Very Important Pet Mortuary

No one ever returned my call for the service requests. I think this is one of the worst thing for pet owners who are mourning for their loss– a service provider adding additional problem and worry about when and how the body can be taken care of. At least returning the call and let me know that they are no available so it doesn’t keep the pet owner hanging when in grief.

Unfortunately most times when you find yourself contacting this business, it is at a pretty sad time in your life. I have used them on two occasions, and each time found them to be extremely kind and caring, and very attentive to my feelings and needs. These people truly care about the service they provide. I’d give them six stars if I could.

I typically love writing reviews on Unilocal but as everybody says in their own review, this is the one review that you would not want to ever have to write, because if you are, you have lost your best friend… however, I too want to share my wonderful experience with VIP so that other people like me will be feeling comfortable with their choice when the time comes for their own pet. Nick was a wonderful Hungarian Vizsla — he was almost 15 but in the last few weeks of his life, he was having a hard time walking, he was sleeping a lot, then he stopped eating and going to the bathroom so I knew it was time. Jane was wonderful in telling me everything although I kind of already knew most of it from reading their site and other reviews, but just talking to her helped greatly. I called SERENITY VETS as she suggested to arrange for the vet and technician to come to the house. Eddie called me back after a few hours and said he was able to secure a 7pm appointment and they told me they would arrange to meet here with Jane so I really had nothing to worry about or to do but spend my last day with my baby. That was the worst day of my life while counting the hours that I could still hold him and kiss him and tell him how much I loved him, but I knew that I was doing the right thing and I could not see him suffer any longer. The vet and technician at Serenity Vets were so compassionate, they explained all that was going to happen and pet my baby and told me how beautiful he was and he was so happy and wagging his tail at them although he did not even move from his doggie bed. He probably thought they were friends over to see him and was in fact happy to see them. It was a very natural and simple experience because he looked happy and he was not stressed like when I took him to the vet. They sedated him so he went to sleep and I was able to kiss him over and over as the vets waited until I was ready to let him pass. They never rushed me or put pressure on me. It was a very emotional moment that I will never ever forget. After he passed, they gave me some time to spend with him to say my final goodbye, after which Jane came in and they put him on a stretcher and covered him with a blanket and took him away. Jane game me a candle with his name and she told me she would call me over the weekend (it was Friday night). In the meantime, they even sent me a card in the mail which I thought was so nice. On Sunday I talked to Jane as we needed to decide several things and she offered me the option to have some of his ashes put apart so I could spread them in some placed that meant something to Nick and I. I thanked her for offering this — I had thought about it but would probably not have asked. She had told me that because they do each pet at at time, it would be about two weeks before I would get the ashes back and in fact I understood and it was true. After that time, I got a call from Tracy to arrange the delivery of the little box with his ashes, the paw print, the extra little ashes, the certificate of cremation and also a beautiful poem. Tracy also was very compassionate. Both Jane and Tracy were so great at handling such a difficult moment and I truly thank them from the bottom of my heart for being so supportive. Because I know that whoever is reading my review, is going through all that pain and it’s impossible not to cry… I understand. But having the support of Jane and Tracy certainly helped. As they both know, I wanted a little piece of his hair and they had written it down in the order, but something happened and so it was not done, but they apologized a lot and I actually blame myself for not calling and checking in since it was a special request so I should have followed up. But it’s ok — I still 100% tell you that you should choose their company to handle this difficult time. I am still very happy with everything that I have and I do realize that his spirit is with me and all the photos and memories and all we shared can never be erased. Thank you Jane, Tracy and Serenity Vets. And see you later Nick when I too will go and I will be reunited again…

I went today and I couldn’t find the location. I made sure I looked up the right direction and everything. We even called and no one answered. I don’t know what happened with that.

This is never something that you want to leave a review for, because if you are doing what I am doing now, then it means you have lost a pet that was very near and dear to your heart. However, life happens and Very Important Pet Mortuary was there to do a phenominal job at honoring my best little canine friend, Marshmallow. Everyone who my family dealt with was very professional, understanding, and respectful. They hand delivered Marshmallow’s ashes and included a certificate of cremation, a heartfelt poem, and a beautiful clay imprint of his paw prints with his name. Thank you to everyone at VIP Mortuary for giving me something special to remember my little Marshmallow by. They did a beautiful job and I would highly recommend them to anyone else who needs their services.

