FAQ

Although no one wants to think about this painful decision, there comes a time in many animals’ lives where we, as their God-appointed caretakers, must choose to end their lives mercifully, rather than allowing them to exist in pain and suffering without hope of improvement or cure. We respect the bond that you have with your pet and all the emotions that are tied to it. We treat this type of final visit as a gift that you are giving your pet when there is nothing else that can be done. Many people choose to bury their pets in their backyards or other personal property, while others elect for cremation through a service that we highly recommend. We offer a complimentary “Clay Paw” footprint of your pet as a permanent keepsake of your companion for those interested in this type of memorial.

“Housecall” does not mean “Ambulance”. Because of a tight schedule and the Bay Area’s wonderful traffic problems, we are not able to be a first responder to emergency situations. If your pet is seriously ill or injured, you will do better to contact, and then take them to the Clinic closest to your house during the daytime, or to a designated Emergency Facility at night or on the weekend. The two Emergency Facilities in our area are:
The Animal Emergency Clinic Southeast on the Northbound feeder of the Gulf Freeway and Edgebrook 713-941-8460

For brief visits like vaccination boosters, I will sometimes work out of my car, rather than from the mobile clinic and will typically work with your pet on the Living Room or Kitchen floor, on a couch or small table, or in your backyard – wherever the two of you are most comfortable. Either way, your pet is not traumatized by having to be hauled to a typical veterinary hospital.

I know that most pets are more calm with a visiting vet than when they are hauled to a veterinary hospital. Unfortunately, there are still those animals that even “The Less Stress Vet” can’t handle. Bottom Line: If it took three veterinary technicians and a general anesthetic to subdue your pet the last time you visited your vet, then you and I are probably not going to have much better luck than they did, and I’ll have to graciously decline seeing your pet. Sorry.

We require full payment at the time services are rendered, as we do absolutely no billing. Currently, we accept cash and personal checks with a valid driver’s license, and we now accept all major Credit Cards.

We typically charge a single $50 House Call Fee for each visit. This helps to cover our mileage, auto expense, and transit time. Many pet owners have to spend more than this to have their car detailed after hauling their shedding, drooling, vomiting pets to a typical vet clinic appointment. A $45 Exam Fee is charged for each pet seen if we have not seen them in the previous year. The Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which issues Graduate Veterinarians their License to Practice, requires that Veterinarians establish what The Board refers to as a “valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship” before a veterinarian can provide services (which includes diagnosis and treatment) to any animal. It is only by performing a Physical Exam and recording our findings that we can document that such a relationship truly does exist. Therefore, the first time we see a particular pet, a physical examination is required, as Dr. Terrel will not jeopardize his license by diagnosing or treating an animal that he has not personally examined in the previous 12 months. At home Euthanasia services are exempt from this requirement, but may receive an exam at an additional charge if the owner desires this to help with their decision making. After any exam, additional fees are itemized, depending on the services rendered. Please refer to the “Our Services” page for additional information.

Because we are mobile and don’t have a base hospital per se, we consider the intersection of the Gulf Freeway and Main St. in League City to be our base location. We typically serve League City and its adjacent communities