Community Animal Care

Community Animal Care is an independent veterinary clinic in Poughkeepsie, New York that treats dogs and cats. It offers routine preventive care, dental work, surgery, and urgent or emergency care during business hours. Regular hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00AM to 6:00PM, Friday 8:00AM to 5:00PM, and Saturday 8:00AM to 1:00PM, with extended urgent care hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 9:00PM.

Services

•Care for dogs and cats
•Wellness exams
•Vaccinations for dogs and cats
•Microchipping
•Dental care and teeth cleaning
•Full-mouth dental X-rays
•Tooth extractions
•Spay and neuter surgery
•Soft tissue surgery
•Mass removals
•Laceration and wound repair
•Cystotomy (bladder surgery)
•Same-day urgent care during business hours
•Emergency triage, stabilization, and diagnostics during business hours
•After-hours emergency telehealth guidance through VetTriage
•Coordination of referral to a specialty or 24-hour facility if needed

Pricing

No published pricing information is available for this clinic.

People

Named team members include Melissa Pelesz, DVM (Owner), Robert Redden, DVM (Medical Director), and Cathy (Practice Administrator).

Reviews

Google reviews show a 4.7/5 rating from 340 reviews. Recent written reviews describe clear explanations, compassionate handling, long-term client relationships, and positive experiences with neuter surgery and urgent treatment for a poisoning case. A recent negative review describes a traumatic cat loss and raises concerns about communication, billing clarity, and recommendations for expensive diagnostics.

Reviews for Community Animal Care

Note: Showing the 5 most recent Google reviews out of 340 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Jimi Heslin

1 month ago

They always explain every thing very well ...very happy with CAC...

Rigel Ferrin

1 month ago

If I could give 0 stars I would. We've been coming here since 2022 w/ our 4 cats, & fostering/adopting cats for 25+ yrs, w/ 20+ yrs of TNR. We've always recommended this place to all our friends with pets & new cat parents that adopted from our cat/kitten foster group. We've also invested a lot of time, energy, trust, & money in this practice. But last week that all changed with a very traumatic experience when we lost our beloved cat Ziggy. It will haunt us for the rest of our lives what we saw, & went through. We were treated very poorly with our eldest cat Ziggy who was the sweetest most gentle little soul. This place is not what it once was after shifting owners. Unfortunately it is riding on the coattails of its previous good reputation. Ziggy changed the minds of people who were afraid or misunderstood cats. He greeted anyone who came to our home & would sit on their lap. He had a keen sense for bad characters, for example we had a repair man & I caught him stealing. I knew something was off when Ziggy didn't greet him. Cats have super powers like that, they know when someone isn't kind hearted & is hiding behind a fake mask of smiles. Our little protector is gone & his untimely death could have been prevented. We have yet not received the detailed medical records/receipts of the day he died despite asking multiple times. We were never made aware of what he was going through despite being told we would be called back in a few minutes & nothing would be done without our approval first. Instead 20 minutes passed. Our bill is astronomical & we feel so trapped by this experience. He started seizures Dec. '25. We scheduled the 1st visit & they assigned us a new vet that he's never seen & made us feel even more confused because they suggested he might have cancer. We sought a second vet's opinion at another place & they said he still had several years of life, & to continue his special diet & hydration methods. They saw his blood work & did not determine cancer. Then they suggested we go back to our primary vet (this place) & ask to consider kidney disease as the cause of the seizures to receive medicine to stop them. In March I scheduled another visit with the same concern only to be dismissed again because I didn't agree to x-rays & MRI. She shockingly suggested I should think about euthanizing him. She didn't validate and dismissed any detailed description I provided in order for her to determine what he needed. She waste my time and Ziggy’s who ran out of time thanks to this bs. It clear that your descriptions are useless & rely heavily on pushing for expensive exams. At some point she said he was "just tired" - I know the difference between tired & looking off, you just know it in your gut! I have spent over $5k in such a short amount of time to try & get my cat the help he needed. I feel like they just saw dollar signs, not a little soul who needed serious help without exploiting the vulnerability of his situation. I went in circles, every time I booked a visit they ran the same pricey blood test & offered only premium expensive options. If I asked for other affordable options she would bring up euthanasia, multiple times causing me serious distress. He was still very much a lively 12 y/o cat, eating well, drinking water, active, doing tricks, playing with toys & his step sisters. His daily activity improved thanks to the supplement taurine which he start 6 months prior. She doubted it & seemed annoyed. Her tone discouraged me from thinking it made any difference at all. Never again will we set foot here. They crossed physical boundaries that made us uncomfortable & caused us to question their motives. The way they handled Ziggy's case & his death is so painful. They even threatened legal action when we protested our dissatisfaction with their services & lack of billing transparency. This is a painful nightmare we never thought Ziggy nor us would have to ever endure. It will take us a lot of time to heal due to all the added aggression we received. RIP our sweet baby boy you deserved so much more.

Laura J

1 month ago

Dr. Pelesz and all of the staff at Community Animal Care have been caring for our fur babies for over a decade. They are simply the BEST! We recently adopted a new puppy and have had many visits, including surgery to have him neutered. The level of care given to our little guy was above and beyond and so appreciated! They truly care for your animals in a way that feels more like family caring for our loved ones. We will forever be grateful XXOO

Andrea Paporto

1 month ago

I brought my very sick dog to Community and chose to wait in the car. Staff came to get me and brought me to Dr Pelez. I found her holding and rocking my dog with such tenderness and kindness I felt I should be consoling her. She advises with such knowledge, concern and common sense always looking at the whole picture. In a perfect world cost wouldn’t be an issue but I feel they understand and do their best to provide excellent but reasonable care. I cannot recommend them enough. They’re all wonderful.

adam goldfish

1 month ago

Words cannot fully express how grateful I am to Dr. Pelesz and her entire team at Community Animal Hospital. Recently, my one-year-old German Shepherd was unknowingly exposed to a poisonous substance on a Sunday evening. By early Monday morning, he began showing concerning symptoms, and my regular veterinarian turned me away and advised me to seek emergency care. Fortunately, I was only a few blocks away from Community Animal Hospital, and despite being a first-time client, they took my dog in immediately and began treatment without hesitation. After consulting with poison control, we were told that the odds were not in his favor. However, Dr. Pelesz remained both hopeful and confident that he would recover with minimal long-term effects. Her expertise, compassion, and reassurance during such a stressful time meant more than I can put into words. I am incredibly grateful to say that my dog has made a full recovery, and I truly believe that is thanks to the exceptional care he received at Community Animal Hospital.