Losing a pet is a hard thing. I felt that Very Important Pet Mortuary really cared about my fallen companion, Miyu. The box her ashes were delivered in (and only her ashes thank goodness), to the paw print mold, to the special condolences card, and the delivery to my home, all of it was done in care and professionalism. I am thankful that they really understood how hard it is to lose a pet.

Jane was a pleasure. A nice experience during a not so nice time very professional — definitely recommended

Once again, what an amazing place and what wonderful people. Our dog Elvis died and everything went so smoothly, just at a time when it is needed. VIP Mortuary picked him up at our local vet first thing Monday (Elvis died there sunday) and in a couple weeks or slightly more had a wonderful box and certificate with poem and also paw print delivered to our door. I cannot say more great things about them.

I recommend these wonderful ladies to any family. They are very accommodating and respectful. Sadly I did have to use their service a year ago for a puppy that was born with a deformity and I’m glad someone mentioned them to me. I will forever keep them in mind for my precious babies.

My 17 year old kitty, Freddie, passed away on Dec 13 this year. Another heartbreaking moment. I called them, Jane came over a few hours after I hang up the phone, to pick him up from my apartment. She showed up with a very comfortable looking pet bed and a softest blanket. She wrapped him up very gently. Freddie looked like sleeping in heaven.
Today, he came back with a small urn, with a cute foot print and a certicate. I miss him and my other kitty terribly, but glad they took care of him just the same as I remembered.
I must mention that they were always there to answer my questions, which made me calm. Tracey, Jane, Daniel were very kind and thoughtful.
Now he’s at home. I bought a pot of white orchid with two stems of flowers. They made his life beautiful, as much as they did for my other kitty, Leo.
Thank you again.

I work in a veterinary hospital and am familiar with many different companies that offer cremation services, we suddenly and unexpectedly lost one of our own 2 weeks ago I didn’t even question who to trust with her remains. The gentlemen who picks up the animals from our clinic is always so kind and respectful to the pets and the girls are always so incredibly sweet. Our clients always have the best things to say about them. The only thing I could think about was how her body would be treated (even though it’s just a body now) I’ve heard horror stories. I can’t thank them enough for being so kind and attentive, we got her ashes and paw print back today and it was beautiful. Thank you all so very very much!

VIP Pet Mortuary is by far the most amazing pet cremation company I have ever dealt with. They are kind and offer wonderful service. Other companies (including Cal-​Pet) charge for paw prints and they include this with their services. They are responsive and the turn-​around time is very quick. I have had 3 pets cremated by them, most recently my special kitty Nacho and I would not trust anyone else with my beloved pets. They also offer bio-​cremation which I love being a someone that likes to be environmentally conscious whenever possible.

This is a hard review to write as I could never imagine the day I would need these services. Unfortunately, that day came two weeks ago and I am very grateful to have chosen Very Important Pet Mortuary to handle my dog’s aftercare. Knuckles was my constant and my most loyal companion for almost 11 years. It was really difficult to watch him age and witness his health deteriorate over time. On top of the issues that stem from the English Bulldog breed, he was born with bad genes that always left him with allergies and lead to seizures that slowly made him blind. Over the last year, I noticed such a drastic change in his quality of life and was forced with the heartbreaking decision to let him go.
In my decision-​making process, I came across Very Important Pet Mortuary’s website. When I called to inquire about their cremation services and pricing, I left a message and received a return phone call right away. When speaking to Tracey, I was overcome by grief and she was extremely comforting in explaining the entire process. I knew instantly that this company was the right fit to handle Knuckles’ aftercare arrangements with the love and respect that only pet owners can appreciate and truly understand during this kind of loss. As it is a family owned company, it felt good to know that only four people would be handling my best friend.
The next day, I brought Knuckles to his vet to say goodbye. This was the hardest moment I’ve ever had to face and I had such a hard time leaving him there. I left Tracey a message to let her know that the vet was expecting her. She called me back and left me a message to inform me that she would be on her way to pick up Knuckles at the vet, which gave me a sense of comfort and peace of mind. As we kept missing each other’s phone calls, she took the initiative to give me her personal cell phone number to make sure we remained in contact. She has answered every single question or concern diligently while expressing her deepest sympathy.
Today, her niece, Lauren, came by to hand deliver Knuckles’ ashes. When I opened the door, I bursted into tears and she offered me her warm embrace. His ashes were placed in a beautifully made cedar chest urn with a lock and key and came with a Certificate of Cremation and a paw print in clay keepsake. I also had a medal plate made for Knuckles that was placed onto his urn that reads, «One dog can change your entire life.» Knuckles has truly changed my life and I’m thankful to Tracey and Very Important Pet Mortuary for honoring my forever dog in such a lovely, dignified way.

