We had a quality of life assessment for our senior dog last summer with Dr Brian. He gave us a lot of useful information and wanted to follow up with some medication and in office tests. When I contacted his office I was unable to secure a time to pick up the medication or schedule an appointment. My voice messages and emails largely went unanswered. The biggest shock was receiving an invoice today (7 months later) for the medication I never received. The invoice even included a finance charge. Thankfully there are better options for senior dog care in San Francisco. read more

Our Kara kitty was diagnosed with cancer in her abdomen last month, and there was nothing we could do to help cure her. We made her as comfortable as we could, injected fluids in her everyday, and she had strings of good days, but then on Christmas Eve, her body just couldn't take it anymore. I got referred to Dr. Van Horn and his services from a family member and a couple of friends, and my wife and I are so glad that there are angels on earth in the form of Dr. Van Horn, Zayn, and Jennifer. They were all incredibly kind, compassionate, and professional and in spite of having to play phone tag and change the day of our appointment a couple of times. It's not easy at all to do what Dr. Van Horn did, but he did so with the most calm, kind, and understanding heart. He explained everything to us very clearly and even went so far as to share things about himself and stories about his pets to help us through things. He was so patient and gave us all the time we needed to say what we needed to say. He was gentle with her and helped her not suffer any longer. Kara was in excellent hands with Dr. Van Horn, and I highly recommend him if you are in need of services for your pet in their last moments. It was the most peaceful day, spending time with our Kara on the couch on Christmas Eve, and having Dr. Van Horn help ease her passing, and now we're so relieved that our kitty doesn't have to suffer any longer. Dr. Van Horn even went so far as to make himself available to us if we needed someone to talk to in the future, and if I ever see him in the city, I would gladly go up to him and say hi. I consider him family based on how kind and gentle he was to our Kara. Thank you so much, Dr. Van Horn, and all of your associates, for helping our last moments with Kara be so loving and meaningful! read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Our beloved Kara kitty. Thanks to Dr. Van Horn, she passed peacefully and surrounded by all those that loved her. Love you, sweetie cat :-) - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

We said goodbye to our fur baby today and we couldn't have asked for a smoother experience. We are so grateful for the peaceful transition. It is truly a gift and must be one of the hardest jobs on this planet to support families losing a loved one. We handled the cremation drop off at Pet's Rest ourselves and were able to spend the time we needed with her. We didn't know how long it would be but didn't want to feel like we were holding the vet up and I'm glad we did. We were able to spend two solid hours with our baby until we were ready to say our final goodbye. Sometimes their spirit remains and sometimes it floats away pretty quickly. Sending love to all of those losing a loved one. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dr. Brian & Jenn are the essence of empathy and action. They helped assess our dog's quality of life and helped ease his transition across the rainbow bridge. He had a brain tumor, and on his last day, he couldn't stand up, eat, or drink. Brian & Jenn were able to miraculously make space in their schedules, despite having so many clients to care for that day, in order to help our dog on his day of need. It would have been a tough night otherwise. We are so grateful for their kindness and commitment. It's clear how much they care for animals and for the humans who look after them. Thank you. One important note: Brian, Jenn, and other doctors who help with end-of-life care for animals often have busy schedules booked a few days in advance. It's very important to have a few doctors in mind just in case your preferred doctor(s) are not available on your day of need. Ask Brian & Jenn's office for a list of referrals if that happens. read more

When I took my declining 14 y/o dog to the vet, he said I should say goodbye then and there. But I didn't want his last moments terrified, and I couldn't do it alone. I brought him home and made him comfortable. I was conflicted because I knew his body was giving up and I knew he was in pain but making that decision is never ever easy. When it was time, we called Dr. Vanhorn and I couldn't be more grateful for the send off of our boy. He did a quality of life assessment and helped us with our next move. Our boy was in his cozy bed, surrounded by his whole family, eating snacks and getting kisses and rubs. A decision I could have never made at the vet, Dr. Vanhorn made it peaceful and helped us in our decision. We walked us through every step and gave us moments together when we needed it. This man has a gentle soul and bless him for what he does for people. read more

