I absolutely love Dianne Dawkins. There is no BS with her—she is incredibly patient with both me and my dog, Diesel, who can be a real handful. She speaks to me like a normal person, completely without condescension, and it’s obvious she genuinely cares about every animal she sees. Any negative reviews about this clinic are completely unjust in my opinion.
This is so long, but so worth the read. It’s taken me a few months to write this, but I think I’m ready.
Words cannot express how grateful I am for this clinic. I recommend everyone I know to them and cannot give enough stars to represent how amazing this clinic is.
My soul dog Allie saw them for the first time after another vet’s office cancelled her surgery the day prior of when it was supposed to happen. From the first appointment, I knew Chattahoochee would be my permanent veterinary clinic. From the moment you walk in, everyone is smiling and friendly, they actually enjoy their jobs and want to be there! Every doctor is amazing and takes their time to discover + explain the root causes of why you’re there. There’s no shoving medicine or extra tests down your throat - just what’s necessary for your animal. They are so unbelievably gentle and passionate. I travel two hours to this clinic for my dog’s visits because they’re that amazing.
Allie was slowing down, having issues, and becoming aggressive. I called a vet in my current town for an opinion and they took me in Friday afternoon. The decision was made that behavioral euthanasia would be my best option. After 11 years, I wanted to give my Allie one last afternoon and asked to come back in the morning. That receptionist said, “We can squeeze you in tomorrow morning, as long as you understand we’ll be squeezing you in for it.”💔 That felt completely cruel, inhumane, and insensitive. So I left and called Chattahoochee Animal Clinic, explained the situation, Ms Cory (sorry about spelling) said WORD FOR WORD, “Let us know when you want to come in and we will make a room available.” That was it. No “squeezing”. No rushing. No pressure.
I scheduled the most devastating appointment of my life and the next morning, my Allie got unlimited love, 1 chocolate pup cup, a Chic-fil-A feast of a breakfast, one more Jeep ride, and we got to spend more time together than I ever would have been allowed at the other vet. Allie (definitely me) had vet trauma and Chattahoochee made sure to do every single thing with me present, which was beyond important to me. They wrote her name placard with a halo and angel wings😭. I wanted to let her go in the sunshine, outside where she loved to be. And they made it happen for me. They laid out a blanket for her comfort, did everything on my time, and let me grieve in their backyard with her as long as I needed to. They let me go through the back gate to avoid having to see other pet parents. When it came time to pay, it was “Give us a call when you can. No rush. We’re so sorry.” **Please do not take this experience as a guarantee they will do this exact same thing for you. I am only speaking from my own experience and personal relationship with the vet. I am not affiliated with the office or responsible for making those calls or decisions.** They even sent a handwritten card in the mail afterwards, signed by everyone.
Making the decision to put down our fur babies is never, ever easy. I still haven’t figured out life without her. But having the support of this amazing vet, made so much of a difference. They were this caring, compassionate, and loving all throughout her life as a patient with them and I am so grateful they’re the ones that care for my boys now💙. If you’re thinking of becoming a patient - take my word for it. You will not regret it, ever.
Thank you Chattahoochee, for everything y’all do and to you specifically, Ms Cory for your comforting words that echo every time I think of this day.🩷
My cat, Milo, fractured his leg in early March, and our journey to get him healed was incredibly stressful. After taking him to urgent care and receiving pain meds, we were instructed to follow up with his regular vet as soon as possible. The morning after it happened, I took him to his primary vet at Banfield on Crossville Road, where he'd gone since he was a kitten. Shockingly, the receptionist refused to take us in or even let a vet speak with us simply because we didn't have an appointment—which we couldn't make ahead of time since the day before was a Sunday, and this was an emergency. Even after I explained that we were willing to wait, she still refused. Desperate, I called around, and Chattahoochee Animal Clinic graciously fit Milo into their packed schedule, despite us being brand-new clients, and for that I am forever grateful. They were able to put Milo in a splint and stabilize him; however, because of the severity of the fracture, he was referred for orthopedic surgery. At one point, I scheduled him at another office to get the procedure done, but due to unexpected circumstances, we missed our surgery appointment. A receptionist at that surgical office called me back and said that because too much time had passed, their only option left was to amputate his leg. I was absolutely horrified and refused. We went back to Chattahoochee Animal Clinic for a follow-up, and Dr. Dawkins completely turned things around. She gave us hope, explaining that with proper splinting, regular rechecks, and the formation of a strong bone callus, Milo could fully recover. She even went out of her way to consult with orthopedic specialists on our behalf. Today, Milo is fully healed, standing on all fours, and thriving! Huge thanks to Dr. Dawkins for her incredible empathy and, most importantly, for helping my cat heal. I also want to thank Jheven, the technician, for being so attentive and detailed with Milo's care. They truly got into this field for the right reasons, and I will absolutely return to this practice in the future for any concerns regarding Milo. I highly recommend this clinic to friends, family, and anyone in search of an amazing veterinarian. Again, thank you CAC for healing my fur baby!!! 💕
Chattahoochee Animal Clinic is wonderful. I’ve been bringing my pitty here for 5+ years and the staff is excellent. When I first brought my dog here, it was an emergency and they fit us in same day as new patients. Dr. Smith and his team worked well after regular business hours to diagnose her issue and perform life saving surgery. I’m so grateful to them for going above and beyond then and for the care they’ve given my pup at every routine visit since. We’ve also seen Dr. Dawkins as well and she is excellent. And a special shout out to Corey at the front desk who is always so so excited to see my dog at every visit.
My dog recently passed away, and the experience of putting him down at this clinic was one of the most distressing moments of my life. I did not arrive that day expecting to say goodbye, so the decision and process were already shocking and overwhelming.
While my dog was actively dying, a vet tech walked into the room with an upbeat tone and said, “Let’s get him all checked out,” as if this were a routine visit rather than the end of his life. In that moment, I felt stunned, hurt, and completely unseen. It was profoundly tone-deaf and inappropriate for such a fragile situation.
I have had to say goodbye to pets before, and while it is always heartbreaking, I have never experienced something so emotionally careless. End-of-life care requires compassion, quiet, and emotional intelligence—none of which were present in that moment.
A sympathy card was mailed afterward, which I appreciate, but it does not undo the trauma of that experience. My hope is that this feedback leads to better training and awareness, because no family should have to endure additional pain during one of the worst moments of their lives.
