Your Mobile Veterinary Hospice Practice in Chicagoland

Thank you for these truly kind words. Dr. Sara was wonderful and we loved meeting her as well.

I can say absolutely that choosing Gentle Goodbye allowed us to have the exact experience we wanted for Gomez. Dr. Sara was incredibly warm and empathetic, and gauged perfectly when we seemed ready for the learning or the execution of the next step.

Most importantly, Gomez seemed comfortable. Dr. Sara was so kind and reassuring that things felt normal and right. She made it feel correct when we all know that the decision to euthanize feels full of doubt.

A Gentle Goodbye served us in every way we didn’t think or even know we needed to be served for a home euthanasia. I recommend A Gentle Goodbye to anyone who needs to choose a house call vet service. They make a really awful time feel manageable.

Also wanted to express thanks for making a difficult experience smooth, professional and as easy as could be hoped for during a tough time. We really appreciate all your efforts and won't hesitate to recommend A Gentle Goodbye to anyone who might need help for furry friends. Thanks for all your hard work, we are sure it can't be easy...

Please tell Dr. Heidi how much we appreciate her compassion and kindness at what was a very sad and difficult time in our lives. She was so kind and thoughtful, and also subtly reassuring that this was the right thing to do. She mentioned her own dog, who had to be put to sleep, and she told how she did it before the dog had a chance to suffer. Those are my words, not hers, I can't remember exactly how she phrased it. But it made me feel better, so much better, about what we were doing, and that we were doing our dog a kindness. Dr. Heidi was simply wonderful. Please thank her for me, I am grateful. I am also glad that in his final moments he did not have to face the terror of a trip to the vet. Thank you for providing this service.

"I was deeply impressed with the professionalism and empathy of Dr. Kalivoda and staff at A Gentle Goodbye. This is a special group of professionals that provide a very difficult but valued service to the community with genuine care and empathy. "

Dr. Kristina Kalivoda came over to help me transition my 17year old soulmate Maeve. Dr. Kristina is extremely kind and compassionate. She heard me and all my questions with undivided attention. As I am a very technical person, Dr.Kristina explained to me scientifically what had happened to Maeve and how aggressive her cancer was and how terribly beyond my control this situation was. I felt so much at peace after talking to Dr.Kristina. Maeve was telling me it was time and I had to listen and not blame myself. All the doctors and the staff at A Gentle Goodbye Hospice are great souls with so much meaning to their work and life. I am blessed to have met my cats and all the experiences they have brought me until the very end by bringing people like Dr.Kristina into my life. Thank you Radha.

Thank you so much! Dr. Heidi is so amazing! She really made this process as comfortable as could be. I appreciate her so much! I love the eulogy for Ranger! She really captured his spirit and personality. ❤ The last few days have been so hard without Ranger. But we are trying really hard to keep him alive in our life by remembering all his little demands. Thank you for everything!!

We really struggled with the decision and we were so uncertain of when the right time would be. We are so grateful that you were able to help us when we finally decided. Dr. Heidi was very calm and compassionate. We truly believe that Kiki's experience was as beautiful as dying could be. And we're so touched that Dr. Heidi listened so closely and took the time to write this sweet eulogy for Kiki. And thank you so much for being there for us when we needed you. We are so very grateful.

Thank you so much for being there, even on weekends. Dr. Molly and your entire staff have all been absolutely wonderful. We were so grateful that Dr. Molly was able and willing to help us when she did. She was just perfect, how she handled everything. I know this is not easy work. I know it is heartbreaking at times. Mere words cannot express my deep and ongoing gratitude for everything you do.

I was so glad that Dr. Kristina was the one to help Buddy pass. I met her in 2019 when she came out to help my friend’s Pom pass. She was so kind and sympathetic during their process, I decided then that when the time came for Buddy I wanted him to be at home. I was so glad to see that Dr. Kristina would be the vet to help Buddy cross. Her compassion put me at ease. Buddy’s passing was very calm and peaceful for him and I am so very grateful for that. She made it easier for my daughter and myself. I appreciate everything she did for us.

We also want to express our most heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Heidi and Victoria! In a time of such grief, pain, and uncertainty, you both treated us with so much compassion and care. Dr. Heidi was beyond compassionate, patient, and loving to Cinna and our entire family. We felt incredibly fortunate that you were able to accommodate our needs in the face of Cinna’s unexpectedly sudden decline. The piece that she wrote about him was so moving and really captured him and how we felt about him, honoring his memory. While we are continuing to muddle through our grief, we could not have been in better hands, and we are so very grateful for all that you do to end suffering and heal hearts!

I seriously will never forget and will be eternally grateful for all of you. From the conversation on Wednesday morning to the moment that Dr. Kristina gently wrapped Marley in the blanket… we all felt truly taken care of. It is apparent that you all love what you do. You have a deep understanding of what is needed in the moments leading into and throughout the ritual of saying goodbye in a gentle way.

