Top Vets 2011
148 veterinarians in the Seattle metro region.
Edited by Ariana Dawes
TO CREATE A list of the top veterinarians in the Seattle area and beyond, Seattle Met partnered with national survey company TopVets, which sent ballots to veterinarians listed with the Washington State Veterinary Medicine Association and other local veterinary societies in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, Whatcom, Thurston, and Grant counties, asking, “If a client’s pet was in need of a general vet or specialist and you could not take the case, who would you refer them to?” Presented with the names of nearby practitioners and the opportunity to write in nominations, each veterinarian evaluated peers whose work she or he is familiar with based on years of experience, continuing education, manner with clients and their pets, use of new techniques and technologies, and of course physical results. Vets with the highest average ratings were screened for active licenses and good standing with the Washington State Department of Health before being selected for the final list. Of course there are many fine vets who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of veterinary medicine in the United States. A vet’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow professionals. Our vets self-reported whether their animal hospitals or clinics provide boarding services or alternative pet care (e.g., acupuncture), and whether they are equipped for surgery on site. More information about TopVets’ survey process can be found at usatopvets.com.
Updated March 18, 2011. This version corrects the original published in March 2011, which omitted Grant County in Eastern Washington from the list of counties surveyed.
Published: March 2011
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I applaud your choice of Dr. Russell Patterson from the Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle for small animal surgeon. My Newfoundland had to have hip replacements and immediately after consulting with him, we knew he was the right surgeon. He is kind, up-front, and talented, which is what you need in any sort of doctor—someone who will tell you like it is and will get the job done right. My dog now runs, jumps, and plays like a crazy little puppy and I am grateful for it.
Additionally, I appreciate your inclusion of vets outside the metro Seattle Area. Some treatments, either due to a limited number of specialists (e.g. orthopedic surgery, which my dog required) or cost, may require travel. It’s nice to have a list of reputable vets outside of the metro area.
I’m really curious how these vets were determined as “best.” I work in the veterinary field and see many vets listed here whom I would not consider “the best,” as well as many more fabulous vets NOT listed. Especially in the various specialty fields.
My bad, I see the description of how this list was put together now.
Well, I just have to say our clinic never received a survey.. Makes me wonder how thorough the survey was
Ariana, thank you for your response. By your own admission, you state:
“TO CREATE A list of the top veterinarians in the Seattle area, Seattle Met partnered with national survey company TopVets, which sent ballots to veterinarians listed with the Washington State Veterinary Medicine Association and other local veterinary societies in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, Whatcom, and Thurston counties, asking, “If a client’s pet was in need of a general vet or specialist and you could not take the case, who would you refer them to?” Presented with the names of nearby practitioners…”
Am I being picky? Maybe. Too often people take what they read at face value.
I think it is up to you to fact check your articles prior to putting your name on them. As good as my veterinarians are, if I am in the greater Seattle metro area, I will be taking my animal to a veterinarian closer than one located in Moses Lake.
I am curious. Do you know where Moses Lake is? In relation to metro Seattle?
Your readers may not mind “more information”, but some will undoubtedly question the validity of future claims reported in Seattle Met. I will.
I’m so glad to see Dr. Sherrie Crow of Elliott Bay Animal Hospital on this list. She has taken great care of my two cats for many years and she always goes above and beyond. They – and I – are lucky to have her as their vet.
Thanks for pointing out our error; Jesyka Morrison does in fact offer surgery at her practice, and we’ve updated our list to reflect that.
And we do typically focus on the Seattle metro region, but decided to expand our coverage for veterinarians for a wider audience. We didn’t think our readers would mind more information.
I am not an expert on anything, but I believe that Moses Lake is not considered part of the metro Seattle region, no matter how much some people wish it were. Therefore, I do not understand the inclusion of Drs. Richard Maier and Jesyka Morrison on your top vet list. I live in Moses Lake, am a client of Drs. Maier and Morrison and consider them to be among the top veterinarianss in Eastern Washington. Additionally, the list states no in-house surgery is performed at their office. Wrong again. Just an FYI.