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Dr. Heather

I grew up in the small town of Moab, Utah, which is home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and is surrounded by some of the most stunning red rock landscapes on earth. Nestled below the Manti LaSal mountain range, my little town offers the heat of the southwestern desert, and the cool oasis of the Rocky Mountains.

I have always had a passion for helping animals, and my parents recognized my special connection with God's creatures from an early age. When I was 12, my parents introduced me to our local veterinarian, Dr. Paul Bingham, who became my life-long mentor. I spent every Saturday, and full summers, working with him. I wanted to follow in Dr. Bingham’s footsteps, so set my sights on Colorado State University. We have stayed in close contact for nearly 35 years, despite living nearly two thousand miles apart.

I earned a bachelor's degree in zoology, followed by my doctorate degree at Colorado State University. Since graduating in 2003, I have practiced small animal medicine, but I enjoy all aspects of veterinary medicine. I've been blessed with unique opportunities to assist with wildlife work in Africa, and offer assistance to researchers studying black bears in the Rocky Mountains.

I have had to say goodbye to several pets, but saying goodbye to my beloved dog Foster was probably the hardest. I got Foster during my first year of veterinary school, and he was my test subject for practicing physical exams and many other skills during vet school. Since Foster was my “first child, first love,” the grief I felt when I had to say goodbye gives me insight into families struggling to say the same goodbye. Loss is one of the hardest parts of being a pet parent, but ending a pet’s suffering in a manner that is kind, compassionate, and peaceful is the greatest gift veterinarians are privileged to uniquely give.

I truly feel honored stepping into clients’ homes to assure their beloved family members have a peaceful, comfortable, passing with family and loved ones nearby.

I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and two beautiful teenage daughters. I enjoy gardening, and have a small obsession with orchids—my kids often joke that my orchids are my other "babies." I also enjoy hiking, biking, and skiing in the great outdoors.

Our services

We’re here to support you when you need it

In-Home Euthanasia

At Lap of Love, we take the utmost pride in helping your pet experience a peaceful passing in the comfort and tranquility of their home.

Veterinary Hospice

Family-focused, in-home hospice care ensures your dog or cat is comfortable and happy during their final days.

Aftercare

From cremation to personal keepsakes, our aftercare services allow you to forever memorialize your beloved dog or cat.

Telehospice

Personal phone/video calls, during which a Lap of Love team member will help you gain clarity around what's best for your ailing or aging pet.

Pet Loss Support

Join our free, virtual Pet Loss Support Groups. Discussions are focused on healthy coping skills, grief reactions, and honoring the lives of your furry family member.

In-Home Euthanasia

At Lap of Love, we take the utmost pride in helping your pet experience a peaceful passing in the comfort and tranquility of their home.

Veterinary Hospice

Family-focused, in-home hospice care ensures your dog or cat is comfortable and happy during their final days.

Aftercare

From cremation to personal keepsakes, our aftercare services allow you to forever memorialize your beloved dog or cat.

Telehospice

Personal phone/video calls, during which a Lap of Love team member will help you gain clarity around what's best for your ailing or aging pet.

Pet Loss Support

Join our free, virtual Pet Loss Support Groups. Discussions are focused on healthy coping skills, grief reactions, and honoring the lives of your furry family member.

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RITA

DEER PARK, New York

I want to start by thanking Dr. Heather for her kindness in our time of grief. I was still struggling with my decision of euthanizing our beloved dog, Capone. Capone was such a huge part of our family. When it came time to part ways, Dr. Heather made that journey as easy as possible. Dr. Heather talked us through each step in the process. Capone was so comfortable on his bed at home which made the saying goodbye a bit easier. Lap of Love was a God-send for us and Capone. I have already recommended Lap of Love to a friend so she can receive peace for her beloved pet.

Leah

Portland, Oregon

Dr Amanda was amazing coming to my house to help transition my dog. She was very soft spoken and very informative. She explained everything before she did it and treated my Brewster like he was her own! I know my boy was able to transition with no pain and all the love in the world! Shortly after, I received a lovely letter from Dr Amanda thanking me for having her join this experience. It was such a sweet sentiment! I highly recommend lap of love and Dr Amanda if you ever need to transition your pet! I couldn’t ask for a better experience during a terrible time!

