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October 2024 by Ruth Anne Martinez
I am so thankful for having found The Restful Pets. My husband and I had to make the most difficult decision of our lives to put our beloved maltipoo, Frappuccino, to sleep on Monday, September 9th. He was only supposed to have an ultrasound and surgery to remove a growth in his intestine, but it turned out that he had cancer in his intestine and it was too late due to it spreading. We were heartbroken. The next two days after his passing, I spent practically all day those two days trying to find a facility where they do funeral memorial services. I called almost three dozen of them, and out of all of those called, two three of them only do quick viewings where they just leave his body out without preparing it, and it had to be on a weekday since they're closed on the weekend. I didn't want a quick viewing, I wanted his picture enlarged, flowers, music and his body nicely prepared for family and friends along with their fur babies to come and see him to say their goodbyes. It was almost 10pm that Wednesday when I finally found Restful Pets. It was late when I called, and I was prepared to leave a message, but to my surprise Mark answered the phone. We spoke for almost half an hour, I told him about the emotional story of what happened and how I want a proper memorial service. Mark was very understanding and compassionate during our conversation. He said that we can definitely get a service put together for Frappuccino. It was Wednesday, September 11th when we spoke that evening and I had the service held on Saturday, September 21st. Family and friends had never heard of a pet funeral service, this was their first and they said it was beautiful. We held the venue at the clubhouse at my mother-in-law's community since they are pet friendly, but the original venue that Mark showed me was beautiful. We couldn't hold it there since they aren't pet friendly, but he was helping me find another venue. There were two alternative places that I thought we beautiful, but luckily the clubhouse ended up being available and pet friendly.
I just want to say thank you to Mark and Justine (the coordinator who helped the day of Frappuccino's funeral service). Everything was beautiful. And I could tell you took good care of him. My friends who had never met Frapp and went to the service were happy to have had the chance to somehow meet him, and they said he looked so peaceful as if he was just sleeping during the service.
I was glad to have the chance to properly say goodbye to my first child and even give a eulogy about how wonderful he was and the memories we have with him. I highly recommend Restful Pets to those who are looking to hold a service for your beloved fur baby.
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October 2024 by Debbie van Sprakelaar
Our beloved cat of almost 18 years, Nadia, disappeared and we found her, deceased yesterday morning at 4:30am. Looking online, we found "Restful Pets" and called an hour later. Mark was available to answer the early morning call and welcome us in without an appointment later that morning. We wrapped our cat up in towels and drove to the new location at 455 Jackson St. in Oakland, a professional and warm office. Mark treated us very kindly and with empathy. We had time alone to say our goodbyes to Nadia. We felt she was left in good hands for cremation and nothing felt impersonal or uncaring. We highly recommend Restful Pets.
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September 2024 by Shanie West
Losing my dog lucky was one of the saddest things that has ever happened to me. I wasn't sure what to do with his little body, so I went online and I found restful pets. They were able to come to my house in Vallejo from Oakland and pick up my little lucky. On the phone and in person they were very compassionate and considerate of my loss . Which honestly was something I didn't expect. I know that sounds weird but the type of compassion they gave me would be for like a human. So of course this made me feel very comfortable with their company. And then came the day for me to pick up his remains. I was blown away by the quality of this beautiful hand-carved wooden box with Lucky's name engraved on a gold plate that set on the lid of the box. The attention to detail and the level of service provided was impeccable. I highly recommend rest for pets to anyone who has experienced the loss of their furry baby.
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August 2024 by Lauren
What can I say? Losing a pet is one of the hardest things to go through. Then having to decide what to do after they’re gone can feel so overwhelming.
Mark was so kind and understanding. We decided to have a viewing at our home for our beloved dog who passed away. The day he passed, Mark was able to pick him up and allowed us as much time as we needed to grieve. He created a great proposal and got our input on everything. We had options for flowers, location, catering; you name it, Mark thought of it. Ultimately we chose to have it at home and Mark was able to accommodate and organize everything very short notice (one business day).