Dr. Molly was so kind, so loving, so sweet, so patient…most of all she sent Sammie to heaven in such a soft and gentle way. It was special, she was special. It was so hard leading up to it, I was so scared. But everything you said was really true….. I cannot tell you, words cannot explain how grateful my family and I are for Victoria, Dr. Molly and Dr. Lyles. She made this goodbye for Sammie, a gentle goodbye…. and that is why your name is perfect..”A Gentle Goodbye".

Words cannot begin to describe how grateful we are for A Gentle Goodbye and Dr. Kristina. I was a bit nervous about the process but I’ll tell you what…. It was worth every penny to see our sweet lil’ Fen slip away in peace, outside in an area he enjoyed so much. Dr. Kristina was so kind, compassionate and understanding. She explained everything so well and we could tell she felt our pain. Thank you for providing this difficult service. It made the transition for us, and Fen, so much easier. Lauren and I have talked several times about how amazing it was, and how it was the absolute best decision for everyone. Rest assured we will pass your information along to anyone in need. The eulogy is great, thank you for posting it. Please pass our thanks along to Dr. Kristina and let her know how much we appreciate her time, compassion, and kindness.

We felt like we were in very good hands the moment she walked through our door; she seemed to guess how we were feeling and knew just what to say. She treated Jacob with honor and dignity too. It was such a very, very hard thing to do and we still think we hear his footsteps around the house and miss him terribly. But Dr. Kristina made it easier.

We could not have asked for a more caring group to help us through this agonizing time of saying goodbye to our sweetest boy. Thank you for your understanding as we made/canceled/rescheduled his appointment. I suppose it’s just part of the process of not wanting to let go. I will highly recommend A Gentle Goodbye for anyone facing this situation as it was far less stressful and much more intimate of a process than being at a clinic. I know he was pain free and comfortable, which is all that mattered to us.
Again, our deepest gratitude for your kindness, patience and smooth process through this time. It is so appreciated.

Thank you for what your team does. I cannot imagine letting go of her in any other way than at home with us by her side. You guys truly are angels. While we will grieve for a while, I can have some peace knowing she passed without pain, fear or stress. I don’t know that I would have known it was the right time without Dr Kristina’s visit to evaluate. Dr Heidi’s concern for her well being and the kindness she showed us and Aggie was amazing. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you

I cannot, cannot, CANNOT say ENOUGH good things about this incredible service. My partner and I recently had to make the toughest decision of putting our sweet cat Charlie down after a yearlong battle with Hypercalcemia and Kidney Disease. He had reached his limits of being in and out of the ER at the pet hospital we took him to and we knew it was time. That did not make it any easier to say bye to our sweet boy who was only 10 years old.

A Gentle Goodbye was the most heartfelt group we have ever dealt with when making tough decisions and using an end-of-life service. From the initial incredibly hard call to them to get the process started to the next day in-home service, to the follow-up calls to check on us after everything was said and done, they completely went above and beyond our expectations. And I specifically cannot say enough good about Dr. Molly who performed the at-home euthanasia service. We had run into some trouble with services we’d used in the past with our other pets where it felt very cold and disconnected. Like they could care less about you or your pet. Dr. Molly was the opposite. She assured us we were doing the right thing and she really gave us all the time we needed to say goodbye to our baby. She was WONDERFUL. I’m crying now again just remembering how compassionate she really was. Thank you Dr. Molly and thank you A Gentle Goodbye. We will never use another service for our pets again. Thanks for caring. <3

Juliana was a true comfort to us and Max yesterday and my wife Kim and I feel blessed that we found out about her service through Terry Animal Hospital. She managed, in difficult circumstances, to combine genuine empathy and kindness with a highly professional approach. Both Kim and I want to express our eternal gratitude to Dr. Juliana for assisting Max and us in our time of need. She made the process so much better than it might have been. We will spread the word about A Gentle Goodbye Veterinary Hospice and its excellent services.

If you ever have the unfortunate experience of having to put down a pet, you should contact A Gentle Goodbye. Everyone who works there is so compassionate, sweet, and understanding. We had to put down my first cat, Gus, when I was 14 years old. It was such a cold and medical process. I had no idea in home services existed, I randomly came across A Gentle Goodbye during my research. I had fears about having it done in my home vs. at the vet. However, the office manager took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns. Dr. Juliana was unbelievably amazing. She made the experience so special. Chong was able to say goodbye to his brother. Dr. Juliana really took the time to make sure the entire experience was about Cheech and his comfort.

We couldn’t have been happier with how everything was handled, given the circumstances. This was our first loss of a pet and it was an incredibly tough experience, but the overwhelming sympathy from everyone I spoke to at Gentle Goodbye made things much easier. I talked to the doctor about this, and it’s touched on in Crystal’s wonderful eulogy, but I worked at a shelter for cats for about 2 years. I know exactly how much emotional effort it takes to do good by so many people going through the loss of a pet and I just want you all to know that your work is beyond appreciated. I just wanted to reach out and emphasize how thankful we are, and how intimately familiar I am with the level of compassion you guys give and how important that is. Thank you for making time for us, thank you for even coming a little sooner than scheduled to help our old girl stop suffering, thank you for the wonderful eulogy, and thank you for the important and incredibly difficult work you all do.