Harbourfront Animal Hospital

The first question my partner was asked by the male Doctor at this bush league clinic was “do you have pet insurance”. My partner answered - “No”. After the Doctor had a look at our puppy she was told our 11 week old puppy will be paralyzed. No X-rays we’re offered, just a quick jump to a conclusion out of nowhere. It’s likely that if my partner said we have pet insurance a pointless surgery would have been booked that day.

I highly suggest not bringing you animal here.

We got a second opinion from another vet shortly after that resulted in a diagnosis which was on the opposite side of the spectrum from this clown. Additionally, we were offered X-rays and a review from a radiologist which we proceeded with. Turns out our puppy is perfect and was only suffering from a sprain.

Go anywhere but here.

My dog is a rescue/anxious, so not the easiest to handle, which is why we keep his visits to the vet limited.

Doctor and team were so accomodating, very understanding and we were able to get in and out Re: examination and yearly shots within 30 mins. Their service and attitude made all the difference for me as a parent of a difficult dog, I will definitely be back/ recommend to others!

My dog Maple absolutely loves this clinic, doctor is so professional, he gave us so many helpful advice and treated our dog with love and care

The staff at Harbourfront Animal Hospital has always been very supportive and quick to respond to any concerns we have about our pets. Dr. Debski is amazing when it comes to pet care and we have aways felt that our pets are in good hands with him and his staff!

Was looking after my sisters cat for a short period and she needed her annual rabies vaccine. The receptionist is so nice, helpful and answered all my questions. Dr Debski was very nice as well! Would definitely return and recommend to others

"I have had a wonderful experience at Harbourfront Animal Hospital. The staff is incredibly friendly, thoughtful, and always willing to go the extra mile. Dr. Desky is amazing and it's clear that he genuinely cares about animals and their well-being, rather than just treating them as another patient. I only wish I had discovered Harbourfront Animal Hospital sooner - I am grateful to have found such a caring and professional team to take care of my dog. "

We have been taking our dog to this clinic for the past year, and I can only say kudos to Dr Debski and the staff for all they have done - shoutout to the super kind lady at the reception desk! They always respond promptly and punctually to all my questions, which as a new dog owner can be quite reassuring. The Dr.and staff always seem genuinely interested and caring of my dog and situation. Thanks so much for your great service!

Everyone was really kind and patient. Easy to book a quick slot in when everywhere else is so full in the city. Great handling of my cat and he's doing a lot better now.

Very friendly, professional, and efficient staff. The vet is current in his practice and keeps up with all of the latest trends in technology and care. For costly procedures, the team does work with you to prioritize care for your pet rather than nickel and dime every charge.

My only improvement item to suggest would be a clearer outline of procedures and itemized ranges in order to be able to justify the expense taken on your pet. A walk through of the quote and bills before and after the procedures will give owners a better sense of what is being prescribed, along with why. Since other vets may charge consult fees to generate their own quotes, it's hard to determine if you're getting an honest or fair assessment without this.

Prices do seem to be on par with the downtown Toronto core, which is a high demand/low supply market. As a busy professional, this was convenient for me to drop off my pet on my way to work for an urgent issue, but I would suggest non-urgent appointments be taken out of town if you have the means to do it.

Very professional, helpful, kind, knowledgeable, clean clinic.

The doctor is great and the staff are very friendly and quick. Happy to have them.

Always a positive experience visiting your clinic. All staff show an admirable and much appreciated amount of care for the animals' wellbeing and go out of their way to ensure the pet is comfortable. The post-appointment follow-up emails are always appreciated as well. Thank you team!

Great customer services! Their receptionist was very friendly and helpful. We are so thankful they managed to slot us in for an emergency appointment the same day we called. The vet was very experienced and knowledgeable. Really appreciate all their help!

Dr Debski took phenomenal care of our senior dog during an emergency, and we are so grateful for his practice, patience, and care.