Update: VIP made financial restitution for their mistake, and although it does not change my feelings, they did what they could to make it right.
Original Review:
Sadly, I am unable to agree with the previous reviewers. Last month our family suffered the loss of our first pet in a very sudden way. Our veterinarian provided us with the brochure for VIP and since we were so overwhelmed with grief, we just called the number and retained their services. We were told they would come pick up our dog the next day from the vet’s office. They came the day after. That alone would not be a big deal, but they also told us that our dog’s ashes would be returned to us in 7 – 10 working days. It was almost three weeks before she was delivered. Several calls and emails were ignored during the time period they were late.
When Tracy came inside our home she greeted our surviving dog and let him smell his sisters paw imprints. Tracy said there could be a trace scent on the imprints. Obviously there was because our dog’s demeanor changed immediately after that. He was agitated and depressed for days after smelling the imprints. Tracy should check with an owner before taking an action like that. Every dog is different and it’s not her call to make.
The absolute worst thing is that they promised to cut some fur from our precious dog and they did not. When Tracy (finally) delivered the ashes and she was chronicling the urn, paw prints, poem, etc. I asked where the cuttings were. She said she would check when she returned to the office. She called me later that day to say that she had not found them at first glance. She promised to look more and call me the following Monday. That was days ago and I still haven’t heard back from her. Not even an apology, which is the least they could have done.
There is no excuse for any of the lapses I described above. VIP set their own timelines and did not honor them. They did not deliver the most important thing we wanted — our pet’s fur. At a time my family was going through much pain and grief, VIP made it that much worse. They broke my children’s hearts and I’ll never forgive them for that. Our experience is that VIP displayed a complete lack of professionalism and sensitivity toward a grieving family.

Little wind-​up toys in perpetual motion, cockatiels are the lovable clowns of the bird kingdom. They’re extremely affectionate, smart and love people. At their worst, they’re a pain-​in-​the-​ass. But they’re also your best friend ever with personalities more akin to dogs than to birds. As cockatiels live anywhere from 15 to 20 years of age, it never dawned on me that I would need the services of Very Important Pet Mortuary for a long, long time.
As my kids could never agree on a name for our bird, he was simply known as The Cockatiel by default. If he were a person, The Cockatiel would always wear a bow-​tie.
When I was home, his little yellow head was everywhere — seemingly at once. When I returned after being gone for the day, The Cockatiel would look me straight in the eye and lecture me for over five minutes for having had the audacity to have left him.
The Cockatiel loved to have his head and belly rubbed, and derived great satisfaction from singing to anyone and everyone he met. Each night when I took my contact lenses out, he zipped onto my shoulder to sing «Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony» and the Chicago Bears Fight Song. In the morning when I put my lenses in, he paced back and forth waiting for me to finish so he could look into the mirror and mimic the sound of a paper towel cleaning it. That above all, was probably his favorite thing although linguine was a close second (he loved to drag the sauce-​covered strand in circles around the table).
The Cockatiel slept in a cage, but for the rest of the day, he had as much freedom as a bird could ask. Each morning, he screamed until I let him out so he could wreck havoc on yet another day. Whenever I made a move, he would fly to my shoulder where he would proudly ride me around as if I were a parade float.
My cockatiel was also overly-​fond of feet. I believe he thought them to be a female cockatiel or a cockatiel god. In any case, he drove me crazy screaming at them.
I could literally go on for tear-​filled hours describing The Cockatiel’s antics and his love for us. But I think you already have a fair idea of what the little guy (he weighed no more than 4 ounces) was all about.
I always knew that The Cockatiel’s spirit was too enormous for his little body. One morning my worst fears were realized when I awakened to find him at the bottom of his cage. Our beloved little imp was dead. I cried for days and am still not over his demise.
Thankfully, I discovered Very Important Pet Mortuary on Unilocal.Its reviews were glowing. It was with a heavy heart that I gave them a call.
Carol and Tracey, sisters who created and operate this business which fills such a valuable need in our community, were kind and understanding. They picked The Cockatiel up from our home, took him to be cremated, then returned him to us in a beautiful wooden box accompanied by certificates of condolences.
Nothing will ever fill the void in our hearts. But because of VIPM, our beloved friend went out with all of the dignity with which he lived.
I hope that you never find yourself in need of Carol and Tracey’s services. But if the day comes that you are, do not hesitate to call these wonderful women. They will definitely put a smile upon a horrible circumstance, and will do it with class and style. I cannot recommend VIPM highly enough.