Linda

Redlands, California

Dr. Lorry was very patient, kind, and reassuring. My 12 year old cat declined very quickly after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the jaw. Being able to say goodbye to my friend at home, and in a peaceful manner was a gift. The whole process was respectfully carried out. I would recommend this service to anyone with a terminally ill pet.

Deanna

Troy, Missouri

There are not enough words to say how thankful we are that we discovered Lap of Love to see our beautiful Koda across the Rainbow Bridge. We have been involved in dog rescue for many years and, as a result, have seenmore dogs than the average family over the Bridge. A veterinarian at Mizzou told us when we brought in our Boxer with pancreatic cancer to be put to sleep that we had a gift to give her--the gift of not letting her suffer. I have always taken that to heart when faced with the decision to help one of our beloved pups over the bridge. We love our family vet and had planned for him to see Koda over the bridge when we learned of Lap of Love. From the first phone call to schedule them to come to our house, I knew it was the right decision. I spoke with Gen who took the time not only to answer all my questions but to allow me to talk a little about our Koda girl. She never rushed me off the phone and understood my sadness and tears as I was making an appointment to end Koda's pain. We set the appointment for the day after Christmas--a cold but sunny day. My daughters carried her into the yard to potty because she could no longer negotiate the steps. They brought her back into our sun room, which she loved, and put her in her bed. When Dr. Chris arrived, Koda was snoozing comfortably. Koda woke up and wagged her tail at Dr. Chris as she explained everything to us. She was so kind to all of us and was so understanding at how distraught we all were. She was patient with our 4 other dogs who wanted her attention as well. When it came time for Dr. Chris to give the sedative to Koda before the final injection, I could swear that I saw Koda almost breathe a sigh of relief from the pain. We had as long as we wanted to say our final goodbyes before Dr. Chris saw her over the bridge. It was the most kind, calm, loving environment for Koda's passing. There was no fear (from going to the vet's office), no over-excitement from the car ride, no new animal smells to contend with. Koda was in her own bed, comfortable and content with her family--both human and canine--around her. Again, Dr. Chris gave us as much time as we needed to say our last goodbyes. With the help of my daughters, Dr. Chris lifted Koda gently on the stretcher, carefully strapping her in and covering her up with a colorful quilt. She looked like she was peacefully sleeping. I can't say enough good things about Lap of Love and the services they provide for end of life care. If I had known about them sooner and that they offer hospice care, I definitely would have met with them to know how better to take care of Koda during the final months of her palliative care. If any of my dogs are ever in a similar situation to Koda in the future, I will engage with Lap of Love Hospice care and their at-home euthanasia services. I am at peace knowing that we did everything in our power to care for Koda after her shoulder sarcoma diagnosis--to not only keep her comfortable, but to maintain the best quality of life possible for her until the time came when there was nothing more we could do. Lap of Love and Dr. Chris stepped in and made the inevitable passing of our girl to be as loving and peaceful as it could be--for all of us. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone at Lap of Love for helping the families see their beloved pets through the end of life.

Kathy & Gary

Sacramento , California

There are not enough words to express the extent of our gratefulness to Lap of Love in Sacramento and to Dr. Caroline Kiert. We knew this day would come yet It was so tough to let go. And we knew the time had come to give our precious little girl, Belle, her freedom from pain and suffering to go to her happy place of freedom. When we telephoned Lap of Love Tuesday morning, June 8th, they told us we would be in the greatest of hands with Dr. Caroline. Little did we know how profoundly true that statement was, for which we are richly blessed and thankful beyond measure! Dr. Caroline made our sweet Belle’s experience, as well as ours, though hugely bittersweet, a beautiful farewell for all of us. She came well after hours and telephoned twice that day in advance to check on Belle and on us. Her kindness, heartfelt empathy, soothing demeanor, gentleness, friendliness, understanding, and so much more, made this difficult decision far more bearable than we ever thought possible. She honored Belle and allowed us to spend such a great amount of time with her. Dr. Caroline explained everything so well and with tremendous grace, and that made a great difference to us. Belle was our princess, and Dr. Caroline treated her delicately in that same fashion. She is definitely gifted and called to minister in this way as a Veterinarian. We let Dr. Caroline know, while at our home, that we desired to have a witness cremation, and she went out of her way to take Miss Belle to the Pet Crematory that evening though it was late. As a result, we were able to speak with the crematory early the next morning and schedule the cremation in a timely manner. Dr. Caroline invested in Belle and in us. It is as though we had always known her. Thank you so much, Dr. Caroline!!

