Best Friends Animal Hospital

Established at the turn of the century on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, this San Fernando Valley hospital passed to its current leadership team under Dr. Erica Heim in 2011 and has since become a long-standing fixture known for accessible, high-quality care. AAHA accreditation backs the medicine — a designation held by only about 15 percent of U.S. veterinary hospitals, with routine evaluation by trained professionals to confirm ongoing compliance. Seven veterinarians staff the practice. Care covers physical exams and wellness, vaccinations, dental services, spay and neuter, surgery, microchipping, allergies, nutrition counseling, flea and heartworm control, behavior consultation, and international health certificates, backed by diagnostic imaging and an in-house laboratory. Full-service hospitalization is a real differentiator — the facility provides post-surgical care, regular medication administration, and monitoring for critically ill animals using state-of-the-art equipment and in-house lab work, rather than sending unstable patients elsewhere. Cherry payment plans keep costs manageable. Top-tier care at a reasonable cost is the stated aim, delivered by a team that means to make every family feel like their pet is one of the staff's own.