpful and each of the vet techs and Drs who have treated our pup have been calm, informative and caring. Depending on the urgency of your pet’s condition and how busy they are you may be in for a potentially long wait but they assess your pet immediately upon arrival so if immediate care is required your pet will get it. Plus it’s an emergency clinic so having to potentially wait is really part of the deal. Despite the fact that our pup has only been to VERG under unfortunate circumstance she is always happy to be there when we arrive and willingly goes with the techs, which shows just how great they are at keeping animals calm and happy.
One thing I really appreciate is that you call prior to bringing your pet to get a vets opinion. I’ve done this on a few occasions and have always been given good advice (e.g. Just monitor her condition for the time being, or bring her in right away) depending on the scenario. I trust VERG and yes you may leave with a sizable bill because that’s the nature of ER care and veterinary care in general but I’ve never felt like I’ve been over charged (get pet insurance!!)

I have a year and half old blue nose named Astro who after noticing her limping we took her to the vet.
We unfortunately got the bad news our poor year and a half pitbull had to get ACL surgery :(we called and researched every place from Brooklyn to Manhattan possible. All places pointed here. We called and they were so helpful and caring and gave us every bit of information answering every question we had. They even recommended and walked me through a payment plan process which they support.
What really got me was they were able to schedule me in the very next morning! We got there and the front desk girls were so sweet, accommodating and helpful ! They signed us in and even assisted me in different methods of verifying my ID (I left my wallet at my apartment. doe!!!). Most places wouldn’t have even taken us.
They placed us in a exam room very quickly and Heather the vet tech was so nice and Astro loved her so much!!! Dr. Prata came in with another very very sweet doctor and played with and examined Astro. Right away he knew exactly what was wrong and what needed to be done with our pup, he then sat down with us and explained in depth everything we needed to know about the anatomy of our pups knee, what was wrong with it and how he was going to fix it. He made sure to stop and make sure my fiancé and myself were following and answered any questions we had. What a pleasure!!!
The best part about the whole thing… he did the surgery that day!!! The whole process of reconstructing my poor pits knee took a total of 24 hours. When we picked her up they sat us down and went over a whole list of how to care for her and walked us through EVERYTHING.
1 week later, her stitches are out and she’s walking normally and putting weight down on her paw and her leg looks amazing!!!
This was the most amazing vet experience I have ever had. Thank you VERG team and Dr. Prata !!!