I would strongly encourage pet owners to seek care elsewhere and absolutely avoid Courtney Roller at all costs. My dog’s December 2025 dental procedure at Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic became one of the most disturbing veterinary experiences I have ever had. What should have been a controlled, routine procedure (dental prophylaxis) involved a serious esophageal intubation-related airway event, effectively asphyxiating my dog for many minutes while paralyzed by the anesthetics, and I was left with the impression that critical monitoring safeguards were either not adequately maintained or not adequately acted upon. For a clinic that presents itself as skilled and protocol-driven, the gap between what was represented and what my dog experienced was staggering.
The veterinarian, Ms. Courtney Roller, documented a false cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment plan (even alluding to euthanasia as an option) involving my dog, and that error was corrected only because I spotted her egregious error myself and demanded the correction. That should never happen. She didn't even bother to call me herself to make the correction and didn't even bother to update my dog's record. Poor Judgment? Yes. Incompetent? Yes. Malpractice? Sure seems like it. Further, despite the clinic having created profound distress two weeks before Christmas, no apology was offered at all. A client should not have to audit the clinic’s work to protect their animal from diagnostic and procedural failures by junior vets. She very nearly snuffed out my dog and then tried to cover her tracks by delivering a false cancer diagnosis and suggesting euthanasia. Update: several months later, we are now seeing evidence of hypoxic organ damage due to the severe mishandling of my dog by the staff at MIVC in December 2025.
What followed made the situation worse. Instead of candid accountability, I received defensive, inadequate, and astonishingly poor communication. Monique's emails were both dismissive and inconsistent with the transparency a client is entitled to expect, but very obviously tailored for a potential judicial review, so I could tell they had been in the hot seat before. Mr. Richard Evan Crocker, the practice owner, then seemed to think it would be a good idea to send me a long, evasive response gagging over himself for many pages that read less like a genuine attempt to solve a serious problem and more like wordy desperate self-protection from a whiny toddler. The tone was condescending towards me, self-incriminating (he admitted to retroactively altering my dog's records) and he undermined himself through his own contradictions - it almost reads as a parody if the situation weren't so serious while simultaneously demonstrating an even more disturbing lack of respect for my dog. Completely inappropriate for someone holding a DVM, though unsurprising he has yet to achieve his Board-certification in veterinary dentistry after nearly 15 years. Even after the clinic had created profound distress, there was still no meaningful apology. Just DARVO.
So, overall, many serious concerns about procedural safety, poor monitoring/accountability, inaccurate record handling, and deeply substandard communication, I cannot recommend Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic under any circumstance, if you actually care about your pet.
Monique is AMAZING at teaching fear free cooperative vet care!!! So experienced, trustworthy, and professional. Highly recommend! Also highly recommend Dr. Krug!! Great! Removed 1 star though, mainly due to continual issues with office support staff... just always seems like I'm an annoyance to them when communicating and they want to end the conversation very quickly.
We had such a great experience with Dr Crocker and the whole team! It took us several months to get the consultation but once we had that done, they the oral surgery was done the following week. Everyone was so kind and they took such good care of our cat. Now, two months later he's gained weight and is so happy. I can't recommend this team enough!
I cannot emphasize how thankful I am for this clinic enough. Every single staff member is so kind, caring, and attentive. They helped me with my senior dog for the twilight years of her life. She was so happy and healthy because of them up until the very end. When her time came, Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic not only gave us her ashes in a gorgeous box, but they also provided a paw print, a letter, and some of her fur in the shape of a heart. They are now some of my most treasured belongings. I tell every pet owner I know about this clinic. Fear free for every pet 🐾