Loosing our beloved Jack Russel Terrier was a horrible event. My dog was very sick in the last few days, in my grief I found it difficult to make decisions. I chose VIP Mortuary after reading their reviews on Unilocal.
I absolutely recommend them, they were professional and compassionate. Don’t be afraid to ask them absolutely anything about the process. My dog was family, for me it was important to know the remains I received would indeed be his, which they guaranteed.

VIP is the best! They gave me heartfelt comfort during a horrible time in my life. Always easy to deal with and understanding of my especially difficult circumstance.
They kept in touch during every step of the process — making it so much more re– assuring! Tracy and Carol and a small staff keep things simple yet thorough .
They take pride in their work — as they should! I have a beautiful tribute to my friend– as well as her ashes in a beautiful tapestry box!
As you can see, every review has 5 stars — and I would give 100 if they had them! Thanks so much!

On Valentines Day of 2012, I had the impossible task of putting down my beloved dog of 14 years, Bernadette. She had quite a few things happening with her health and although she’s always been a survivor and a fighter her entire life, she finally got to a point where it wasn’t fair for me to make her keep fighting — for me. When I finally had to make the hardest decision in my whole life, I was in no condition to think about next steps; hell, the hardest thing in the world was just driving home without crashing.
My boyfriend found Very Important Pet Mortuary and asked them to claim the body from «ASEC» where I had left her. The were fast, agreeable, calming, soothing, kind, and sympathetic when asking me specifics about how I wanted her body handled. I was given her ashes in a beautiful, feminine cloth box, a certificate celebrating her life and thanking me as her ‘mom”, a sympathy card, and a paw-​print taken from my girl and put into a round piece of plaster-​of-​paris (or something) so I would always have that memory of my girl’s paw in my hand — literally. When they delivered everything to me — in person, the two women themselves, they were respectful and kind and very sympathetic as they could see just how devastated I was. They didn’t intrude, they didn’t stay long, but they made a personal delivery to my home with her remains which spoke volumes to me in terms of basic respect for life.
8 Months later, when my dearest cat, Ali Khan, suddenly and unexpectedly (and traumatically) died on Thanksgiving weekend, I again called upon the services of V.I.P. Mortuary to handle Ali Khan’s arrangements. They offered me a new service — a way to cremate Ali Khan’s body in an environmentally friendly manner (which might not seem like a lot, but it does mean something) that I agreed to, and they promised to retrieve my fuzzy buddy from ASEC again.
Again, they delivered Ali’s remains in person, along with another certificate and poem, and a sympathy card arriving beforehand. Again, they gave me a paw impression of Ali Khan’s front paw, reminding me I hadn’t been able to clip his nails the last time I tried (which made me cry harder, but in a kind-​of good way). This time, I believe because he was a boy/​male, I received his ashes in a beautiful wooden box with a little lock and key attached, which seemed so appropriate (pretty cloth for my girl, beautiful wood for my boy).
Once more, I felt they handled every detail with respect and the honor that should be bestowed upon every beloved pet. The loss of a member of your family is a terribly traumatic event; one you’re not prepared for (even if you think you’re prepared for it). To have these details handled for you at a time when you’re beside yourself with grief is a blessing, and I do mean that in that it’s a true gift from them to you.
To have your pet treated with the kind of dignity in death that you would have given them in life is a true and meaningful gift to a grieving owner/​friend.
Please support this business, even in your time of greatest grief. They will give you what comfort they can and treat your beloved family member as well as you would have, making the whole horrible event just a little bit easier and beautiful.
Might seem odd to some, but I have both my pets in their beautiful boxes next to my bed, and am oddly comforted by having them close, as they always were in life (pushing me out of the bed). And I deeply and profoundly, after having some time to process, respect and am so deeply grateful to V.I.P. Mortuary for taking care of my babies in a time of crisis for me.

