Celebrating 25 Years of Service
Special Notice
We will be out of the office and unavailable for appointments until Fri Jan 3rd. You may still use the site to request an appointment time for when we return (availability will show beginning in the final week of December), 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 Other Options for Help page for a link to other at home euthanasia providers.
Yes! We are still providing in home euthanasia
However, Quality of Life Assessment and Palliative Care/Hospice services are no longer available. You may be able to find providers for these services on the Other Options for Help page.
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 and portions of Solano County). To see a complete listing of cities served, including our Extended Service Areas, click on the link below. 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).