The day of the viewing Mark came early to set everything up. He treated our boy humanely and with as much respect as you would a person. It was so beautiful and I am so happy we went this route. My heart is at peace and I cannot recommend Restful Pets enough. We owe it to our loyal companions to send them off with dignity and love.
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August 2024 by Katy S
I used this service about 6 months ago (January 2024) and I honestly cannot say enough good things about Mark and the service he and the in-home doctor provided.
***Pretty sure this is the ONLY in-home euthanasia service that offers a CHAT option that connects with a REAL-LIVE person IMMEDIATELY. Which at the time was incredibly helpful for me and I can imagine something other people will be looking for.
I contacted Mark on a Sunday afternoon as the unfortunate time had finally come to put my 17 year old Pup down. Given the timing, I knew I waited too long and was fully expecting to be told I'd have to wait until morning...but Mark made it HAPPEN.
The in-home provider was at my home within two hours and she was wonderful. Extremely patient and talked us through everything.
The process was peaceful and honestly couldn't have gone any better.
Once she left, I was concerned because I didn't want to handle my little boy while he was...cold/stiff, I just didn't want our final moments to be like that.
But Mark was there about 20 mins later, which was the perfect amount of time to just sit with my boy and say goodbye.
Everything was as absolutely perfect (given the circumstances.)
My Pup absolutely HATED the vet and given the fact that he literally spent his entire life being the most perfect and loyal little creature to me, I felt like I owed it to him to make sure he wasn't stressed out and upset during his final moments. It was honestly the least I could do.
So while the service is a bit pricy, it's 10000% worth it especially if home comfort is as important to you as it was for us.
So if you decide to do the at-home route, do yourself and your pup (or kit kit) the favor and go with Restful Pets.
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July 2024 by Tammy Trinh
Our elderly dog of 16.5 years started declining in health quickly. Restful Pets was the only place that could accommodate a same day in home euthanasia. The vet was very gentle and compassionate during our most difficult time.
We’re so thankful that Restful Pets took us so quickly, and that our dog could pass away peacefully at home before her condition worsened.
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June 2024 by joseph barrett
I am really grateful to Mark for unusual service. I live in an apartment building and I had buried 11 cats (surreptitiously) outside my window for 25 years. (Do not do!) A mistake which I made
not once, not twice, but eleven times. Finally I realized that this was a really dumb idea since I might move and even if I didn't it was no place for a proper burial. So I asked Mark if I could have them all cremated together and he readily agreed. Then I dug them up except for 3 I couldn't find. Being thorough I had buried them 2 feet deep and their wooden coffins had all rotted. One who had died not long ago was really smelly too. Mark picked them up and the ashes were put in a beautiful wooden urn with an engraving . I feel so much better now. Mark's service is such a contrast to what goes on with pet care these days. Just super.
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February 2024 by erika randell
Excellent service and very compassionate. I was definitely reassured.
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September 2023 by Kristine
My beloved Oakland Terrier, Lillian, passed away on August 21st at the age of 15 years. While I knew she was on the decline due to old age / health issues, I was not fully prepared for the day I'd been dreading most.She passed away very late into the night, and I called Restful Pets in a panic because I did not know what to do. I was surprised, yet grateful, someone picked up the phone even though it was past midnight. Mark was incredibly kind, gentle, respectful and professional.He patiently waited between broken sobs into the phone, so I could answer his questions. He was very compassionate when giving instructions on how to prepare Lillian (wrap her in towels, place her on the floor or flat surface, preferably on top of any pee pads in case of leakage) until he could come later in the morning to pick her up. (between 10 -11AM)PICK UP PROCESS:The morning Mark picked her remains up, he brought a wheeled suitcase-looking container lined in rubber, with a heavy-duty plastic bag inside. Before he did anything, we walked us through what he was about to do, in case we had any questions. I thought this was a very kind. He respectfully waited while my family said a small prayer for Lillian. He then put on his hazard gloves, and placed her towel-wrapped body into the plastic bag, then closed the bag, and zipped up the 'suitcase' container. This was a very discreet way of getting Lillian's remains from my apt to his vehicle.PAYMENT PROCESS:A payment link is sent via text and /or email, and was an incredibly easy / straightforward process. I paid $299 for Mark to pick Lillian up from my apt, cremate her, and place her in a carved rosewood box w/ an engraved name plate. NOTE: The prices are based on the size / weight of your pet. If you want to purchase an urn instead of a rosewood box, you can see what options they offer on their website, and let them know your preference BEFORE they send the payment link.RETURN PROCESS:They will call / text you when your pet is ready to pick up. For an additional fee, they can deliver to your home, but we opted for a pick up because we're local. My partner picked up Lillian's box from Mark's building when she was ready.TL:DR-- Overall, I would rate my experience a 10/10 and would recommend Restful Pets because of the seamless service they provide, and kindness & empathy with which they treated me during an already difficult / grief stricken / stressful / overwhelming time. I'm very grateful to Mark and his team for providing a very sad, but necessary service. Thank you!