It took me a few tries to find the vet I love, and finally this was the place:)
A very competent and professional vet.

It’s always a pleasure to visit with Dr. Debski and the staff at Harbourfront Animal Hospital. I’m confident in the care my cats receive, and I enjoy catching up with Dr. Debski. This is why I’ve been a returning visitor for many years!

We’ve been really happy with our experiences at Harbourfront Animal Hospital. The vet is always extremely detailed in his explanations and takes time to answer our questions (no matter how many).

The vet tech/reception who is always there is amazing! Our dog Nala loves her and she’s always extremely reassuring to my boyfriend and I which we always appreciate. Thanks so much!

Great vet clinic, so happy to have them so close.

We adopted an older dog about a month ago and they were quick to set us up as new patients and were great about scheduling something that was both soon and convenient for her initial checkup.

Top of my priority list was dental work, and they were great about explaining what to expect with regards to cleaning and possible extractions, and gave a very detailed breakdown quoting both a low and high case scenario. Because our case was not an emergency I wanted to give our dog more time to settle in, and wanted to save for the procedure, and I never felt pressured to make any sudden decisions without having time to think them over.

They called to let me know exactly what was going on during her procedure so there were no surprises when I came to pick her up which was very appreciated. They also went over what to expect with her recovery and sent us home with printed instructions. There will be a follow up appointment in a week, and then we also plan to come back to update her vaccinations, and get her on flea & tick medication.

Again, just a really solid clinic that I am very happy to have nearby.

Dr. Debsky has taken care of my dogs for the past 13 years and I have nothing but good comments about his service. Everyone at Harbourfront Animal Hospital is friendly, qualified, compassionate and professional.

Their wonderful care has been a bright light during hard times. Thank you!

I went to Harbourfront Animal Hospital today for the first time to get treatment for my senior cats ear infection. The receptionist was very sweet and managed to fit me in the same day. Dr Slav Debski was amazing with my cat and I will definitely be back for future vet visits. The examination fee was $101 which is pretty standard for the area. I will recommend them to friends and family.

The vet's accent was very difficult to understand, which might be the reason we find him condescending at times. Decided to switch vet after one visit

TL;DR
This is a real review. My experiences were mostly positive with the vet techs and Dr. Debski. Fees feel pricey but is average to most places in Toronto; they would also never force test/treatments without my consent. Our cat is currently doing well and we're thankful for the team's compassionate care and support!

Long review, sorry!
This is definitely a real review. Unfortunate that people with poor encounters assume that all the positive reviews are fake. Both experiences should be considered valid! Everyone can make their own judgment when choosing a vet that works for them.

We first encountered this animal hospital with my senior cat of 15 years. They gave me accurate quotes and recommendations but did not force me to conduct any tests or treatment (unlike our old vet clinic in Mississauga that would guilt me for not testing our senior cat). They worked with our hopes and needs and my cat ended up living for another 4 years. We had made an appointment to put my cat down but he ended up dying at home. We were able to take him in prior to our scheduled appointment. During my cat's end of life, they were compassionate and caring. I felt that Dr. Debski and their team were genuine and supportive.

Eventually, we rescued another kitten. They were honest with the expensive neuter fees (typical for Toronto). My plan was to take my kitten to The Humane Society (THS) because it was way cheaper and he agreed. Unfortunately, earlier in the pandemic, THS weren't accepting spay/neuter appointments, so we ended up going with Harbourfront and paid the expensive fees, but otherwise, our little guy healed well and had good follow-up via email/pictures.

Our experience has been mostly positive with the routine staff and Dr. Debski. Our only negative experience was with a doctor from a different clinic who was covering Dr. Debski's time off. Unfortunately I don't remember his name but wasn't pleasant and made recommendations from anecdotal studies he's conducted.

Hope this review helps everyone make an informed decision with picking a vet clinic!

Love these guys. Dr. Debski has always taken very good care of my dog Ginger, the front desk team have always tried their hardest (and succeeded) at trying to get us seen as soon as possible.

