veterinary technician

veterinarian

veterinary assistant

customer experience coordinator

sonographer

Veterinary Emergency Group

I was initially attracted to the company by its strong marketing and appealing incentives package. The pay was competitive, and at first, the culture seemed supportive. However, as time went on, I realized that the company’s commitment to inclusivity and employee well-being may not be as strong as it initially appeared.
In my experience, management, particularly at the NJ and NY locations, left much to be desired. I found that my manager displayed a lack of leadership skills, and there were frequent instances of favoritism. While management did show an interest in supporting the team at first, this quickly diminished as work pressures grew.
Another challenge I faced was the environment when it came to sharing personal struggles, including mental health concerns. I observed that employees may face obstacles when sharing personal challenges, as it can potentially impact their opportunities for advancement.
While the company emphasizes inclusivity, it’s important for employees to understand that there is sometimes a disconnect between the stated values and the actual day to day operations. The focus on productivity and financial goals seemed to sometimes overshadow the importance of employee well-being, with limited efforts to address burnout. Additionally, the open-concept office layout, while designed for collaboration, can contribute to a stressful work environment.
The company encourages employees to “level up,” but I noticed there was not always a clear focus on whether employees were truly ready for additional responsibilities. This led to some staff being assigned roles or tasks that exceeded their current skill sets.
While the company likely started with strong intentions, I believe it has faced challenges in maintaining a balance between its financial goals and ensuring a supportive work environment for all employees.

The CEO has a beautiful vision and mission, and he himself is an amazing individual. Unfortunately, it does not trickle down to each hospital. VEG Miami specifically is the worst veterinary hospital I’ve ever worked at in my whole career doing veterinary medicine. Leadership treats their nursing staff poorly by keeping us understaffed, and making us work through health issues and family emergencies. Leadership tries hard to pretend they’re there for you and will provide help when needed, but then don’t ever answer phone calls or messages when you actually need them, or leave your messages read with no response. They don’t care if you have any kind of emergency or issue, they’ll still tell you hospital needs is more important and you’re still expected to show, even if you find coverage for yourself they’ll tell you no that YOU are required to fulfill the shift, no one else. It’s the worst set of people I’ve ever met who treat all their employees terribly, and will gossip about them as well…. as leaders. VEG Miami doesn’t have a leadership team, it has a team of severely unprofessional staff that’s supposed to lead the hospital but instead has created an extremely toxic environment that makes people want to quit. They even have their “shift leaders” as the ones that don’t pull their weight in work in the hospital or practice bad medicine or both. They hype up and encourage the worse nurses to lead the troop simply because they like their personalities better, while the good nurses get no recognition and get treated like garbage. Avoid this place at all cost. 

VEG has set the bar for great pay, job security, benefits, and culture for it's employees. However, there are bad apples that manage to make it's way into the company which can negatively affect your experience. Management either has zero empathy towards employee concerns or provides false promises. Although the company strives to implement "armadillo", I've personally never heard it being used. Due to the knowledge test that is given during the interview and the nursing skills list that will be given after being hired, some employees view completing the skills list as a competition. Teamwork isn't always guaranteed, it all depends on who is scheduled that day. Beware of cliques which can bring tension during shifts. If a work schedule is negatively affecting your health or you need accommodation for your health, you will be denied and/or not be provided with any reasonable options to better your physical/mental health and work/life balance. These may very well be location dependent, however, I sadly didn't have the opportunity to work at a location that didn't have these cons. Some huge pros that makes VEG a unique company aside from compensation and benefits, is its unlimited CE opportunities, CPR training, a stocked fridge and pantry, taking naps when possible, lots of room for growth, cool swag, pet discounts, and its core values/mission. Although being an employee at VEG in the locations I worked at didn't work for me, I still cherish the positive experiences. I still love and respect the company and recommend VEG to colleagues and friends/family. If my babies were to be in emergency situations, VEG will always be my go-to ER hospital.

I’ve been here for several years so I’ve seen and been a part of the growth. VEG scaled from 1 location to 32 locations in less than 7 years. You can’t expect to work for a high growth company and not deal with some pain and imperfections. Management is committed to providing an excellent culture (admittedly - that’s not for everyone and that’s OK!) and is vulnerable enough to admit when mistakes are made. Personally, I value that over the traditional ‘corporate spin’. 

I’ve read a ton of reviews, I don’t believe any are inherently right or wrong. Culture is subjective and VEG’s model and culture won’t be for everyone and we’re ok with that! Again, personally, I prefer that. I work alongside like-minded people who strive to make the veterinary field a better, safer and overall happier place. 

You’re held to high standards, but not for management. The standards are set for you to achieve YOUR personal best for you and your peers. 

Some of those standards include eliminating gossip among each other, giving peers, management and customers the benefit of the doubt, and attending CE to level up your knowledge base (which is unlimited for all full time employees). 

These are things I personally value and appreciate from my employer. Thank you VEG and every VEGgie! 

Working as part of the care team has been a deeply rewarding experience. I have had the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of our clients & pets, collaborate with dedicated colleagues, and contribute to a supportive environment that prioritizes care and compassion. The role has allowed me to develop my skills, form meaningful relationships with clients, and witness firsthand the difference our efforts can make in the community.

