Recs from our pet parents

The people and places our village trusts 🐾

Community experiences, not professional advice. Do your own research.

Vets and specialty care

South Park Animal Hospital

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San FranciscoDr. Deepti

“Slightly expensive, but I only have good things to say about Dr. Deepti and her team. Bailey's mass ended up being cancerous after removal and pathology. Looking back, I'm glad we addressed it sooner rather than later.”

— Kiranmai, Bailey and Max's mom

Good to know

Thorough diagnostics and follow-up care but expensive.

VCA San Carlos

🐾 1 VILLAGER
PeninsulaDr. Kim Haddad

“Dr. Kim Haddad did Louie's surgery and was incredibly informative and knowledgeable. She has a lot of experience with these procedures and took the time to explain everything. Louie developed a seroma afterward, and the whole team was wonderful through recovery.”

— Jasmine, Louie's mom

Good to know

Cost was comparable to quotes from other vets. Convenient Peninsula location.

UC Davis Veterinary Hospital

🐾 1 VILLAGER
Davis

“Dr. William Culp was very gentle with Chester and he gave me his honest advice on Chester's situation. They do have access to advanced clinical trials that other vets don't have. Getting an appointment here can take weeks so in critical cases, I would not wait for that long. Waiting 3 weeks for Chester's appointment did not yield any results.”

— Sonal, Chester's mom

Good to know

Appointment wait times can be several weeks out. Plan ahead.

SF Animal Medical Center

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San FranciscoDr. Margo Mehl (Surgery) · Dr. Craig Maretzki

“I took Chester here for his Cancer treatments. They have multiple in-house specialists that weigh in on the situation and give you advice. I spoke with Dr. Margo Mehl to evaluate surgery, with Mr. Craig Meretzki to get the biopsy done, and Dr. Aarti Sabhlok for his cancer treatments. They tend to prefer in-house tests and don't accept external testing which I found to be expensive, but their overall advice on complex surgeries and treatments is very thorough and helpful.”

— Sonal, Chester's mom

Good to know

Good for specialized care, expensive for every day routine exams.

Emergency care

SAGE Veterinary Centers

🐾 2 VILLAGERS
San Francisco

“Sage is the best around here for emergencies. They saved Elon’s life 3 years ago. No joke.”

— Ignacio Flores, Elon's dad

Training

SF Puppy Prep

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San Francisco

“We sent Lola to SF Puppy Prep and had a really good experience. It helped a lot with basic commands, exposure to new sounds and environments, and socialization. Maybe it worked a little too well. Lola LOVES other dogs now. 😂”

— Duygu, Lola's mom

Good to know

Best for new puppy parents. Basic obedience, confidence building, socialization.

SPCA

🐾 1 VILLAGER
East Bay

“I strongly recommend the 'Calm, Cool, Collected' class! It’s a very hands-on and helpful experience because they keep the classes extremely small, taking only a couple of dogs at a time. The trainers are fantastic and personalize the sessions by carefully limiting exposure based on what each specific pup is reactive to. I really liked working with them and have no doubt their other puppy training classes are just as great.”

— Aankita, Toffee's mom

Good to know

Limited intake per class; personalized training

Groomers

City Dogs

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San Francisco

“Most groomers struggle to fully dry double-coated Goldens, but Chester and Shadow always come back perfectly dry, fresh, and stay clean longer. Their service is remarkably fast! I love the $5 teeth brushing add-on since doing it at home is tough, and their occasional haircuts look fantastic. It costs more than Petco and appointments are hard to snag, but the quality is absolutely worth it.”

— Sonal, Chester and Shadow's mom

Good to know

Great for double-coated dogs. Cheap teeth brushing

Pet insurance

Pumpkin Pet Insurance

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San Francisco

“I went with Pumpkin for Chester, and it really held up. The 90% coverage for senior pets (8+) was absolutely crucial during his cancer treatment, and the claims process was fast and straightforward. Heads up: 1. Pre-existing conditions aren't covered: This is standard for most insurers, but it meant I paid out of pocket for his ear infection. 2. Timing is everything: Vet records are shared nationally, so make sure you lock in your coverage before anything gets diagnosed.”

— Sonal, Chester's mom

Good to know

Good for senior pets, but does not cover pre-existing conditions.

Fetch Pet Insurance

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San Francisco

“More expensive than many competitors for older dogs, but great for puppies. We enrolled Shadow as soon as we adopted him with 60% coverage, which made it relatively affordable. Claims have been easy to submit, reimbursements have been straightforward, and overall it’s been a low-hassle experience. Best value when you start coverage while your dog is young and healthy.”

— Kush, Shadow's dad

Good to know

Better for puppies; more expensive for senior dogs.

Tech

Tractive

🐾 1 VILLAGER
San Francisco

“Really liking Tractive. It's a bit bulky for very small dogs, but Toffee doesn't seem to mind it and we like the health stats and long battery life.”

— Ankita, Toffee's mom

Good to know

Better for medium-to-big dogs. Long battery life.

Parent tips

Small things village parents learned the hard way.

Lumps & masses

🔎 Lumps & masses

“I feel Max all over every week. That's how I've caught multiple lumps while they were still small.” — Rajas, Max's parent

🔎 Lumps & masses

“Even though Bailey's lump initially seemed harmless, it grew quickly and ruptured. I'm glad we ultimately had it removed. The only way to be 100% sure whether a mass is benign or cancerous is to send it to pathology after removal.” — Kiranmai, Bailey's parent

Energy & behavior

⚡ Energy & behavior

“When Hector suddenly became lethargic, blood work revealed extremely low platelets and tick fever. If your dog's behavior changes suddenly, ask your vet about blood work and a broader diagnostic workup.” — Vinay, Hector's parent