Testimonials
-
My female cockatiel, Kiwi, had a hernia and required immediate surgery. Even though they were fully booked, Dr. Sakas’ office squeezed me in right away. Dr. Sakas examined her and scheduled her surgery for the very next day. He was gentle and caring with Kiwi and took great pains to answer all my questions and concerns. Dr. Sakas is one of only four avian vets in or around the Chicago area who even perform surgery on birds, and he has a wonderful reputation; I can certainly see why. Dr. Sakas saved Kiwi from death’s door.After the surgery, Dr. Sakas spoke to me to tell me that after opening Kiwi up he found her intestines to be discolored, swollen three times the size and all mangled. One of her air sacks had ruptured as well. He admitted that it was one of the worst cases he had seen, but that the surgery was successful. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to operate on such a little creature. Three days later, I was able to bring Kiwi home and she is now good as new. I am very impressed with all of the staff at Niles Animal Center, especially the vet tech Debbie. Debbie held and comforted Kiwi while she was recovering after surgery, and kept me updated as to her progress. The staff at Niles seem to love their jobs, and most importantly, seem to love every animal that comes their way.Mary S. -
They are very caring; they want to make sure that the animals are well taken care of. I’ve had one of the veterinarians call me on the weekend, just to check that everything was okay. I think all of the vets there are good. I’ve used more than one of them; they’re really nice people. The facilities are great, very nice.
Martin J.
-
Dr. Peter Sakas is incredibly compassionate and so generous with his time. I trust him with my life, and love how he handles my birds. He is direct and supportive, and is truly brilliant. They came highly recommended to me when I rescued my first bird, and I am so fortunate to have found them. Dr. Sakas is widely used and well known for his great manner and high intelligence. He is a widely sought-after speaker, and he is involved in all types of avian care as well as other animals, and is published as well. He emits an aura of calm around him, to calm both the animals and their caretakers. I am continuously impressed by his skill and knowledge. He is amazingly intelligent, and he will keep you distracted so you are not worried while he works with the animals at the same time. He is a remarkable human being, and I cannot even begin to describe how caring and knowledgeable he is. Anybody who has ever dealt with him will love him, and will recognize how intelligent and compassionate he is. He is great about providing a learning opportunity for new veterinarians, and I have recommended a number of others to him. The staff at Niles is excellent, and they offer a very high quality of care. I could not be happier, and I could not conceive of going somewhere else.
Maris H.
-
I have a parrot that pecks at his wings. This morning I found a pool of blood in his cage so I panicked and called them. They had a cancellation so they gave me an appointment at quarter to ten. I did not have to wait for a long time in the veterinarian’s office. They do everything that other AVN veterinarians do. A woman on the internet referred me to them. She told me that they have the best AVN veterinarian imaginable. So I went to him. He is like a gentle giant. He studied something else related to humans before he became a veterinarian. He is great. He does not believe in collaring birds like the other place I used to go did. They just cleaned up his wound and sent me home. There is no collar put in so my bird is happy. I just have to watch him. They have taught me more things in the last 3 visits than the AVN veterinarian I used to go for 4 years did. I spent a fortune at the other place. Niles Animal Hospital charged me $100 today but I don’t have to take the bird to them every single week like the other place.
JoAnn D.
-
We had an African Grey parrot in the Niles Animal Hospital for long term treatment. Dr. Sakas provided the highest quality of vet care and allowed us to visit our companion animal every day that they were open. The compassion and professionalism that he and his staff provided was much appreciated. I trust his judgment and expertise and would not think of taking my birds to any other vet.Kathy E.
-
We have been taking our dogs to this animal hospital for some time now. If you are looking for a vet that is caring and responsive to your needs and that of your pet, this is a very good choice. When we first began seeing them one of our dogs, very surprisingly, was found to have Lymphoma. In a very short time after, we had to put her down. When we phoned as soon as they opened and explained that we didn’t want her to suffer and things were getting very bad, they had us come right over. They were so patient and understanding at this very difficult time. They didn’t rush us through our goodbys and gave her a sedative before stopping her heart. Then a few weeks later we got a letter from the University of Illinois telling us that a donation had been given to the vet school in her name. What a nice idea. Since that time, we have seen Dr. K. numerous times. We have an old Labrador and a young Lab who have given them a number of challenges that they have met well. The office staff is very personable. Over the years we have been to most vets in a 10 mile radius and this is where we feel we are getting the most for our money and the best we can do for our pets.We feel strongly that these folks are very professional but, more importantly, have our pets health and happiness as their number one priority. They really care.Karon O.
-
This is an overall opinion rather than a report on a specific visit or treatment. We think the world of Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center. We have had dozens of pets (and several veterinary services) over 30 years’ time but this caring, compassionate group of professionals is simply the best. At this time, we have two “senior citizen” shih tzus who are in rather delicate condition, so we need for them to have a soft, gentle touch in their treatment. The doctors and technicians at Niles Animal Hospital have always provided that. Our visits are never rushed, and we have never felt that unnecessary tests or medications were suggested or performed. Charges are reasonable and fair, and follow-up is excellent. With this group, we have always felt that we were a part of the decisions regarding the care of our animals, and the pro’s and cons of various procedures are always carefully explained. Dr. Don Staunton is an exceptional veterinarian, and Dr. Sakas’ “way with birds” is phenomenal. We think so highly of Niles Animal Hospital that we drive from the south side of Downers Grove up to Niles just to see their doctors! (Well worth the trip!)
Jim & Caryl J
-
I live 12 hours from Niles, in Upstate NY; after being given an abused older macaw who had 4 fracture sites on his wings, the only person I would trust to improve his quality of life is Dr. Peter Sakas. I drove Keates to Niles where he’s undergone two surgeries to correct the orientation of his wings and put an end to the chronic pain he’s had at the sites.
I cannot say enough great things about the true caring, the level of care and love this office has for it’s patient’s. It was hard to be so far away while Keates went thru this, but the staff always took my calls and let me know how things were going and detailed info on the steps being taken.
While most people (I hope) won’t find themselves with such extreme medical issues, I can tell you there is nothing I wouldn’t trust this office to handle.
If you are near them, that is the place to take your beloved pets!Kathy M.
-
Niles Animal Hospital is a great place. They have taken stellar care of my cats, rats and parrot. They are one of the few places that actually has the training to treat birds and other small mammals. Since my parrot is 24, he needs a good vet who knows their stuff.
It is true that they are not open in the evening but they do open very early in the morning, so it would pretty easy to take a pet there before you went to work. And they have been great about any emergencies we have had and seen all our pets pronto.
Dr. Sakas is probably the most experienced avian vet in Chicago and maybe even in the Midwest, so if you have a bird, this is the place to go. Since they were so good with our rats and bird, we moved our cats there too.
Mama D.
-
This place is the best for your birds! They treat you with so much respect and care! If you ever need to bring your pet here PLEASE know you are in good hands!! They just care so much for you and your animal.
Miki O.
Latest Tweets
What stresses dogs and cats at seasonal gatherings 