You will never feel better at such a emotional time. They will take of you from the start to the end. Recommend these folks 110%! read more

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I hesitate to disrupt the many stellar 5-star ratings, but feel the need to warn about a particular problem we ran into that sent us to another euthanasia vet on our pup's final day. Months before our terminally ill dog was ready to leave us, we had a preliminary meeting with Brian, who was very compassionate and helped us plan for the inevitable. But every time--many times!--we tried to check in for further support, by phone and email, no one ever got back to us. We never again heard from Brian or his staff, and even after our dog's death, when I tried to offer constructive criticism about their poor communications, they never replied. Hence, this "could've been better" Yelp review. read more

The most difficult decision I never wanted to make. I often used to say that I was seeking a vampire to make my beloved cat immortal, because she was the absolute best. I'm so glad for at home services these days because it can otherwise be very stressful. I'm even more thankful for finding Dr. Brian Van Horn and Jennifer, who are the most magical people. Because of Dr. Brian, who gave my cat a peaceful and beautiful passing, I was able to deal with her death much better than I ever expected. Thank you also to Jennifer for checking in with me after my first call (which was on a Saturday) and talking me through my decision. Dr. Brian showed up on Easter Sunday and said all of the most wonderful things to help me through this process. Thank you for treating my cat with such care and kindness, and for treating me with such care and kindness. I sing your praises to all who have checked in on me during my grief. These are the people you need when that most difficult time presents itself. read more

For some reason, two of my my five star reviews from 2017 didn't register the five star rating, so here they are again from 2/7/2017 and 11/16/2017. 2/7/2017: We are gutted after the loss of our boy.. Saying goodbye to our champion boy was devastating to my wife and I. He had been in decline for a number of months but then experienced a steep drop over the weekend, leaving us at our wits end and not knowing what to do. Finally, we called a few home vets trying to schedule a same day appointment, finally landing on GG Home Hospice and Euth and Dr. Brian. I got the business stuff out of the way quickly with his office manager over the phone, which I appreciated, and scheduled the appointment for 2p that day. Dr. Brian called ahead to ask a few questions, making sure he was prepared to help my buddy Elvis, a Rottweiler. My wife and I didn't know what to expect when Dr. Brian arrived, but he engaged us quickly with an ease of manner and a competence and clarity that we very much needed at that moment, and put us at ease. He listened to us and went over the options most of which we pretty much had already considered, but as Dr. Brian put it, he needed to go over these ethically before we did something that couldn't be undone. Dr. Brian explained what would happen and gave us time to process the details before helping our special boy embark on his next journey. The final moments were calm and peaceful with tears all around. I really don't know how he does it, as I would be a wreck every time I had to go through this, but Dr. Brian was the caring and compassionate guide we needed at a devastating time for our family. I cannot rate him highly enough. 11/16/2017: This was our second experience with Dr. Brian. After saying goodbye to our champion boy in January, our lovely female Rottweiler was ready to go. Dr. Brian was as we remembered him: caring, professional, accommodating and so very kind. We are gutted and puppy-less for the first time in more than 13 years, but Dr. Brian made it bearable with his quiet, calm and kind demeanor. read more

This past weekend, Dr brian guided my family and i through the most difficult decision we've ever had to make - telling our beloved 15 year old black lab goodbye. Dr Brian was compassionate, caring, respectful and honest with our decision. He never rushed the process and answered all of our questions without judgement. During the procedure, Dr Brian was our strength and leader. To that end, his true gift was his ability to become small in our moment of extreme pain and heartache. His demeanor, soft spoken voice and professionalism allowed us to cry and fully grieve the last moments of our dog's life. The process was painful but beautiful at the same time and we owe it all to Dr Brian. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Our beloved Pino - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

