We have a flat fee of $375 which includes the cost of the home visit, sedation, and the euthanasia regardless of your pets size. This fee does not include cremation of your pet. If you are outside of our normal coverage area then there will be an additional $100 charge if we can accommodate an appointment. After hours appointments (after 4 pm on weekdays) are very limited and only available in the Roseville area for an additional $100 fee.

To make an appointment online click here. Please note appointments are for 2 hour windows of arrival. Dr. Sarah will call or text on her way with her ETA. If you need a smaller window then please call or text and we will let you know if we can accommodate that. If you need an after hours (after 4 pm on weekdays) appointment those have limited availability and cannot be booked online. These appointments are also only available in the Roseville area. We recommend you text or call (916) 582-1821 if you are looking for either short notice or evening appointments. Please include your location in the message or text.

We accept all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. We also accept payment by check or cash at the time of the appointment. If you wish to pay by check please make the check out to Faithful Friend. There is no tax added to your balance. The last option for payment is to use Scratch Pay which is a short term loan that you can apply for here Scratch Pay Website. This will allow you to make payments over a period of time which is arranged through Scratch Pay.

You can choose to pay when you book an appointment online or to pay later. If you choose to pay later then we will email you an invoice either the day before or the day of your appointment with a link to make your payment. Payments are considered due the day of your appointment. Many people prefer to pay ahead so that they do not need to focus on payment during the visit.

We request a 24 hour cancellation notice so that we can offer those appointments to other families and their pets. We understand that sometimes there are short notice changes in a pet that can change plans in less than 24 hours so we do give some grace for that and will work with you. If you cancel between 6-24 hours before your appointment there will a $100 cancellation fee. If you cancel with less than 6 hours notice then there will be a $150 cancellation fee. If you do not cancel until we show up for the appointment then a $250 fee will be due. Please cancel either online if you made your appointment online or by calling or texting Dr. Sarah.

We see appointments Monday through Friday between 9 am and 4 pm regularly. After hours appointments after 4 pm or prior to 9 am are limited in availability and are only available in the Roseville area. If you are looking for an appointment outside of our normal hours please contact Dr. Sarah directly via text or phone. Make sure to include your location in your message. Note- we will do our best to respond to messages as we can between 7 am and 5 pm M-F.

Faithful Friend is based out of Roseville, California. Our normal service area includes Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Antelope, Lincoln, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Natomas, Rio Linda, Elverta, and Parts of Sacramento including North Sacramento, Downtown, and East Sacramento. We do charge an additional $100 travel fee for some additional areas that are outside of our normal coverage areas including South Sacramento (South of Hwy 50), Greenhaven/Pocket, West Sacramento, Marysville/Yuba City, Auburn, Rancho Cordova, or El Dorado Hills. Our ability to travel to these areas may be somewhat limited.

Dr. Sarah has been fully vaccinated and boostered for COVID in an effort to help keep our community safe. We have not been mandating masks be worn at appointments with the following exceptions. If you are actively ill/have symptoms or have a recent exposure to COVID 19 then we ask you to either postpone the appointment or wear a mask. If you have additional concerns regarding COVID please contact us in advance to discuss.

No, the in home euthanasia fee does not include Dr. Sarah taking your pet or cremation. If you wish for us to handle the remains of your pet after the euthanasia then they will be taken for cremation. The fee you pay for cremation includes Dr. Sarah transporting your pet and making arrangements with a local licensed pet crematorium.

Please note- If your pet is over 125 pounds an additional $95 fee will be assessed for the crematory to pick up your pet in addition to the cremation fee. Dr. Sarah is no longer able to transport pets over 125 pounds.

Although we do occasionally take pets directly to the crematory based on location and timing, most of the pets are transported back to our home base in Roseville. They are carefully handled and remain in a dedicated cold storage area until the crematory picks up from there. If you wish to have your pet go directly to the crematory you may need to transport them yourself and make your own arrangements with the crematory.

Some people prefer to make arrangements directly with the crematory and transport their own pet to the crematory directly. Other people prefer to bury their pet. If you choose to bury your pet please be aware that there are local city and county regulations dependent on the area you live in. It is not legal to bury your pet on your property in many of the local cities so you must research this first. Also, please be aware that the medications we use to euthanize pets can create problems if wildlife can access their remains so care must be taken to make sure that cannot happen.