When assessing my dog we had a real conversation about all the options. Best professional opinion on the options available. Clear conscience explanations in to everything going on. Clear instructions on how to proceed and what I need to do in order to continue to care for my pet.

Regular and consistent follow up calls and general care of me and my pup mean the world to us. From the front team to the vet techs to Dr. Slawosz Debski. I won't be changing our vet any time soon.

Thanks guys.

Inproper diagnosis and the vet needs more cognitive capability when dealing with clients and the fur patients, will not be returning under any circumstance.
VET IS STRICTLY FINANCIALLY FOCUSED.

Visiting Toronto for the first time and brought my senior golden lab in doctor was not knowledgeable and very cold. After looking more closely at some of these reviews I would notice all the “likes” for the negative ones…? Something tells me there’s more than just an subpar compassion for my pet but the need for perhaps “fake positive reviews. ” Incredibly concerning. I pray other tourist or worse locals use some discernment with their furry friends. Would have absolutely went a block up had I known the level of neglect. Regards.

It was my kitten's first time here.
The staff was very helpful and sweet. My kitty was pretty comfortable with the staff and overall was a great experience, considering it was her first one. The doctor took time and answered all our questions patiently.
I would have given it a 5, if I would be able to be with my kitty in the exam room.
Would definitely recommend.

They always take such great care of our dog. They are caring, knowledgeable and professional. I recommend them for anyone with pets.

Pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff. Excellent job employing physical disrancing practices. They were thorough with the exam, provided insightful feedback and even some tips to sustain health going forward. Were upfront on all costs and always verified i was okay with proceeding before going forward. Would happily recommend

Me and my dog love this place and Dr Debsky. He's fantastic. We've actually moved away from downtown but we still drive to see him for all of our doggo needs.

The only place I'll take my dog. They have always made me a priority when I'm having an emergency.

Our cat Huey is a good boy but he gets really stressed and difficult at the vet. The veterinarian staff here were polite, respectful, and professional when it came to helping us get Huey's shots, despite the fact that he was not being a team player. Pricing is also extremely reasonable for a downtown vet hospital, I've always left feeling like everything went really well and our pet was treated well.

Dr. Debski is a wonderful man! You can tell that he genuinely adores his job and he is not just in it for the money. He is very knowledgeable and gives great advice. Thankyou for taking such great care of my boy.

Sincerely,

Happy dog mom.

The entire staff show genuine care for the animals and Dr Debski has had extensive experience with horses and farm animals before his pets focused practice

I am a Dog Mom to 2 English Bulldogs, 9 and 10 years old, I've had them both since birth. I have lived in London, Burlington, Oakville and Toronto and aside from a Specialist clinic when my girl had cancer, this is the BEST Vet I have ever been too - and clearly I've been to many of them! I want to start off by highlighting that it's VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE ANIMALS. It's expensive to have a car, a boat, a home, travel - that doesn't mean everyone is out to get you! Everyone at this clinic is so great; passionate about animals, helpful, flexible. If you know anything about bulldogs, you can imagine I end up at the vet OFTEN and I've never felt taken advantage of or mislead at THIS CLINIC. I have been coming here for TWO PLUS YEARS. Prescriptions cost money, lab tests cost money, if a vet gave you everything at cost - how would they pay their expensive rent in Toronto? Their educated staff? Plus make money. No one works for free and if you're looking for a service that is cheap, get a fish. So disappointed to see so many bad reviews. BEST DR & STAFF EVER.

When my dog was younger, and I was just figuring out how to be a great doggie parent, I stumbled into this vets office just because it was close to home.

My puppy had diarrhea. Anybody with the dog probably understands how common this is. And candidly I think I was feeding him the wrong things at that time. However, this vet aggressively tried to convince me that the only solution would be surgery to trace the Intestinal track to see if there were any digestive issues causing the diarrhea. He boasted about the brand new surgical room he had built into his office. Literally walking me to it to show off the room and telling me how much cost.