We were so happy to find a mobile vet that specializes in end of life care here on Yelp. Our 14 YO dog is having severe mobility issues but is not quite at an urgent stage yet. We were really hoping to have a veterinarian who specializes in this kind of care come over to assess her quality of life. My husband left them a message on Saturday, January 7th, and later that day I filled out a "contact us" form on their website. I called a couple of times the following week, making sure it was between their stated business hours of 9-1pm, and no one ever picked up the phone. I left another message on Thursday, January 12th. No one has ever responded or called back. Luckily we found another mobile vet who was very responsive and easy to schedule an appointment with. read more

My family and I cannot thank Dr. Brian Van Horn and Jennifer enough for their excellent service and compassion during this very emotional process. Our beloved 16 year-old shiba inu, Rei, was deteriorating and we decided to let her go this past Christmas Eve 2017. Due to the holidays, our regular mobile vet was unavailable. I called several providers and spoke with a few doctors, but chose Golden Gate because their process seemed much more streamlined than the other hospitals. Also Jennifer (who took my call) was just an angel! Seriously, she was so compassionate, thorough and simply a kind person. During the actual appointment, Dr. Van Horn was soft-spoken, gentle, and patient with our grieving family. We couldn't have asked for a better ending for our lovely dog. He treated our baby with the utmost respect. We opted for the private cremation and urn. This service comes with a beautiful, robust ceramic disc with paw print and stand. However, I paid for 1 additional ceramic paw print, which I asked to be made into an ornament. The way this works is Golden Gate works with an outside company that prepares the ashes, as well as the ceramic paw print. You simply order this via Jennifer and she will let you know when everything is ready for pick-up (or mailing). The ornament came out lovely! There was a hole drilled at the top where I simply inserted ribbon. I will post a picture of the ornament for reference. Thanks again Dr. Van Horn, Jennifer, and the rest of your team for the phenomenal work you do. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Lovely ceramic paw print ornament for our dog Rei. This disc has a good weight to it so add enough ribbon and place on a strong branch. - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Dr. VanHorn was amazing with our cat, Katsup. He was able todo a quick yet thorough assessment of Katsup. Once all alternatives were discussed we determined a path and he walked us through the end of life process. Dr. VanHorn prepared us as much as he could and he was extremely helpful before, during, and after the procedure with our cat. I cannot thank him enough for helping our cat cross to the other side with as little pain as possible. read more

I was given this referral from my veterinarian regarding end of life care for my dog. I left a couple of messages and never received a call back. If they're not taking new clients, I understand but a phone call would have been nice. read more

Dr. Brian and vet tech Jenn are amazing humans. They were incredibly kind, empathetic, and responsive while caring for our beloved dog Captain - and let's face it us as well - during his last few weeks on earth. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found them during such a difficult time. read more

Such a hard review to write but Golden Gate Vet deserves the review. From my email on a Sunday that Jennifer responded to within an hour, to my extremely difficult phone call and speaking with a very patient and kind Zayn, to our appointment with Dr. VanHorn, who is truly a special person... Everyone made the experience as painless as possible for both my cat and I. Dr VanHorn allowed us space, infused the right amount of conversation and very welcome questions about our cat and how we got him (a wonderful distraction and helped us remember the good memories when I was just consumed with sadness) and was exceptionally calm and kind. I would only recommend in-home euthanasia for your pet when the time comes and if you live in the city, GGV is the one to call. read more

Dr Van Horn, Jennifer, Zayn and the rest of the staff are literally the best vet team I have ever been exposed to. I'll have more to say in the future, but even during the COVID pandemic they gave our Willow the best care and compassion. They very responsive and compassionate-not just for the pet's well being but to the entire family impacted. I'm grieving now, but this practice existing is maybe the only reason I could ever see having a dog again. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Willow at her favorite place, the beach - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

We are still recovering from having our beloved kitty boy Arnie euthanized this past Saturday at home, but compelled to share our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Brian Van Horn who made that experience painless for our kitty and not as traumatic for us as it could have been at a cold and indifferent vet's office. Dr. Van Horn gave us comfort by explaining each step of the procedure in detail, treated our boy so gently and with so much care, gave ample time for us to say good bye and express our grief after Arnie passed. It's heart wrenching to see your beloved pet of 14 years die, but I am thankful we chose a compassionate and kind human being such as Dr. Van Horn to take us through that devastating experience. read more