The fee for cremation depends on the type of cremation you choose and the weight of your pet. Please see the Cremation page (link below) for additional information. Please note, for a communal cremation NO ashes will be returned. For an individual cremation ashes will be returned in a wooden box urn and you can choose to pick them up at the crematory or to have them mailed to you. The fees listed on our cremation page DO include Dr. Sarah transporting your pet afterwards from your home.

Yes, we will need help moving any pet over 35 pounds. This means someone in your household (or a neighbor or friend) must be present and able to help with carrying those pets on a stretcher provided by Dr. Sarah. If you are unable to help and cannot have a family member or friend there then we do require advance notice. In that circumstance, we typically try to make arrangements for the crematory to pick up directly from your house and we will need to coordinate that in advance. There will be an additional $95 fee for the crematory to facilitate the transportation directly to your house.

Please note- For pets over 125 pounds we can no longer transport those pets. We can arrange for the crematory to pick up pets over 125 pounds for a $95 fee. This must be arranged in advance.

The appointment typically lasts between 30-60 minutes once Dr. Sarah arrives. Our goal is never to rush this process or to make you feel rushed. At the beginning we take time to do some paperwork, go over the process, and answer any questions you may have. Dr. Sarah also likes to take time for your pet to become comfortable with her presence and may offer some treats if your pet will take them. Once we are all ready, Dr. Sarah will give sedation which may take 5-15 minutes typically to take effect. The final injection is given once your pet is fully sedated. Once your pet passes, Dr. Sarah will confirm that they have passed and then will step outside for you and your family to have some alone time to say some final goodbyes.

Yes, all pets do receive sedation. Most of the time the sedation is given as a small injection under the skin, almost like receiving a vaccine. Occasionally the sedation is given orally or we start with oral sedation first. Dr. Sarah believes that sedation leads to the most peaceful transition. The goal of the sedation is that your pet will not be conscious or aware for the final injection. At the appointment we will go over the sedation and euthanasia process in more detail prior to starting.

Yes, as long as your pet is still interested in eating and not actively vomiting then it is okay to feed them either their regular food or treats the day of the appointment. The sedation used can very rarely cause nausea and it is uncommon for pets to vomit. Therefore, many owners choose to feed their pets a yummy treat as they become sedated. This can even be human food such as ice cream, cheese, meat, etc. If you aren’t sure if what you are planning to give is okay please feel free to reach out.

It is fine for other pets to be present for the appointment with the following exceptions. If the other pets are distracting to you or the pet we are euthanizing or have extremely high energy then sometimes it is best to separate them for the euthanasia. Also, if the other pets are aggressive to visitors then they should be separated. If you do end up separating your other pets for the euthanasia it is okay to bring them in to smell the pet we have euthanized after they have passed. Sometimes this can be helpful for some closure for your pets as well. Especially if they had a close bond to the pet we have euthanized. Dr. Sarah will step outside for a few minutes after the euthanasia and this may be a perfect time to allow other pets to be brought back in if you wish.

The answer to this is dependent on your child’s age and maturity level. Dr. Sarah has had children present for many appointments and will accept whatever your family chooses is best for your children. Some people choose to have children present just during the sedation process but not during the final injection. Dr. Sarah will use a blanket to shield the area where the final injection is given so children do not have to watch an IV injection. We recommend that if you choose to have your children present that you let them know it is okay to leave the room to a designated area such as their bedroom if they suddenly feel overwhelmed or don’t want to be there anymore. We also recommend considering your child’s opinion on being present if they are old enough to have one. We don’t recommend ever forcing a child to be present if they have expressed that they do not wish to be there. If they have a strong desire to be present that also should be taken into consideration. Although, as the parents you will make the final decision. As a mother herself, Dr. Sarah has had to make these decisions for her own family and at different ages and maturity levels there have been different decisions made.

Typically we cannot provide these services as we have very limited appointment times that need to be reserved for pets needing euthanasia or palliative care appointments. Exceptions may be made occasionally if we are close to your area or if the pet passes just prior to the appointment and we are already in route to you. We do recommend that you contact a local crematorium in the event that your pet passes on its own to make arrangements. Some of the pet crematories can pick up from you, others may need you to transport your pet directly to them.