Angela

Castle Rock, Colorado

Making the decision to let our sweet boy cross the rainbow bridge was very difficult. After the decision was made I was plagued with doubts all week long...my head knew it was the right decision but my heart ached. Dr. Liz was wonderful! From the moment she got there she was patient, kind, gentle, and compassionate in her actions and her words. She gave us all the time we needed explaining along the way what to expect. Afterward, she gave us more time to say our final goodbyes and she had the most encouraging things to say....things that rid my heart of any guilt. Thank you Dr. Liz - thank you for everything!

RITA

DEER PARK, New York

I want to start by thanking Dr. Heather for her kindness in our time of grief. I was still struggling with my decision of euthanizing our beloved dog, Capone. Capone was such a huge part of our family. When it came time to part ways, Dr. Heather made that journey as easy as possible. Dr. Heather talked us through each step in the process. Capone was so comfortable on his bed at home which made the saying goodbye a bit easier. Lap of Love was a God-send for us and Capone. I have already recommended Lap of Love to a friend so she can receive peace for her beloved pet.

Leah

Portland, Oregon

Dr Amanda was amazing coming to my house to help transition my dog. She was very soft spoken and very informative. She explained everything before she did it and treated my Brewster like he was her own! I know my boy was able to transition with no pain and all the love in the world! Shortly after, I received a lovely letter from Dr Amanda thanking me for having her join this experience. It was such a sweet sentiment! I highly recommend lap of love and Dr Amanda if you ever need to transition your pet! I couldn’t ask for a better experience during a terrible time!

Deanna

Troy, Missouri

There are not enough words to say how thankful we are that we discovered Lap of Love to see our beautiful Koda across the Rainbow Bridge. We have been involved in dog rescue for many years and, as a result, have seenmore dogs than the average family over the Bridge. A veterinarian at Mizzou told us when we brought in our Boxer with pancreatic cancer to be put to sleep that we had a gift to give her--the gift of not letting her suffer. I have always taken that to heart when faced with the decision to help one of our beloved pups over the bridge. We love our family vet and had planned for him to see Koda over the bridge when we learned of Lap of Love. From the first phone call to schedule them to come to our house, I knew it was the right decision. I spoke with Gen who took the time not only to answer all my questions but to allow me to talk a little about our Koda girl. She never rushed me off the phone and understood my sadness and tears as I was making an appointment to end Koda's pain. We set the appointment for the day after Christmas--a cold but sunny day. My daughters carried her into the yard to potty because she could no longer negotiate the steps. They brought her back into our sun room, which she loved, and put her in her bed. When Dr. Chris arrived, Koda was snoozing comfortably. Koda woke up and wagged her tail at Dr. Chris as she explained everything to us. She was so kind to all of us and was so understanding at how distraught we all were. She was patient with our 4 other dogs who wanted her attention as well. When it came time for Dr. Chris to give the sedative to Koda before the final injection, I could swear that I saw Koda almost breathe a sigh of relief from the pain. We had as long as we wanted to say our final goodbyes before Dr. Chris saw her over the bridge. It was the most kind, calm, loving environment for Koda's passing. There was no fear (from going to the vet's office), no over-excitement from the car ride, no new animal smells to contend with. Koda was in her own bed, comfortable and content with her family--both human and canine--around her. Again, Dr. Chris gave us as much time as we needed to say our last goodbyes. With the help of my daughters, Dr. Chris lifted Koda gently on the stretcher, carefully strapping her in and covering her up with a colorful quilt. She looked like she was peacefully sleeping. I can't say enough good things about Lap of Love and the services they provide for end of life care. If I had known about them sooner and that they offer hospice care, I definitely would have met with them to know how better to take care of Koda during the final months of her palliative care. If any of my dogs are ever in a similar situation to Koda in the future, I will engage with Lap of Love Hospice care and their at-home euthanasia services. I am at peace knowing that we did everything in our power to care for Koda after her shoulder sarcoma diagnosis--to not only keep her comfortable, but to maintain the best quality of life possible for her until the time came when there was nothing more we could do. Lap of Love and Dr. Chris stepped in and made the inevitable passing of our girl to be as loving and peaceful as it could be--for all of us. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone at Lap of Love for helping the families see their beloved pets through the end of life.

