In her business Whole Pet Wellness, owner Danielle Rope, accompanied by her dog Troy, brings her mobile vet services to clients’ homes.

Somehow, they just know. Merely seeing their pet carrier come out, animals seem to know they are probably going to “that place.” The unfamiliar sounds, smells, sights and all those other animals at the vet really gets their dander up. By the time the pets see the doctor, their stress levels are through the roof.

Veterinarian Danielle Rope, who has been in practice 10 years, witnessed this scenario repeatedly and was often asked if she would make house calls when she worked in a large specialty hospital in California after earning her degree from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

When Rope moved to Denver two and a half years ago, she worked for a mobile practice that specializes in end-of-life care. The Park Hill resident saw how much better the situation was when pets and their owners could remain at home. In January, Rope opened Whole Pet Wellness Veterinary Services, providing basic veterinary in-home services to cats and dogs.

The focus for Whole Pet Wellness is on preventative care and maintenance of chronic illnesses, providing education to pet owners for keeping dogs and cats healthy. “People will not take their pet to the vet because of the time and stress it takes, so they don’t end up getting them the preventative care they need,” says Rope. “This makes it more accessible for people.”

Rope, and the technician who accompanies her, cannot do surgery, x-rays or treatment for serious emergencies. In those cases, she sends people to area specialty and emergency hospitals.
Fees for in-home services are comparable to area veterinarians, says Rope, with the addition of a $35–$40 travel fee—but she believes it saves time and decreases stress. For people with multiple pets, Rope believes in-home services can be especially helpful. “Owners have to make multiple trips or go through the chaos of taking them all at once.” She says when she arrives at their home, “it’s a big relief.”

With in-home visits, “Things are calmer, the pets are happy in their own place, and there’s a more personal interaction with the pet owners as well,” says Rope.

Pet owners can visit wholepetwellness.com to sign up for a free, 10-minute phone consultation.