Naturally I pushed back against surgery. It seemed very extreme. But Debski continued to berate me, going as far as writing notes into my animal’s file about my bad attitude and unwillingness to accept his diagnosis.

I’m glad my instincts proved right. Because I’ve heard similar stories from many neighbours over the years. And in the end, I took my dog to a different vet. Overall they are less expensive. And they have never recommended surgery. In fact, they were shocked that anybody would have recommended surgery for a dog that wasn’t displaying symptoms beyond recurring diarrhea. The new vets office quickly recommended I changed his food and the problem has never arisen again.

When we love our animals, we’re willing to do anything for them. Unfortunately it felt to me like this “doctor” was willing to prey on that emotion.

Our pets are precious and we want the best care and life for them but I made the mistake of going in to this clinic over a small thing and after Debski’s unnecessary tests, my dog almost died!
I tend to trust that doctors will conduct treatment of animals ethically. I made a big mistake taking my little dog there. It was the worst experience ever.
Thankfully the ethical clinic that saved my dog asked questions about what Debski had done. They looked at the X-rays that he’d taken and couldn’t understand why he would suggest operating. They also asked if I was in the room when he did the rectal exam? !
Debski is very quick to take X-rays, without telling you the hefty fee first, then he does unneeded tests and is quick to suggest operating! Overly eager to operate on an otherwise healthy animal. And up sell
on dental work, joint supplements and all kinds of extras.
Crazy expensive place. Protect your pet, and your bank account, get a second opinion.

It's was okay. They were very attentive to my cat which was good. The initial assessment and final cost was very different, largely due to tests they ran in my absence that I wish they sought my permission for. Tried to upsell me on food. Still glad my cat was taken care of though.

So rude staff!
First time they give my puppy a useless prescription and also don’t even tell me about the exam cost! I know it’s a charge, but don’t act like you’re being super sweet because I’m new to the area and basically tell me the 2 min check was free!
Now my puppy needs to be seen and no I am not waiting until 3: 00!

The doc is great. Straightforward with his advice, and never tries to upsell you on needless tests or drugs. Given he's on the waterfront in Toronto, his prices are well in line. He's taken care of our Shady dog so well for the past 6 years. Highly recommend.

This rating is specific to the woman answering the phones for this vet. If someone is calling in distress over their animal, don’t repeatedly tell them they’re wrong, and ignore their questions regarding 1) if the hospital is accepting new clients, and 2) if the vet is able to see your animals as soon as possible. In that line of work, it would be expected that their staff would have more empathy, and less attitude.

This Vet is the absolute best, wherever we move in Toronto we will continue visiting him. I recommend him with my eyes closed.

I took my senior pup there to Dr. Debski after I had a scare with him. After spending about $1,000 to run several tests (urine, blood, etc.), he told me that I would need to see a specialist and didn't know what was wrong. He had misdiagnosed my dog, claiming he had liver disease and that I would need to bring him to an emergency clinic, VEC. After discussing with my family who are all out of town, I had asked the receptionist (who was VERY kind) if there was any other emergency clinics closer to my family that I could bring him to instead. I explained that this way, I could get help from them to bring him to the clinic and be able to have more emotional support. Dr. Debski proceeds to jump in, extremely upset/frustrated at me and shaking his head, saying that he had spent so much time booking this appointment and that they were waiting for me there. He had made a 5 minute phone call and the appointment was for 2 hours from then. I can only assume that he receives a referral fee from the clinic and that's why he didn't want me to go somewhere else. Please do yourself a favour and find a vet who truly cares about your pets, because this is not the place. It was also a blessing in disguise, because atleast the clinic he referred me to, VEC, were great and my pup was taken care of with lots of love.

Pleasant knowledgable Vet. Nice to have a clinic run by the Vet/owner (vs a business administrator).