Kathy & Gary

Sacramento , California

There are not enough words to express the extent of our gratefulness to Lap of Love in Sacramento and to Dr. Caroline Kiert. We knew this day would come yet It was so tough to let go. And we knew the time had come to give our precious little girl, Belle, her freedom from pain and suffering to go to her happy place of freedom. When we telephoned Lap of Love Tuesday morning, June 8th, they told us we would be in the greatest of hands with Dr. Caroline. Little did we know how profoundly true that statement was, for which we are richly blessed and thankful beyond measure! Dr. Caroline made our sweet Belle’s experience, as well as ours, though hugely bittersweet, a beautiful farewell for all of us. She came well after hours and telephoned twice that day in advance to check on Belle and on us. Her kindness, heartfelt empathy, soothing demeanor, gentleness, friendliness, understanding, and so much more, made this difficult decision far more bearable than we ever thought possible. She honored Belle and allowed us to spend such a great amount of time with her. Dr. Caroline explained everything so well and with tremendous grace, and that made a great difference to us. Belle was our princess, and Dr. Caroline treated her delicately in that same fashion. She is definitely gifted and called to minister in this way as a Veterinarian. We let Dr. Caroline know, while at our home, that we desired to have a witness cremation, and she went out of her way to take Miss Belle to the Pet Crematory that evening though it was late. As a result, we were able to speak with the crematory early the next morning and schedule the cremation in a timely manner. Dr. Caroline invested in Belle and in us. It is as though we had always known her. Thank you so much, Dr. Caroline!!

Angela

Castle Rock, Colorado

Making the decision to let our sweet boy cross the rainbow bridge was very difficult. After the decision was made I was plagued with doubts all week long...my head knew it was the right decision but my heart ached. Dr. Liz was wonderful! From the moment she got there she was patient, kind, gentle, and compassionate in her actions and her words. She gave us all the time we needed explaining along the way what to expect. Afterward, she gave us more time to say our final goodbyes and she had the most encouraging things to say....things that rid my heart of any guilt. Thank you Dr. Liz - thank you for everything!

RITA

DEER PARK, New York

I want to start by thanking Dr. Heather for her kindness in our time of grief. I was still struggling with my decision of euthanizing our beloved dog, Capone. Capone was such a huge part of our family. When it came time to part ways, Dr. Heather made that journey as easy as possible. Dr. Heather talked us through each step in the process. Capone was so comfortable on his bed at home which made the saying goodbye a bit easier. Lap of Love was a God-send for us and Capone. I have already recommended Lap of Love to a friend so she can receive peace for her beloved pet.

Leah

Portland, Oregon

Dr Amanda was amazing coming to my house to help transition my dog. She was very soft spoken and very informative. She explained everything before she did it and treated my Brewster like he was her own! I know my boy was able to transition with no pain and all the love in the world! Shortly after, I received a lovely letter from Dr Amanda thanking me for having her join this experience. It was such a sweet sentiment! I highly recommend lap of love and Dr Amanda if you ever need to transition your pet! I couldn’t ask for a better experience during a terrible time!

Helpful resources

Informational resources to help you navigate your pet’s quality of life

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When to put a dog down — Axel, Paterson, NJ
How Will I Know It's Time

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Blog

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