Dr. Jim Hunter created Hunter Veterinary Services to provide personalized, compassionate end-of-life care for pets in Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. During this sad and difficult time, Dr. Hunter’s focus is on helping families determine the best path for their dog or cat with peace of mind while ensuring comfort and dignity for the pet in a familiar home setting.
Dr. Hunter is a 1984 graduate of the University of Virginia and a 1990 graduate of Virginia Tech’s School of Veterinary Medicine. After practicing in Fredericksburg for 2 years, he moved back to his home town of Richmond and founded Countryside Veterinary Clinic in 1992.
After 27 years of small animal practice, Dr. Hunter decided to go in another direction and focus on helping families with end of life for their pets in the home environment. Having been through this journey multiple times himself, Dr. Hunter saw how in-home hospice and euthanasia provides dignity, respect and peace to both the pet and the pet owner that cannot be provided in the clinic environment.
OUR SERVICES
Pet Hospice Consultation
Dr. Hunter will come to your home and provide quality of life assessments and personalized end-of-life care for pets in the Richmond area. The focus will be on treating elderly companion animals and those with terminal diseases in the comfort of their own home. The goal of pet hospice is to provide pain management, nutritional support, mobility and hygiene options until natural death occurs or the decision is made for humane euthanasia.
The home hospice service also prioritizes pet families, providing you with education and supporting you in making difficult decisions that come with advanced illness and aging. This mobile service avoids the stress of traditional veterinary visits and provides a family-oriented approach to palliative care. If you feel your pet may be a candidate for hospice care, please contact Hunter Veterinary Services to schedule an appointment.
In-Home Pet Euthanasia
Deciding to say goodbye to a pet is one of the most difficult choices a family can make, but choosing to do so in the familiarity and comfort of the home can make the process more peaceful for you and your pet. Dr. Hunter provides counseling services to help you determine when the time is right to consider euthanasia based on a personalized quality of life assessment.
Euthanasia is administered in the most humane way possible. Your pet will be sedated at the beginning of the appointment and prior to euthanasia to alleviate any pain or anxiety and allow for a tranquil, dignified passing.
If you feel your pet may be a candidate for an in-home euthanasia or you would like to discuss euthanasia options, please contact Dr. Hunter to schedule an appointment.
Other cremation services do exist in the Richmond area. Please visit their websites to review cremation options and pricing to determine which best suits your family's needs.
For home burial, please check local regulations as some subdivisions and municipalities have regulations regarding pet burial.
Cats/small dogs $250
Medium dogs $275
Large dogs $300-$325
(Exam fees may still apply).
Additional Fees
There may be an additional charge for extended travel (see Service Area below), pets over 100 pounds, appointments on weekends, evenings or holidays, aggressive pets, and some exotic species.
Service Area
Helping families in the following areas:
The Greater Richmond Area including the following counties: Richmond, Goochland, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover Counties.
To make the experience as peaceful as possible, credit card over the phone (before the appointment) is generally preferred. Credit card or cash payments can be made during the in-home appointment. In order to keep costs down, Hunter Veterinary Services does not bill for in home visits and all payments are due at the time of service.
Most pet insurance companies cover Hunter Veterinary Services and Dr. Hunter will be happy to help complete any paperwork needed to submit for reimbursement.
PET HOSPICE CONSULTATIONEnsuring comfort and dignity for your pet.
IN-HOME PET EUTHANASIAEnsuring comfort and dignity for your pet.
Pet Cremation and BurialEnsuring comfort and dignity for your pet.
PET HOSPICE CONSULTATIONEnsuring comfort and dignity for your pet.
IN-HOME PET EUTHANASIAEnsuring comfort and dignity for your pet.