Honestly? I ended up going through the phone book and finally settled on one that was close and could get me in quickly. Plus, they have very convenient hours.

And I've been lucky, but so far my experiences with them have been all good. I've even called and asked questions of the vets and they've called me back or answered then and there. I really trust them.

I went through the phone book, and then I looked online to see if any offices had websites. I chose my vet because they seemed very current with their surgical procedures (have a new laser), and Lulu needed to be spayed. I've been very happy with the vet, not so happy about the prices...

I picked mine b/c it was close to my house. Guess I lucked out as I came to learn A: My vet is awesome and B: He's the Vet for the county police K-9 unit!

It was pure luck. We had a vet that we were not happy with at the time. My Mom got transferred to a different pharmacy...there was a vet's office next door. From talking to the Vet, Mom found out the vet loved Yorkies, and did't beleive in unnecessary shots or treatment. We switched and have been very happy ever since.

My older sister is a vet and when I moved away from home and got a new vet, I asked her what to look for. She said to look for somewhere that is AAHA certified -- it is not mandatory but all of the best veterinarians abide by it. It sets very high standards that the clinic/hospital must abide by to be certified. She also suggested looking for a place open 24 hours, or that has options for 24 hour care in case there is an emergency.
I followed her suggestions and feel very cconfident in my vet!

At first I took my dog to a nearby vet, merely for the convenience of the location. I realized early on that they were not very competent (asked for a bordetella shot, they gave her a rabies shot instead).

My mother-in-law then suggested I try her vet, who is located farther away but is a thousand times better!

i looked online and read every single tab and article they had, read about the staff and thought they seemed really nice. so i took my dog in and they were indeed very sweet.

I asked around at local pet stores and other dog owners. I heard more about where not to go but that was fine too!

The last time I actually had to find a vet was when I was in Seattle and had just gotten my kitty, Acyl. This was before the Internet age, so I looked through the phone book to see what was available. I saw one ad that was for a cats-only clinic, and they noted in their ad that they did NOT do declawing because of how painful it can be for a cat. That impressed me because for a cat-only clinic, declawing would likely be a good source of revenue, so I called them and talked to the receptionist and decided they seemed to be ok.

When I moved back to Kansas, where I'd lived before my west coast adventures, I just took Acyl (and Sabaka, Tasha and Piper, as they joined the family) to the vet my parents had taken my childhood pets to. He'd been in business at that point for about 15 years and I knew how well he'd cared for Frisker and Dorothy, so that was an easy decision. It's been, gads, about 20 years since then, and he's still our vet. Obviously, he's getting up in years, but he has a couple younger vets working with him, and I know that they're learning how to handle pets the way he always has, so I'll be ok still going to them even after he retires.

I asked dog owners in my apartment complex. It was unanimous, and I love our vet

We're lucky in our area there is a local magazine that ranks EVERY kind of service out there and has a "Best of" list every year. Its a pretty prestigious honor to receive if one is lucky enough to receive it. So we went to "the list" to find our vet (and our groomer) lucky for us, not only were they on the Best of List multiple years in a row, but I can call in the morning for an afternoon appointment whenever I need it. And they let my dogs lick them which they love!

When I adopted my first cat, I asked the shelter to direct me to a vet near my home. Even though I have since moved to another suburb, I have been happily using them as my primary vet for almost 15 years. My current Persian has PKD and I am incorporating into his care the services of a cat specialist vet clinic. I had at least a half dozen recommendations for this place, and it has been a wonderful experience. (No barking dogs means that Oliver is calmer, too!) Should Oliver have an afterhours emergency, I thankfully live within 5 minutes of an overnight/weekend/holiday hospital.

I just chose the vet my then-boyfriend was going to. I go to college in a fairly small town (17,000 people), so there's not a lot of choice. Once I graduate in May, my cat will just go to the family vet we've had for years while I'm in South Korea for a year. After that...we'll see.

I asked people and used websites like Yahoo Local and insiderpages.com, which have way more reviews than Yelp. The Vet I ended up going to was indeed very nice, but her practice was not a good fit for my special kitties. She offered to start seeing us at home, but some things happened when my cat was in her care that changed my opinion of her.

The next Vet I took them to was just a close Vet. He also had good reviews. I think most people will say their Vet is good unless they are noticeably bad. I always have a meeting with the Vets now, which the cats, to see what their bedside manner is and how knowledgeable they seem before I allow them to do anything.