In-Home Pet Euthanasia in St. Augustine Area

Growing up, I always had a close bond with animals. I began volunteering at my local animal shelter in Orlando and loved working with the dogs and cats. I provided them with as much love and enrichment as possible during the few hours I spent there. This was always the highlight of my week. After high school, I went on to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Florida. During my time there, I had the opportunity to volunteer with a low cost spay/neuter clinic. My experience volunteering truly solidified my passion for veterinary medicine and drove my desire to enter veterinary school. After working as a veterinary technician in private practice for a year, I was accepted to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and completed my doctorate degree.

My strong connection to end of life care developed during veterinary school. While on the first week of clinical rotations, my own cat started exhibiting signs of weakness and, over the course of a day, quickly declined and was transferred to UF. After a wide array of diagnostics and testing, he was diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma). The oncologists predicted that even with chemotherapy, he would have less than a month left with me. I went home with medication to make him comfortable and spent that next day holding him close. Despite supportive care, he got worse, and I had to make the painful decision to let him go. Since that day, I have worked hard to make each of my patients’ passing a peaceful and meaningful one. It is never easy to say goodbye, especially in situations like my own when a pet declines so suddenly. I am thankful that I can guide and support families through this incredibly difficult time as a doctor with Lap of Love. I am truly honored to be there for you. 

When I am not out in the St. Augustine area helping families, I enjoy visiting my family in Clearwater, playing with my mischievous cat, Chowder, and exploring Disney World with my other half, Eric

I grew up in Essex, Maryland, which is just outside of Baltimore. My love of animals began early on and for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a veterinarian. When I first made this determination, my mother took photographs of me “doctoring” our very tolerant cocker spaniel Buffy. They remain some of my most cherished photos to this day! 

In high school and college, I worked as a veterinary technician, which validated my decision to become a veterinarian. While working as a tech, I learned that being a vet was more than just caring for the animals, it was also about the humans who cared for them. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Biology and a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Ancient Studies, I attended veterinary school at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (Virginia Tech).  

For the past 10 years, I have worked in general practice beginning in Parkville, Maryland, then in Jacksonville, Florida after moving to the area with my husband a few years ago. In that time, I’ve witnessed my patients grow from infants to seniors and learned how the human-animal bond evolves throughout different life stages. Helping families make the decision of when it is time to say goodbye is always difficult and being able to provide them with peace during this process is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. Recently, I had to euthanize my own three-legged cat, Clementine, when she developed cancer and rapidly declined. I was able to help her pass peacefully in our own home, in my husband’s arms, and I will forever be grateful that her last memory was in a safe place that she loved. I feel incredibly honored to be able to provide this gift for my patients and their families as well.  

When not assisting families with end of life care, I can usually be found planning our next trip with my husband Rick (we love traveling abroad!), playing with (or chasing) our toddler, Evelyn and our rambunctious cairn terrier PGT, or reading and snuggling with our cat Greta.

I was raised in southeastern Massachusetts. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to help animals. Early on, I felt called to a lifetime of attending to animals’ care and welfare. Over the course of my grade school years, I brought home a menagerie of injured, stray, and orphaned animals in need of care, often to my mother’s hopeless chagrin. I had the good fortune to own horses in my youth, and also later as an adult. 

I obtained my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Tufts University in Grafton, Massachusetts. I practiced for many years, mostly as the sole owner and practitioner of a small animal hospital serving a large rural area in Northern California’s central valley. I also occasionally saw goats, sheep, ostriches, emus, rabbits, birds, reptiles, horses and mules, pocket pets, and a variety of local fauna. Many of my regular clients were farmers. I have countless memories of times when men and women came to me with tears in their eyes, and bade farewell as their beloved companion drew its last breath in the comfort of old and calloused, yet familiar, hands. 

Some years after growing the practice, my husband and I began formulating our exit strategy. After a trip to visit my dad in St. Augustine, Florida, we decided this is where we would retire. We were fortunate to sell my practice and our farm shortly after our youngest went off to college. We packed up our belongings, along with four horses, four dogs, and a cat, and drove to our new farm in beautiful St. Augustine.

My life has been repeatedly graced by the bittersweet paradox of companionship and loss that is unique to pet ownership. As a veterinarian and pet owner, I have a unique understanding of the deep emotional connection people have with their pets and, most importantly, how and when to best grant eternal peace. It is an honor to offer pets and their families the gift of a peaceful euthanasia in the comfort of their own home. 

I grew up in  St. Louis, Missouri, and like many kids, I dreamed of one day becoming a veterinarian. However, my path to veterinary medicine was not linear, and I pursued other passions before feeling called to my current career. 

I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder—the town I’ve called “home” for the past twenty years—double majoring in anthropology and geography.  It wasn’t until after I received my master’s degree in anthropology at CU that my interest in veterinary medicine was renewed and solidified. My special dog that I adopted in college became very sick when he was only 7 and, despite extensive testing, a diagnosis was ever determined. This experience reignited my passion for caring for animals, and I attended veterinary school at Colorado State University, where I received my veterinary degree.

After graduating from veterinary school, I practiced low-cost, high-volume medicine and emergency medicine for a year, where I helped families make the best decisions for their pets without judgment. Next, I transitioned to practicing internal medicine where I discovered that I thrive in the area of end-of-life care. I find it so fulfilling to support pets and their families through the process of saying goodbye, and I’m able to deliver this care with genuine compassion and understanding.

I have lost three dogs in my adult life, and these experiences made me truly appreciate at-home euthanasia and end-of-life care. Pets and people are much more at ease when this process is performed in the comfort of their own home, instead of a hospital setting, and I am honored to be able to provide this service for others.  

Outside of work, I enjoy swimming, running, and sailing. I also enjoy spending time with my dog, Morty, and traveling the world with my husband and two daughters.