However, recent changes in management have shifted the dynamics within the team. While I understand that leadership transitions can bring about necessary changes and improvements, the current atmosphere has become increasingly tense unlike before. The sense of support and camaraderie that once characterized our work environment has diminished. Many team members, including myself, now feel as though we are walking on eggshells, concerned about making mistakes or expressing our thoughts. This shift has made it challenging to maintain the same level of enthusiasm and engagement that initially drew me to this position. I believe that with the right support and a renewed focus on team cohesion, we can continue to provide exceptional care while fostering a more positive workplace culture.

Working at VEG has definitely reinvigorated my passion for my career.  The culture and values of the company make this not only a fun place to work, but a place that I can be proud of.  I love that VEG makes ER medicine more accessible and relatable for the client; keeping the pets and clients together and having an open treatment and triage area makes for a much more compassionate environment, adds value and peace of mind for the client to actually see what is happening with not only their own pet but in the entire hospital.

It's amazing to be able to have a patient that has just had emergency surgery spend the night in an exam room, snuggled onto the pull out couch, sleeping with their owners while medications and fluids or transfusions are being administered.  Patients are more comfortable, recovery is smoother, and owners have much more trust and peace of mind when they are able to be part of the visit from start to finish.

Emergency can be overwhelming at times, between caseloads, critical cases and frequent euthanasias but VEG prioritizes their staff and creates a culture where you feel valued, encouraged, and given many opportunities for career growth with a competitive compensation and benefits.
 

I cannot say enough good things about VEG! They pay amazingly and ensure all employees not only are taken care of, but feel like family. The work culture is fantastic, they really do make it a job you want to brag about to others. Everyone in the company, including the CEO David Bessler, stay involved in making VEG feel like your second home. I started my veterinary career at this company as an assistant and have always been encouraged by my fellow VEG family to learn more and grow within the field, to set goals and reach for the stars. Everyone treats each other as family, no matter the location that they work, as everyone is united with the goal of making the veterinary field better to work in. VEG puts a lot of time and resources into raising awareness of the mental strain of being in this field and offer so many resources for anyone who needs it. They not only support but push for diversity and fight for a workplace for all, no matter your disability. They have amazing benefits, give you funds to not only get the uniform you need but also make sure you're decked out with VEG branded merchandise. The hospital fridges are always filled with food for the employees. 
I genuinely regret having left and ending up at other hospitals, nothing compares to the love that you feel at this company. 

Management is just horrible ! The hospital manager does not have veterinary experience and does not understand how certain aspects of the hospital function. If you speak up for things that bother you or go to them with a concern, they make you feel bad for speaking about it. If they do not like you, you are constantly on their radar and they will do their best to fire you, and rules that apply to you do NOT apply to the employees they DO like. The hospital manager is extremely insensitive.  Also expect to find your own coverage if sick. Going to their higher ups are no help. They do not advocate for the staff, solely for the managers. Expect to be extremely burnt out and very understaffed. They also will employ anyone with a heartbeat who says they can do the skills needed. They’ve had “technicians in training” overdose patients with no consequences, but have targeted the employees who have so much knowledge and excellent patient care.  If I had a pet at home I would never take them to VEG Clifton being that their newer employees are not as skilled and patient care is not good. I have personally seen them target, single out and fire one of their best nurses. It’s a horrible, clique-y environment with management being the ring leaders. I do not recommend working here if you enjoy having some happiness in your life. Oh but they buy you pizza as an apology 

I love taking care of pets and their people. What VEG stands for and their culture is why I chose to work there. I truly love ER and how VEG gets it done. The doctors and support staff are very welcoming. Most staff are extremely supportive, eager to learn and teach, and friendly. The days can be long and difficult but the team truly makes it worth it. There is plenty of room for growth educationally and professionally. I believe it is different at every hospital but at this location specifically I have noticed a lot of favoritism. Employees getting promotions and rewarded based on their relationship with management over their work ethic. I see very hard working individuals get the short end of the stick while the employees who do the bare minimum get rewarded, praised, and special accommodations. It is very disheartening to see this time after time. Although this company prides themselves on being mindful of their employees mental health and work/life balance it does not show with the current benefits. VEG is a growing company and although they have developed a great business model there is still room for improvement.

This company's principles are crippled by a few individuals that are self serving and short sighted. I'm glad VEG is inclined to empower and to help "develop" people  especially those in leadership but some individuals don't really apply the tools granted and this goes unchecked among some managers.  This is counterintuitive to what this organization is trying to achieve which is why I was only employed with this company for 6 months. Their needs to be better checks and balances on the management level. Everything otherwise was relatively pleasant with the exception of the lack of diversity at the professional level. There was a hyperfocus on Google reviews and "appearance" based on customer survey results vs. just actually providing a thorough and quality and ethical service.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Veterinary technician 617 salaries reported	$41.05 per hour
Veterinarian 276 salaries reported	$232,696 per year
Veterinary assistant 302 salaries reported	$31.90 per hour
Customer experience coordinator 185 salaries reported	$22.44 per hour
Sonographer 103 salaries reported	$39.98 per hour

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