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September 2023 by Joe Cordero
I am posting using my Dad's phone and Google account. My name is Stacey Becerra and I used this company last October 2022. It has taken me this long to post a review because this was a devastating loss that came on the heals of losing both my parents and my husband. I had the pleasure of dealing with a gentleman by the name of Mark. Mark was very professional and kind. He made what seemed difficult extremely easy. They provided a service that was truly needed, they came to my home and picked up my dog and cremated him, put his cremains in a beautiful urn with an engraved name plate on it, and delivered him back to me at my house. All for an extremely reasonable price. Mark was a pleasure to deal with. Again I highly recommend Mark and "Restful Pets"
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September 2023 by Aby S
We lost our 2 fur babies during a home fire and we were very distraught days after. Mark was very kind on the phone and explained the process. He was able to come by that afternoon and picked them up. They were ready a week later. Thank you Mark for your kindness during this process.
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August 2023 by Rebeca Rivera
My dog passed away on a Saturday night at home after making 100 calls and trying to find a place open on the weekend I found Mark. When he called me back he spoke with such care and reassured me that he could take care of her the same day. Thank you so much mark for being so caring and understanding with such a big loss. You made such a hard process much easier and I’ll forever be thankful - Rebeca and Lola :)
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August 2023 by Ally M.
It cost just under $1000 for our cat to be euthanized on a weekend, cremated, and placed in a wooden box. It would have been an additional $75 to have him shipped back to us. You get no choice in box or urn style. The only choice is a rosewood box with pet's name engraved on a gold plate on top. Rather cheap looking.Mark needed payment before anything began, via reading your card number to him over the phone. Maybe he'd gotten burned before, but Square, PayPal, or even Venmo or Zelle would be much more professional and secure.Dr Chloe came to the house to put the cat down, and Mark came through 20 minutes later to pick the body up. That part was seamless, and greatly appreciated.After that, Mark was sporadically in contact, and it took over a week to be able to pick up the cremains. The address listed on Google is wrong, he'd moved. GPS does not have good directions to his apartment (it puts you at a dead end on the wrong side of the train tracks), and it was difficult to get a hold of him to get precise directions to his complex.Even though I arrived on time for the appointment, I waited 20 minutes outside his apartment for him to come down and hand me the cremains. Once he did come down, I realized another person sitting out there even longer than me was waiting for him, too. I'll be using someone else next time.
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August 2023 by Will Brickler
My beloved little parakeet, Ringo, passed away and I really wanted a way to honor his memory after the years of companionship he gave my family and I. Restful Pets was a great way to do it. Mark was very kind and compassionate and has the perfect demeanor for someone who is helping you through the painful time that comes after losing a feathered or furry friend. It felt much better to know that someone who seems to have a heart was handling the cremation process. Now Ringo’s ashes sit in a beautiful Rosewood urn with his name on it. I highly recommend Restful Pets as a way to help you get through the difficult time that is losing your four legged or winged buddy.
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June 2023 by Sherry C.
As hard as it is to let our precious fur balls cross the rainbow bridge, we know it's the right thing to do.I can't believe how fortunate we were to have Restful Pets come to our home and take the time to let us proceed at our own pace. Gina was truly amazing and so gentle and caring. There is no easy way to go through this - it's heart breaking. We appreciate and thank Gina and Restful Pets for all their care and kindness.