Dr. Brian made this very difficult process as comfortable as possible. He was compassionate and caring toward our sweet 12 yr old boxer, Milo. He made sure we understood the process and talked us through it. He was so gentle and sweet with Milo. I can't say enough how Dr Brian made this time peaceful and dignified. Thank you, Dr.Brian. read more

I dreaded this moment soon after we adopted Sasha, our sweet shepherd girl. She had a healthy three years with us and we fell in love. So you can imagine the agony when, at 10, she fell ill and was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Over the next month we watched her degrade from one of the most healthy and active 10-year-olds to a poor, broken old dog. But like all good dogs, her spirits were high right until the end and we had a great time, even as her body increasingly slowed her down. A couple of weeks in I gave Golden Gate a call so they could do a consultation. This part is helpful, because they will check out the animal help teach you what some signs of pain and suffering are, so you can make the best decision. On her last day, I noticed she went under my desk, which is something she did when she was scared of something or sick. When she wouldn't eat even her treats, we knew we had reached the end. We called Golden Gate again and they agreed to be out the same evening. After arriving, they went over what to expect (they're very good at this, at all phases), and were never once pushy about moving along. They gave us time to say goodbye, and then we got the only thing I could wish for our pretty girl... That she died peacefully and comfortably, on her own blanket and in the home she loved being in. More importantly, surrounded by us, her family who did the best we could to make sure she wouldn't live to suffer one more painful day than she had to. After it was done, they let us be alone with her, and again, never hurried us. I requested to carry her like I had done so often the last few days, and they understood. I will never forget taking her away that one last time, and while sad, is a memory I'll cherish along with the many more great ones. It takes a special kind of person to do this kind of work well, and I'm so glad that Dr. Van Horn and team do this. They know that everyone who calls has a pet they care for dearly, and they treat every animal with the same love. They will never have a "satisfied" customer, but knowing the alternatives we are grateful because of the respect Golden Gate showed us and Sasha. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our sweet 11 yr old Rottweiller was diagnosed with bone cancer several weeks ago. She had problems with her legs most of her life, having had dysplasia surgery in both front elbows and both knees replaced. She was always a trooper and recovered well but in the past 2 years she had developed arthritis and had more difficulty getting around. When her limp became worse even with medication we feared something else was wrong. Unfortunately we were correct, she had a large bone tumor(osteosarcoma) and her prognosis was not good. We decided to manage her pain until she was ready to go. We kept her comfortable for the last two weeks but it become very difficult for her to stand or walk without assistance and we could tell she was in considerable pain when her meds were wearing off. Ellie never liked the vet office, it made her very stressed and anxious so her doctor recommended Golden Gate Veterinary. I made the appointment for Saturday evening and we had a few more beautiful days together. Ellie was never very friendly to strangers in our house but to my surprise, she loved Dr Van Horn and Jenn. They explained everything very well and let us know what to expect. We held her through the process and told her we love her. She was never stressed or uncomfortable and it was very peaceful. Dr Van Horn and Jenn are extremely compassionate and helped us through a difficult time...We will always be grateful to them. We love and miss you Ellie.. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's been a rough couple years for my family and my animals. My wife and I lost our Maine Coon, Juju, and our big handsome, Labrador Mix, Monroe, at SFVS in this time period. Both of these magnificent friends had to be admitted and euthanized as emergencies. So, when the time came for our spirited Jack Russell, Callie, we had wanted it to be different. Callie was already in progressive liver failure when Dr. Brian first came to visit us. Prior to this, she had a several day stay at SFVS. This was extremely hard on her. Callie's separation anxiety was extreme. We altered her diet dramatically, and followed a strict medicine and supplement regimen to manage her condition, with the knowledge that it wouldn't get better. About six months later, I called Golden Gate Home Hospice, preparing for the inevitable. Jennifer called me back and we talked about Callie's condition, her personality and her comfort levels. She hates the vet. She has difficulty with men. She is reactive. For her, that means that she bites when she's frightened. And she's frequently frightened. Jennifer was warm, supportive and caring over the phone. Dr. Brian came out soon after to meet Callie. We had a normal appointment, talked diet, medication and supplements and she did quite well. We started her on a pain management plan. I was so glad I had the opportunity to do this ahead of time. I didn't want her to be nervous with Dr. Brian when we would have to make her final appointment. She made it almost another six months before the pain started to overwhelm her. Making that appointment was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made, but it underscores the importance of the work that Dr. Brian and Jennifer do. They are warm and caring to the core, despite the heart wrench of this part of their practice. (Please note that this is a regular house call veterinary practice as well.) Dr. Brian and Jennifer explained the entire process ahead of time. Everything we did that day felt like a collaboration on Callie's behalf. We took the time to make sure she was comfortable and happy. And it helped knowing that she had an amazing last week of her life. The process was incredibly hard, but incredibly loving. She was ready. As heart broken as I am, Brian and Jennifer, I can't thank you enough for making Callie's last hours comfortable, content and most importantly at home. read more

