Veterinarian Overview
Born in North Carolina and raised in Utah, Dr. Helen Chuang came to Northern California to attend UC Berkeley and has lived here ever since. During her time in veterinary school at UC Davis, she was recognized for her commitment to the human-animal bond and for her work at the Pet Loss Support Hotline. After graduating in 1998, she worked in private practice for many years and enjoyed being able to treat pets over their entire lifetime: from their very first visit until their end-of-life care. Soon after graduation, Dr. Chuangs elderly cat, who had been her companion through all her years of college and veterinary school, took a turn for the worse. Having to euthanize him was difficult for Dr. Chuang, especially since this was the first time making this decision for her own pet. It changed her view on the way euthanasia could be done to make the process as comfortable as possible. Over her years in practice, Dr. Chuang received frequent requests for at-home pet euthanasia and end-of-life care. Unfortunately, she found it challenging to accommodate these while working at a traditional clinic, but when she was able to do so, she saw how much peace and dignity it gave to owners and pets. This helped Dr. Chuang see how important fulfilling these requests was. As a veterinarian and a pet owner, she is grateful that she is able to have choices in how end-of-life care will happen with her own pets. Now with Restful Paws, she is able to provide those important options to owners and their pets.
