Compassionate end of life care for pets
Special Notice
We will be out of the office and unavailable for appointments beginning on Thanksgiving, Thu Nov 28th and returning on Fri Jan 3rd. You may still use the site to request an appointment time for when we return (or prior, if available), but appointments made during that period may not receive a confirmation from Dr. Smith until Jan 2nd. Feel free to check out the remainder of the site for answers to your commonly asked questions. If your needs are more urgent, please visit the Service Areas page for a link to other at home euthanasia providers.
Yes! We are still providing in home euthanasia
(with Certain Safety Precautions)
Although things are improving, our community (and the world at large) is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact remains that the need to provide compassionate end of life care for our pets is critical. As we slowly move forward and restrictions begin to loosen, hopefully, we will soon be returning to something near normal. However, there are still so many details about the virus, its spread, vaccine effectiveness, etc., that we don’t completely know the answers to. As a result, in order to maintain everyone’s safety, we continue to follow a science-based transmission prevention protocol. The latest version of our home visit procedures can be found here. You can also find details of temporary procedures instituted to maintain everyone’s safety by clicking on the link below. Please read through this information carefully before requesting an appointment so that you will know what to expect during a visit.
In addition, please note that we provide home care visits for euthanasia only (Quality of Life Assessment and Palliative Care/Hospice services are no longer available).
Although we are having to make some modifications in order to continue to provide in home service, we hope that the necessary restrictions do not prevent us from continuing to provide a gentle and peaceful passing for your pet. However, we do understand that these modifications may not fit with your situation and needs, and you may need to work with your regular veterinary hospital or another home service provider.
We provide compassionate, at home euthanasia services for caring pet owners in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We recognize that for most people, the end of a loved animal companion's life is one of the most difficult and heart-breaking experiences of their lives. We try to make this experience less painful by offering end of life care in the home, where you and your pet will feel more comfortable. Click on the link below to see available times and/or schedule an appointment.
Service Area
We provide care in the San Francisco Bay Area (primarily East Bay). Service to other Bay Area Communities (portions of Napa, Marin, and Solano Counties) may be available on a limited basis, with additional charges for travel (click on the link below for details). For clients living outside of these areas, we may be able to refer you to another colleague in your area.
What We Do
“If I could give five million stars to Dr. Smith, maybe that wouldn’t even be enough.”
We provide only at home euthanasia for pets. Rainbow Bridge Veterinary Services was one of the very first veterinary practices in the world dedicated solely to this area of veterinary care. Our founder, Dr. Anthony Smith is a pioneer in the field and completely committed to making your pet’s transition as comfortable and peaceful as possible for the entire family. He will work with you personally on every aspect of your pet’s care from initial contact, through scheduling, preparations, and explanations, to the actual euthanasia procedure and follow-up.
If the need for euthanasia is near, an appointment can be set for us to assist you in providing a peaceful death for your animal in your home (or other suitable location). We will discuss options for disposition, (the care of the body after death) and answer any questions that you might have.
If the time of death is not imminent or you are having trouble making decisions about end-of-life care, we may suggest a telephone consultation or refer you to others who may help with hospice, palliative care, and/or Quality of Life assessment.
A Note About Timing
Almost everyone (including us) struggles with trying to find the right time to say their final goodbye. Rest assured that there is no "perfect" time. We always want to have just one more day, and there can be tremendous guilt associated with making the very difficult decision to choose euthanasia.
In most cases, though, it is best not to wait until the last minute to schedule an appointment. This may result in putting your pet through unnecessary discomfort, and you having to scramble in a crisis to try to find help. In addition, it may be difficult for us to be available for you on short notice, and there may be additional charges.
Many times, we have heard our clients comment - "better to choose euthanasia one day too early, rather than one moment too late." If you are having trouble with making this decision, please discuss your issues with your pet’s regular veterinarian or someone dedicated to end of life decision making (e.g. BluePearl Pet Hospice).