BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Clients of a new pet hospital in Northwest Bakersfield are saying the company is living up to its name. It's called the Affordable Pet Hospital and customers ABC 23 spoke to said the name couldn't be more true.

Veterinarian Dr. Ann Hamilton said there are many reasons that she costs about 20 percent less that the average veterinarian around town. For one, family designed and decorated the office and they don't keep expensive inventory in the clinic, keeping the overhead down. "We also keep the cost down for our clients by including them in the decisions making for the treatment plan of their animal," said Hamilton.

The pet hospital's namesake goes much deeper than simply serving as a creative marketing slogan. Hamilton and her staff opened their pet hospital with the philosophy that the highest standard of veterinary care can be provided without charging over-inflated prices. This is especially important given the current economic climate, said Hamilton.

Over the last two years, Hamilton has sadly watched clients decline necessary medical treatments for their pets as they are forced to make tough family budget decisions. Not unlike health care for people, neglecting routine check-ups now can end up costing much more in the long run. To that end, Affordable Pet Hospital was born.

Clients told ABC 23 that other clinics around town kept them in the dark as far as the total treatment cost as how that related to the health of their animal. "Everything was laid out for us before we decided to get the treatment for our dog. We were told the estimated cost of the total treatment," said Michelle Hamner.

ABC 23 check the prices to see what Affordable Pet Hospital could do in the case of a cat that needed blood test to screen for kidney problems as well as treatment, compared to another pet hospital. The saving was just under $150.

Pet owner Dolores Ham came to the clinic after her dog had complications in her pregnancy and was told it needed a c-section costing about $800. "I took my dog to Ann and had the puppies delivered and it only ran me about $250. Affordable was honest about the treatment and didn't tell me my dog needed a c-section," said Ham.

Hamilton has over 30 years experience with 23 years as a registered veterinary technician and nine years as a licensed veterinarian .