What to expect when I come to say goodbye to your pet at home

If you've found your way to this page, I'm sorry you're here. You're probably somewhere on the spectrum between I think we're getting close and I know it's time and I don't know how to say it out loud. Either one is a fair place to be. I've met hundreds of people at both.

I want to use this page to do one thing: tell you what actually happens when I come to your home, in plain terms, so nothing on the day is a surprise.

You don't have to decide today

The first thing I'd say is that you don't have to decide anything by reading this. If you're not sure yet, we can come and help you think it through. We call that a quality-of-life visit, and it's a separate conversation from euthanasia — no pressure, no pushing, no assumption that we're going to do anything more than talk.

If you want to ring us, the number is 020 4572 2874, or you can message us on WhatsApp. There's no right or wrong moment to call.

When the day comes — what the visit looks like

We book the visit for sixty minutes as standard. For the private-cremation pathway, we book two hours. The procedure itself takes a few minutes; the rest of the time is for you.

Here's how it actually goes.

1. The conversation

When I arrive, we start by talking. How's your pet doing today? Where would they be most comfortable — their bed, your lap, the sunny patch on the kitchen floor? Who's in the house? Are there children or other pets you'd like to be present, or not? I'll walk you through what's about to happen in plain terms, before we do anything. If you have questions, we answer them. If you need a few more minutes before we begin, you take them.

This is the bit I wish more people knew about. We don't start the clinical part of the visit until you tell me you're ready.

2. Sedation

When you're ready, I give a small injection to help your pet drift into a deep, peaceful sleep. They stay in your arms, or on their bed, or wherever they're most comfortable — we don't move them for this. It's a gentle process; they feel the prick and then they relax. From their point of view, it's like a heavy doze.

This step is the one that makes everything that follows gentle. By the time we move to the next injection, your pet is fully asleep.

3. The procedure

Once your pet is fully asleep, I give the final injection. It's quick, it's painless, and they don't feel or know. I'll tell you when it's done, and I'll give you as long as you need afterwards — to sit with them, to take a paw print, to call someone else into the room, to cry, to say the things you want to say.

4. Aftercare

We handle whatever comes next. You can choose a communal cremation, a private cremation with ashes returned, or a keepsake like a paw print or a lock of fur. We talk through these options with you before the visit, so there are no decisions to make on the day.

Whatever you choose, we take care of the arrangements. You don't have to drive anywhere, make phone calls, or fill in forms.

Why home, and why this way

I've done this visit in a clinic and I've done it in people's homes. The animals I've helped at home have always been calmer. They're in their own bed, in their own smell, with the people whose hands they know. That's not a small thing. When I look back at the visits that felt right — for the pet, for the family — almost every one of them happened at home.

It's also kinder for the people. You're not packing a carrier, driving through London traffic, sitting in a waiting room with a dog who already knows something is wrong, and then walking out to an empty car. You're in your own living room. Afterwards, you can stay there.

If you're already a Pack Member

Pack Members get 15% off end-of-life visits, aftercare, and cremation. If your pet passes during your membership, we cancel your Pack with no early-termination charges and no awkward paperwork — just email hello@tonysmobilevets.com when you're ready, and we'll handle it quietly.

If you want the full picture — pricing, options, the bits not covered here

Everything that sits on this page is the human version. The full breakdown — the three pathway options, the pet-size pricing, the aftercare details — lives on our End-of-Life Care page. It's worth looking at when you're ready, and not before.

A last word

If you're reading this because you think it might be soon, or because it was today, or because it was six weeks ago and you're still turning it over — I'm sorry. The ones we love are also the ones we have to decide for, and that's the part that makes this hard. I don't think there's a way to make that easier. But I can promise that when we come out, we'll be unhurried, and we'll be gentle, and we'll be on your pet's side.

— Dr Tony O'Sullivan Founder, Tony's Mobile Vets

If you'd like to talk — no pressure, no decision needed:

• Call 020 4572 2874 (Mon–Fri 9am–6pm · Sat 9am–4pm · Sun 9am–3pm)
• Message on WhatsApp
• Email hello@tonysmobilevets.com

Related reading:

• Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support — 0800 096 6606 (free, confidential)
• How do I know it's the right time? A quality-of-life guide (coming soon)
• After: the first days and weeks (coming soon)