Very Important Pet Mortary is top notch. After losing my 5 year old albino German Shepherd, the West LA Animal Hospital made arrangements with VIP Mortuary so I wouldn’t have to. I’m so very glad that they recommend this business because they are incredibly professional and you can tell they truly care about animals and what they do.
They made a very upsetting and vulnerable time to be extremely comforting. I talked with Tracey the day after my dogs passing and she explained things to me and the two different ways they cremate. Of course I opted for the more earth friendly approach. I received a beautiful card of condolence from them as well which was also very nice. I heard from Carol about two weeks later to set up a time for delivery. The fact that it takes so long was explained and it completely makes sense. If you drive around you’ll notice that there’s an abundance of pet hospitals but do you ever really see any pet cremation or mortuary places? I don’t think I’ve seen one in the Glendale area where I live. Having said that, there are not a lot of these places around and many pets that pass on a daily basis. They’re only allowed to operate one oven per law and since eat pet is cremated by itself, that takes time. The newer bio friendly approach will allow for more of those to be around and to up the cremation time. It should say a lot that they are this busy. They are good people so they get lots of business. I certainly didn’t mind the wait either.
Today my pup was delivered to me by Tracey. She was incredibly professional and was on time and took the time to explain a few things. Parking is not easy on my block so I’m sure time was of the essence to avoid a parking ticket.
I received a beautiful wooden box with lock and key. I was able to take a look inside after Tracey left and I couldn’t believe how much and how heavy my dog was but clearly it was all him. Also included was a certificate and a nice poem. My favorite item was my dogs paw print in clay. It was very personal and very detailed and I love that I can see the grooves from his paw pads. I will always treasure it and it sits high on my mantle.
I will definitely use this business the next time I need to take care of any of my other dogs passings. They do everything or you, making the experience a lot more bearable.

Losing a pet is one of the hardest things you can go through, and its even harder when you have to make the decision to end their pain. I felt so lucky to find Very Important Pet Mortuary on Unilocal,and was comforted by the many positive reviews. After going to their website, I was heartened to find they also referrals for at-​home vets to help end my boy’s pain.
My 13-​year old dog, Bear had been fighting against dementia and cognitive disfunction for almost a year, and was beginning to injure himself. I couldn’t bear the thought of coming home and finding him in pain, or worse. I also hated his vet, and didn’t want to spend his last moments in a cold vet’s office.
When I called VIP on a Saturday and spoke with Carol, I was immediately at ease. Carol made things so easy, and had the vet’s office she refers to most — Serenity Pet Care — call me back. They were able to make arrangements to be there the next day. When I didn’t hear back from Carol afterwards, I was worried, but the person from Serenity said they would work out the timing with Carol.
On Sunday, March 10, Dr. Oakley and her technician came to my home, and talked me through the entire process. They were gentle, soothing, and so kind. They were patient, letting me dictate when I was ready to move onto the next step of Bear’s euthanasia. He went peacefully, and without pain, in his favorite spot, with me there next to him. Then, magically, Carol was there. Serenity and VIP have their timing down to a science. Carol came in, and they gently, respectfully, wrapped him up, and took him out to Carol’s car. Carol then sat with me to discuss the process, and what my options were. I felt Bear was in excellent, caring hands. I opted for the water-​based cremation, which is more environmentally friendly, and was grateful to have that option.
I just received Bear back this past Saturday, from Tracey, and while it was very hard to have my 60lb dog handed back to me in a small box, I am so grateful to have him treated so respectfully. She also gave me his paw print in clay, which I am now treasuring. The only thing I would change about the experience would be if they had called me closer to the original estimate for returning Bear to me, to let me know it would take a few more days to bring him home. I didn’t mind having to wait, but was starting to wonder about the delay, though I wasn’t in a place where I could call and ask that question myself; too hard. If I ever have to go through something like this again, I wouldn’t hesitate to call VIP again. I feel so grateful to have been in their care during this ordeal.