Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice & In-Home Euthanasia

My suburban Indiana childhood was not filled with a multitude of pets like many of my veterinary colleagues.  My mother had a strict “no creepy crawly” rule, which meant if it was not a cat or a dog then the answer was “no”. Unfortunately, our family dogs passed when I was in grade school, and many years went by before there was another pet in our home.  During sophomore year of high school, I was gifted with my beloved Leopold (Siamese mix) and shortly after, Carlyle (orange tabby), who both continue to fill my life with love and joy today.  Despite the absence of a furry companion for many of my formative years, I have no memory of a time in my life when my love for animals failed to burn reverently in my heart. My parents spared no opportunity to support my passion. They not only exposed me to different aspects of the veterinary field, such as general practice, zoo medicine, and animal industry, they also instilled in me a strong work ethic and high standard of excellence. 

I am not sure if my parents ever knew how serious I was about becoming a veterinarian until I went to college, but unbeknownst to them, the support that they provided would be all that was needed to achieve my goal.   The beginning of my journey started at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida where I received a Bachelors of Agriculture with a pre-veterinary medicine focus.  During my tenure at FAMU, I actively participated in social and scholastic organizations, such as Mahogany Dance Theatre, Relay for Life, Executive Committee member of the Animal Science Club, and Volunteer with the local animal shelter. Upon graduation, my continued pursuit of career took me to the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, with my main focus as Small Animal Medicine; working in small animal surgery suite and participating in low cost community vaccine/spay/neuter clinics. 

Upon graduation, I began working in small animal general practice. I was thrilled to be able to work within a strong and thriving preventative care program, but I found myself wanting to do more for the families and patients that were dealing with difficult diagnoses.  I discovered that, while making the correct diagnosis is important, helping our clients understand what the diagnosis means, how to manage it, and helping them to carry the burden of impending difficult decisions is far more important.  In the general practice setting, I found the support I wanted to give to families and the time and resources I had at my disposal were always at odds. For this reason, I am humbled and honored to be working for a company such as Lap of Love. It is my intention and my blessing to not only provide the best quality of care I can for patients, but to also provide clarity, understanding, and support for clients in a way that is unique to their pet and their individual needs.