I have been to Alta Vista frequently over the last 3 years for my 3 Basset Hounds and have always been happy! They are always accommodating, provide excellent customer service to me and my dogs, and make recommendations for treatment that are in line with veterinary best-practices and that are affordable. My dogs also tend to get scared at the vet, but the vet techs and the veterinarians are gentle and kind to my dogs. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Alta Vista and would recommend them without hesitation to anyone looking for a veterinarian.
On a side note, last year my dog had a slipped disk (IVDD) and Alta Vista had no recommendations for me other than costly surgery, treating with Prednisone or putting the dog down. We chose to treat her with Prednisone and she recovered, but it was a lengthy recovery time. I recently found this website with alternative treatment options that I wanted to share with other pet owners: http://dogswithivdd.com/ I didn't know there were options like this. Good to have other choices rather than making the awful choice to put a dog down.