Restful Paws

I live in the south bay area and when I found out that my dog had cancer the last thing I wanted to do was to take her into the vet to be put down. She despises going to the vet so I wanted to figure out the best way to handle this tough situation. I got online and did a bit of searching for a vet that does in home euthanasia. After searching for a while a I found that my choices were quite limited and there was only one lady coming up on most of me searches. She had mixed reviews so I contact my vet who referred me to Dr. Rathjen. Dr. Rathjen explained to me how it works and what my options were and I decided she was going to be the one. Not only was she very empathetic but just an all around great person who I would recommend to anyone considering this type of service. One other thing worth noting is my dog is very protective and has a lot of anxiety when it comes to new people. The one thing that amazed me was my dog warmed up to her in a matter of seconds which says more than a million words. Not only did she make my girlfriend and I comfortable but she made my dog comfortable as well. If you are considering this type of service for your animal there is no one who could be a better fit the job! Louise is awesome! To top if off she also sent us a card and on it was a picture of a dog (which looked exactly the same as my dog) and a couple walking on the beach. It was so nice to have someone on your side throughout the grieving process.

My cat Spookie had been losing strength, weight and getting progressively worse for the last few years as a result of some unknown disease, but at a much accelerated pace over the last 2 – 3 months.
It got so bad that I didn’t want him to suffer or prolong that suffering for my sake.
The hardest part of euthanizing a beloved animal, is WHEN is the right time?
I wanted to leave this review because Louise and I spoke via phone several times over the course of 3 – 4 weeks as I was trying to balance my cat’s declining health with his desire and stubbornness to continue to fight and show improvement.
Dr. Rathjen was always kind, empathetic and always talked me through the difficulties of knowing exactly when is the right time to let a declining life go peacefully and without undue suffering.
Because I was not sure exactly when the right time would be and because of the unexpected nature of a decision like this, I was unable to coordinate with Louise when I finally was ready, but I still wanted to take a moment to let everyone know that Dr. Rathjen is exactly the type of person and professional you want when that time does come and you are considering doing the right thing for a sick or dying pet.

Harley, my beloved feline friend of 12 years, developed cancer and could no longer breath easily due to fluid building up around her lungs. I asked Dr. Rathjen to visit us in our home to help us, and her Restful Paws service far exceeded my expectations.
Dr Rathjen provided compassionate, honest and experienced council as I deliberated whether I was making the right decision for Harley at the right time. She gave me a thorough walkthrough of the steps of euthanasia and what to expect, exhibited excellent bedside manner, and patiently gave me all the time I wanted to say goodbye to the little friend I adopted 12 years ago as a newborn kitten. Dr. Rathjen gently handled all of Harley’s aftercare arrangements exactly as I prescribed.
I have nothing by praise for Dr. Rathjen and her Restful Paws service.

Louise was amazing! She was so understanding, warm, compassionate, and flexible.
It was time to say goodbye to my little Alley cat. Cancer can taken over and she could no longer eat. She was almost 17 years old. We got her when she was just a kitten.
My vet referred me to a list of 6 vets that would come to my house so I didn’t have to take her back to the vet office. Louise was the first one to call me back. I knew instantly that she was the right person.
Alley’s ashes now rest in a beautiful urn in our home.
Now when I look back on that very painful day, I am filled with warmth that we had Louise there to help us through it.