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I made the awful, gut-wrenching, anxiety causing decision to call Dr. Van Horn for my cat, who was 17 in 2019 and deteriorating rapidly in health. We had called a couple places, and Dr. Van Horn was the only one we felt comfortable with. He came to our flat. I cried all morning, and throughout his visit. It was horrible, but Dr. Van Horn gave my family space and allowed us to grieve, me especially. read more

Just wanted to take a moment and thank Dr. Brian Van Horn and his vet assistant Jen Sawyer for their patience, compassion, and kindness. My family and I had to say goodbye to our fur baby Nena on April 15th. This was one of the most difficult days of my life. If your a pet parent, and you've experienced having to euthanize your family member, you know the pain and sadness we went through. As difficult as that moment was, Dr Van Horn and Jen made it the most peaceful and beautiful moment for us. Nena, my baby girl, we loved you for 14 1/2 years. Holding you as you took your last breathe in my arms broke my heart, but knowing you passed at home surrounded by all the humans that loved you, gives me joy. I will always remember the gentle care and attention you were given by Brian and Jen on your last day. I highly recommend these two beautiful souls. God bless them as they continue to help others in their most emotional, stressful time with their last goodbye to their fur baby. read more

Dr. Van Horn is very professional and compassionate man. Highly recommend his service. During the toughest time he was the best hands down!

What I learned the day that I had to call the vet is that it's better to euthanize sooner then later. I feel awful Trubble had to suffer for a few days before I made the move. It was the first time I had to put a pet to sleep and , I was confused what to do (my vet gave no specific instructions). I have 2 cats now and will do for them what I did for Trubble. And I've told many friends about this great service. I highly recommend them. It's costly, but I'd rather go hungry than see my pets in pain or take them to a vet hospital, and put them on a cold metal table. read more

Dr. Van Horn, Rebecca, Jennifer and Bernadette are ANGELS. And I truly mean that. I was in a haze making preparations, but they made it as easy as possible on a grieving fur momma. The office was very quick to get back to me, talked me through every step because I was clueless and not in a good place mentally to understand anything complicated. The day of, Dr. Van Horn was exactly what I needed. He was uncommonly kind, empathetic, extremely supportive and very knowledgeable. He gave us all the time we needed to say goodbye. But most importantly, gave us so much comfort in an excruciating situation. Thank you guys. You were able to end my Boos suffering and release him from a broken body in the most peaceful way possible. I will be forever grateful! read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Boo and I thank you all for your kindness and compassion. - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

I cannot say enough about the kindness, patience, and gentleness of Dr. VanHorn, who attended to our dog Emily for her last and greatest journey. His patience and gentleness extended to the humans in the room: he explained the process, gave us room to be with her, but his patience and listened to our stories, and our jokes (our family processes pain with humor). When it was time, he helped Emily out of life with kindness and respect, and was gentle and thoughtful with her family as well. He made a very hard day easier, and we are so grateful. read more

