Dr Steve’s Journey
Dr Steve Smith was born in Ohio, and he grew up in Canada and Michigan. He graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University and earned his Michigan Veterinarian license in 1990. In the six years that followed, he worked at two animal hospitals on the border of Grosse Pointe and Detroit.
After putting up with way too many winters in the midwest, Dr Steve realized that he could seek out a warmer climate. He earned his California Veterinarian license in April 1996 and moved to Redondo Beach four months later.
For the next three years, he worked as the Medical Director of a daytime hospital in Palos Verdes, then he moved on to become the Chief of Emergency Medicine at a 24 hour hospital in West Hollywood.
In addition to his full-time jobs, Dr Steve's done quite a bit of "relief work" over the years, filling in shifts at over 200 daytime & emergency hospitals.
Taking the show on the road
Veterinary hospitals have a lot of overhead, so they strive to be busy at all times. Because of this, there are always too many animals to take care of, in too little time.
No matter where he worked, Dr Steve never felt like he could give every patient the complete and thorough care that they deserved, and he could never find enough time to talk to clients about their pets.
In 2005, Dr Steve left the hectic world of brick and mortar veterinary medicine and launched himself into the wonderful world of house calls. Now he drives around Los Angeles, stops at 5 or 6 households 3 days a week, and actually gets to spend quality time with his clients and patients.
An unexpected bonus
Because of Dr Steve's experience, he's not just a great primary care veterinarian, he's an excellent resource for general advice, consultations, second opinions, and referrals.
Counseling by email and text is available now for $75, a fraction of the cost of a house call. If your pet has an issue that might benefit from some thoughtful advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Kinder & gentler
If your pet has fear, anxiety, and stress, house calls can be modified to accommodate their needs. Dr Steve can include floor exams, calming music, pheromones, catnip, toys, and lots of treats* along the way. If your pet needs more, calming pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals can help, before or during the visit. Please email Dr Steve about your pet's personality for more information.
* Peanut butter is included in the list of treats, so please advise Dr Steve if anyone at home has peanut-related allergies.
A WORD ABOUT REVIEWS
Dr Steve gets loads of great reviews online, which makes sense because he has loads of happy and satisfied clients! His Yelp page has over 18 years of glowing, sincere, five-star experiences. Some of these clients have been around since day one, which is very gratifying.
There are a handful of nasty reviews too, mostly from people that Dr Steve has never even met. If you are a grumpy consumer that loves to leave bad reviews on Google and Yelp, please move along.
