If you're searching for in-home pet euthanasia in Phoenix, you've likely come across Lap of Love. They advertise widely, appear near the top of search results, and are a known name in the in-home veterinary space. But there are important differences between a national network service like Lap of Love and an independent, owner-operated practice like Hickey Home Veterinary Care — and those differences matter when it comes to the most significant goodbye you'll share with your pet.

What Is Lap of Love?

Lap of Love is a national franchise network of in-home veterinarians founded in 2009. They operate across dozens of states by recruiting and contracting with local veterinarians who perform appointments under the Lap of Love brand. CodaPet operates similarly.

When you book through Lap of Love in Phoenix, you are booking through a corporate scheduling system. An affiliated veterinarian in your area is then assigned to your appointment. You may or may not speak with that veterinarian before they arrive at your home.

What Is Hickey Home Veterinary Care?

Hickey Home Veterinary Care is an independent, owner-operated mobile veterinary practice serving the Phoenix and Scottsdale metro area. Dr. Kyle Hickey, DVM, founded the practice and personally conducts every appointment. When you call Hickey Home Veterinary Care, you speak with Dr. Hickey. When a vet arrives at your door, it is Dr. Hickey.

There is no network. There is no dispatch system. There is no rotating staff.

The Key Differences

Who Performs the Appointment

Lap of Love / CodaPet: A contracted affiliate veterinarian is assigned to your appointment based on availability. You may not know who is coming until the appointment is confirmed, and you may have no prior contact with them.

Hickey Home Veterinary Care: Dr. Kyle Hickey personally performs every appointment. This is not a marketing claim — it is how the practice operates. There is one veterinarian.

Scheduling and Communication

Lap of Love / CodaPet: Scheduling typically happens through an online portal or call center. Communication may route through administrative staff before reaching a veterinarian.

Hickey Home Veterinary Care: You call (480) 806-1888 and speak directly with Dr. Hickey or leave a message he returns personally. There is no call center.

Appointment Experience

Lap of Love / CodaPet: The quality of the appointment depends heavily on the individual veterinarian assigned. Since networks use multiple practitioners, experiences vary.

Hickey Home Veterinary Care: Every appointment reflects Dr. Hickey's approach — unhurried, compassionate, and conducted with the two-step sedation process that allows your pet to fall peacefully asleep before the final procedure.

Community Connection

Lap of Love / CodaPet: National brand with local contractors. The veterinarian you meet may have no long-term ties to the Scottsdale or Phoenix community.

Hickey Home Veterinary Care: Dr. Hickey is a Scottsdale-area veterinarian who also practices at Dynamite Creek Animal Hospital in Cave Creek. He is part of the local veterinary community, not passing through it.

Which Is Right for Your Family?

Both options deliver in-home euthanasia, which is meaningfully better than a clinic experience for most pets and families. The question is what level of personal connection and consistency matters to you.

If you want to know exactly who is coming to your home, speak with that person before they arrive, and work with a veterinarian who is fully accountable for the experience — an independent practice is the right choice.

If the brand name and national presence of a network service gives you comfort, that's a legitimate reason to choose it.

Most Phoenix families who have used Hickey Home Veterinary Care chose it specifically because they wanted a personal relationship with the veterinarian, not an assignment from a dispatch system.

What About Price?

Pricing between independent providers and network services like Lap of Love is generally comparable in the Phoenix market. The difference is not cost — it's accountability, personalization, and who walks through your door.

Call (480) 806-1888 for current Hickey Home Veterinary Care pricing.

Questions to Ask Any Provider Before Booking

Regardless of which service you choose, ask these before confirming:

  • Who specifically will be performing the appointment?
  • Will I be able to speak with that veterinarian before they arrive?
  • What is the step-by-step process during the appointment?
  • What aftercare options are available and who handles them?
  • Is the veterinarian licensed in Arizona?

Dr. Hickey's Arizona DVM License is #9226. His Arizona Premises License is R4973.

Schedule with Dr. Hickey

If you'd like to speak directly with the veterinarian who will be in your home, call (480) 806-1888 or email contact@hickeyhomeveterinarycare.com. Dr. Hickey serves Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, and Fountain Hills.