I called Golden Gate HHE on Wednesday after coming home from VCA all day Tuesday with my grim diagnosis. Jennifer told me over the phone what to expect with a home visit, gave options for cremation etc and emailed paperwork. I panicked for two days about whether I was doing the right thing and two more calls to GGHHE( Ivan?) settled my nerves a bit. Dr Brian Van Horn came to my apartment Saturday morning and administered a barbituate while I held my boy until we were ready for the next shot. My other cat watched the whole time which I believe was helpful to her also. It all sucked, but Brian was calm patient and informative. He was casual and quiet unlike any trip to the Vet in the crate would have been. I'm so thankful to Brian for doing the difficult job he does. read more

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Tony & I want to thank Dr. Van Horn and his staff, Erica and Jennifer, for their compassion and care of our trusty feline companion, Yvette Miau Miau. She was 19 years old and had been sick for at least a couple very difficult years, in which we feel we tried everything we could to make things better for her. Nobody wants to make this call, but if you feel it is the right thing to do for your pet, you can trust Dr. V. He will give you new meds to try if you wish. Or if you're ready, gently guide you, never pressuring you, through the painful process of saying goodbye, as calmly and peacefully as possible. A major reason I'm writing this review is that when we were looking for options for Miau Miau, we found these reviews immensely helpful. If you are able to afford to do this at home, and can't imagine putting your frail pet through one last stressful trip to the hospital or vet, it's so worth it in every way. The initial home consultation was helpful also. While we miss our gal terribly, we are extremely grateful to Golden Gate Hospice. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

Bryan and Jennifer made one of the hardest days of our lives significantly easier. Diagnosing, treating, and ultimately saying goodbye to our terminally ill doodle has been an agonizing few months, and we are so grateful to Bryan and Jennifer for making the day of as quick, seamless, and painless as possible for our family and our sweet angel. read more

Dr Brian Van Horn helped us when our beloved greyhound mutt was 13 years old this year and his kidney failure progressed until he stopped eating, then had problems with stairs and his stamina declined rapidly over two weeks. Our regular vet saw our dog and said he was close to the end and death was imminent. We didn't want him to suffer or be kept alive just to eke out a few more days for our needs. We decided to let him die at home since the animal hospital always made him nervous. We got Dr Van Horn's information from a friend who went through the process previously. He explained everything, got our consent, and told us what to expect. He was compassionate with our little guy and our dog was comfortable while we held and stroked him when he died in our living room in familiar surroundings. I've spent countless resources, like most pet owners, on all our other dogs' food and medical bills, toys and boarding, and this was the best money I've ever spent. read more

Dr. Van Horn came to our home to care for our terminally ill/failing cat. He was kind and gentle, treated us and her respectfully, and let us take our time to say good bye. We could not be more thankful for his care and consideration during such a difficult time. read more

Trust the reviews, Dr. Van Horn is excellent. First, he is great with cats. Second, he has a great demeanor and is patient, caring and thoughtful. In such an emotional time, he put as at ease and earned our trust quickly. We recently called Brian to help us provide the last act of love we could give to our beloved cat, Sweetie. We were blessed to have Sweetie in our lives for 9 years and so grateful that we had Brian to help ease her transition. Thank you Brian. read more

Thank you so much for making this impossibly hard process as peaceful for my dog as it could've possibly been. When my pup Roko was suffering from terminal kidney failure, Golden Gate made sure to schedule an appointment for him the day we called. They make sure you know what will happen and what the costs are before the appointment, and they walk you through everything over on the phone. Dr. Van Horn was kind, empathetic, and understanding, and made us feel very comfortable right away. He allowed me as much time as I needed to say goodbye, and let me choose how much of the process I wanted to participate in. My sweet pup passed on snuggled up in my arms on his favorite blanket, hearing what a good boy he was. This service was an enormous gift for my dog. I cannot recommend these kind people enough. read more

Golden Gate Veterinary Home Hospice and Euthanasia - Thanks for helping my sweet little red Pei, Roko! - Veterinarians Near Me - San Francisco, California

