West Alabama Animal Clinic

Our Fear Free certified professionals are dedicated to caring for your pet’s emotional well-being as well as their physical well-being. Our team wants to give your pet the best care possible in an environment that will encourage your pet to be happy and relaxed, not fearful, anxious or stressed.

We’ll use gentle control techniques, innovative tools and medications when necessary to ensure your pet’s emotional health isn’t sacrificed for the sake of medical care.

Unless it’s medically inappropriate, we’ll be giving your pet lots of treats during the visit so they can start associating a trip to the veterinarian with good things, which will keep stress levels low.

The more information you can provide in advance about your pet’s behavior and likes and dislikes, the more successful the visit will be!

Is your pet showing signs of stress or anxiety before arriving at our clinic? Ask us for pre-visit supplements that might take the edge off and keep your pet happy and relaxed.

Would your pet be more comfortable waiting in the car rather than the waiting room? Just let us know and we’re happy to accommodate you.

Click here to read more, and become a member of Fear Free Happy Homes and get access to the most cutting-edge content and education to help brighten and enrich your pet’s life to the fullest.

What exactly makes West Alabama Animal Clinic employees FEAR FREE?

• Many of our employees have gone through hours of training to recognize and treat signs of fear and anxiety in your pet.


• We have separate dog and cat entrances, waiting rooms and exam rooms.


• We strive for limited waiting time in our reception area.


• We have calming, specie-specific pheromone, diffusers throughout the clinic as well as sprays for table mats, towels and clothing.


• We have soft, non-skid mats for exam tables, floors and scales.


• We have fans in each exam room to create white noise.


• TREATS!

So that we can fulfill our commitment to providing your pet with a fear free visit and the best treatment, please fill out this questionnaire for us.



Learn more about Happy Visits at WAAC

Nonmedical visits, also called Happy Visits, are intended to strengthen your pet’s positive experience at our clinic. Happy Visits can be used to maintain a positive emotional connection with the veterinary clinic or to attempt to reverse fears of the veterinary setting.


• Arrive at the clinic and start giving your pet treats while in the parking lot and until you’re in the lobby.


• Walk your pet through the lobby and into an examination room, pausing several times for “treat parties.”


• Allow your pet to investigate and become familiar with the scale—persuade/reward your pet when weighted.


• If tolerated, your pet should receive treats and a few nuzzles from various clinic team members.

(REMEMBER your pet should arrive hungry to make treats given at the clinic even more desirable!)

Happy Visits are free of charge for established clients. Frequency of Happy Visits depends on your pet’s responsiveness.




Because Happy Visits can involve spending time in the lobby or examination rooms, we ask that you schedule Happy Visits to help prevent longer, and potentially stressful, wait times for you and your pet.




Happy Visits are not appropriate for every patient. Patients that require pre-visit prescriptions to visit the hospital, experience travel distress, are reluctant to enter the veterinary clinic, or display signs of moderate to high anxiety/aggression may need other behavioral interventions as prescribed by one of our veterinarians.




Call or text today to learn more about how we take the PET out of petrified and put the TREAT in treatment! 713-528-0818