Everything about this sad experience of freedom for our beloved cat was all that we could have hoped for. Dr. Van Horn/Brian was gracious, calm, compassionate, knowledgeable, friendly and kind. He walked us through what to expect in advance-and then repeated it again when our cat's big brother arrived a few minutes late having made a last minute decision to join us. These are hard times in the midst of hard times. We are grateful. (added bonus points for the Quality of Life guide on the website. We knew that Claude was ready, that we were ready, but this guide helped us confirm this.) read more

I don't write reviews, ever, but I feel deeply compelled to write this one. If you're on Yelp looking for a service like this, it's probably a pretty sad time for you and your family, but you care enough to make sure that the last thing you do for pet is let them go peacefully and ideally in your own home. If you read nothing else past this sentence...USE DR. VAN HORN. Dr. Van Horn's calm and genuine demeanor allowed us to say goodbye properly and on our own terms. He explained everything that was (and would) happen in a way we could all easily understand and gave us the option of participating in as little or as much of the process as we wanted. He was precise down to how long we had after each injection as well as what my pup was feeling at the time. It was all very sad, but peaceful and quite frankly poetic. Today, I picked up my pup's ashes and it came with a beautifully engraved paw print and urn that I could put a picture in. A perfect way to commemorate a long and happy life. If you are at the point where you have only one last gift to give your pet, give them the option of Dr. Van Horn. You'll be glad you did it. We are. read more

My husband and I made the most heart wrenching decision to put our 14 year old dog down after medical complications and long term illness. I called to book an appointment after checking out their website as they recommended when I first called. I called back deciding to go with Golden Gate for the euthanasia appointment. The lady (Serenity) asked me which of two time slots I would prefer and we booked the appointment for the next day. Two hours before the appointment time I receive a phone call telling me they could not do the euthanasia and asked if I'd like to book an evening appointment the following day! I was stunned and angry. We had already been preparing ourselves emotionally for the trauma of putting our beloved family member down. We then had to scramble and call around to find another vet to do a house call. Golden Gate then called back several hours later to offer us a discount on our next service as if I would ever return. They were asking us to wait another full day with my dog in discomfort and pain. This is the most irresponsible and unprofessional customer service I have ever received. They should be doing the most to make this most emotional time easier for their clients not harder and more distressing. I will never recommend their services in fact I will go out of my way to tell people not to use them. read more

Our cat was getting ready to make his transition last weekend. I left a message at 4:30PM on a Saturday and NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THEM. Fortunately I had a back up plan and another vet helped our precioius kitty. When I called Golden Gate Hospice to tell them what happened they apologized and said "your call must have fallen through the cracks". I told them that in the business they were in you can't afford to have calls "fall through the crack". Our cat suffered longer than he had to because of them and I will never forget it. read more

I called Dr. Brian Van Horn on the recommendation of a colleague who has known Brian for many years and used the services in the past. I left a message on a Sunday evening and received a call back immediately from Jennifer. She asked me a lot of important questions about my 15.5 yr old Lab mix and told me to call our current vet and have medical records from the past 6 months sent over. The following day after receiving the records, Jennifer called me to schedule a "Quality of Life" appointment. I took the first available appointment which was 1 week away. She asked for a debit or credit card to hold the appointment- something I did not expect. I wanted to make sure I would be made aware of any charges ahead of time and she explained how a hold would be placed on the funds for the full cost of the appointment. I was not comfortable with that and thought it was an unreasonable request. I have no problem paying whatever the cost is for the appointments and would even be willing to pay in advance before the date, but money is tight for me at the very end of the month and I had vet appointments for both my dogs the following day. Unfortunately, Jennifer was unwilling to work with me due to their policy and said they will not be able to move forward with me without a credit or debit card number. This is the first time I have ever dealt with losing a pet. I don't know if this is standard practice or not but it felt very insensitive and conveyed a message of mistrust they had in me. I never did get the opportunity to speak with a veterinarian. With all the 5 star reviews, I thought I might have dealt with a different business. FYI: ___ This is the same business as Bay Area Veterinary Housecall Associates http://sfhousecallvet.com/ with the following contact info & location: 415-963-4189 491 27th Ave San Francisco, CA 94121 read more