Meet the veterinarians
About Dr. Maggie Daves
I spent my childhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, visiting nearby Dollywood, swimming, and playing ultimate frisbee with friends. Like many veterinarians, I had pets growing up and loved animals of all kinds. For me, there was never any question about my future career.
I obtained my undergraduate degree from Iowa State University, then attended veterinary school at the University of Tennessee. I have worked in wildlife rehabilitation, general practice, emergency medicine, and surgery, but I find that helping pets remain comfortable in their final months, weeks, or moments to be the most rewarding part of being a veterinarian.
I lost my first heart cat, Daisy, after my first year of veterinary school. It happened suddenly, and it was devastating for me. As a pet owner and vet, I understand the deep connection between families and their pets, and how hard it can be to make the decision to help them pass. Our pets loom large in our lives, even though they are with us for only a short time.
Allowing pets to pass peacefully in their own homes, surrounded by the people they love and who love them, is an incredible gift. Through my work with Lap of Love, I can provide the service I would want for my own pets to other pet owners. I feel great empathy for pet owners suffering from the pain of loss, and I want to ease that pain by providing the best possible end-of-life experience.
Outside of work, I love to write. I am currently completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and working on a fantasy series about a veterinarian who stumbles into an alternate world and begins treating the mythical creatures who live there. Writing is a passion and an outlet for me, and I also enjoy attending conferences to meet other writers.
About Dr. Kate Reynolds
Like many in the veterinary field, I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian from a young age. Born and raised in Michigan, I attended undergraduate and veterinary school at Michigan State University (go Spartans!). After graduation, I went to Sacramento, California to complete a year-long internship, rotating between medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine with various specialists. In 2004, I returned to Michigan, where I worked in a busy small animal practice, performing medicine and surgery for 17 years. I became a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner (CCRP) in 2014, and split my time between general medicine and physical therapy.
In 2018, I had to provide hospice care for my beloved black Labrador retriever. Sterling was a cross between a child and a partner. He saw me through the end of my internship—he was my first patient with parvo—a marriage, and divorce, and he went to work with me every day for 15 years! I was blessed to have him, learn from him, and care for him. He had a very dignified, peaceful, comfortable passing in his favorite place on June 4, 2019, surrounded by his favorite people, and our cat. He enjoyed his favorite foods—ice cream and cheese—and it was an experience of pure love. I want this for every pet I help.
I began my hospice journey during Sterling’s twilight years, and I completed my certified hospice and palliative care veterinarian (CHPV) certification in August 2020. I also completed my certified veterinary pain practitioner (CVPP) certification in September 2020, after a personal experience battling chronic nerve pain compelled me to dive deep to learn more about pain management. These experiences fed my passion to help animals lead more comfortable lives. It is also my passion to help people, and Lap of Love brings together my academic interests with my deep and heartfelt belief that a pet’s passing is a sacred event. I am here to serve the families who have to make this often-difficult decision, and I bring support and love to the process.
Pronouns: She / HerAbout Dr. Maggie Daves
I spent my childhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, visiting nearby Dollywood, swimming, and playing ultimate frisbee with friends. Like many veterinarians, I had pets growing up and loved animals of all kinds. For me, there was never any question about my future career.
I obtained my undergraduate degree from Iowa State University, then attended veterinary school at the University of Tennessee. I have worked in wildlife rehabilitation, general practice, emergency medicine, and surgery, but I find that helping pets remain comfortable in their final months, weeks, or moments to be the most rewarding part of being a veterinarian.
I lost my first heart cat, Daisy, after my first year of veterinary school. It happened suddenly, and it was devastating for me. As a pet owner and vet, I understand the deep connection between families and their pets, and how hard it can be to make the decision to help them pass. Our pets loom large in our lives, even though they are with us for only a short time.
Allowing pets to pass peacefully in their own homes, surrounded by the people they love and who love them, is an incredible gift. Through my work with Lap of Love, I can provide the service I would want for my own pets to other pet owners. I feel great empathy for pet owners suffering from the pain of loss, and I want to ease that pain by providing the best possible end-of-life experience.
Outside of work, I love to write. I am currently completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and working on a fantasy series about a veterinarian who stumbles into an alternate world and begins treating the mythical creatures who live there. Writing is a passion and an outlet for me, and I also enjoy attending conferences to meet other writers.
About Dr. Kate Reynolds
Like many in the veterinary field, I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian from a young age. Born and raised in Michigan, I attended undergraduate and veterinary school at Michigan State University (go Spartans!). After graduation, I went to Sacramento, California to complete a year-long internship, rotating between medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine with various specialists. In 2004, I returned to Michigan, where I worked in a busy small animal practice, performing medicine and surgery for 17 years. I became a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner (CCRP) in 2014, and split my time between general medicine and physical therapy.
In 2018, I had to provide hospice care for my beloved black Labrador retriever. Sterling was a cross between a child and a partner. He saw me through the end of my internship—he was my first patient with parvo—a marriage, and divorce, and he went to work with me every day for 15 years! I was blessed to have him, learn from him, and care for him. He had a very dignified, peaceful, comfortable passing in his favorite place on June 4, 2019, surrounded by his favorite people, and our cat. He enjoyed his favorite foods—ice cream and cheese—and it was an experience of pure love. I want this for every pet I help.
I began my hospice journey during Sterling’s twilight years, and I completed my certified hospice and palliative care veterinarian (CHPV) certification in August 2020. I also completed my certified veterinary pain practitioner (CVPP) certification in September 2020, after a personal experience battling chronic nerve pain compelled me to dive deep to learn more about pain management. These experiences fed my passion to help animals lead more comfortable lives. It is also my passion to help people, and Lap of Love brings together my academic interests with my deep and heartfelt belief that a pet’s passing is a sacred event. I am here to serve the families who have to make this often-difficult decision, and I bring support and love to the process.
Pronouns: She / HerAbout Dr. Maggie Daves
I spent my childhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, visiting nearby Dollywood, swimming, and playing ultimate frisbee with friends. Like many veterinarians, I had pets growing up and loved animals of all kinds. For me, there was never any question about my future career.
I obtained my undergraduate degree from Iowa State University, then attended veterinary school at the University of Tennessee. I have worked in wildlife rehabilitation, general practice, emergency medicine, and surgery, but I find that helping pets remain comfortable in their final months, weeks, or moments to be the most rewarding part of being a veterinarian.
I lost my first heart cat, Daisy, after my first year of veterinary school. It happened suddenly, and it was devastating for me. As a pet owner and vet, I understand the deep connection between families and their pets, and how hard it can be to make the decision to help them pass. Our pets loom large in our lives, even though they are with us for only a short time.
Allowing pets to pass peacefully in their own homes, surrounded by the people they love and who love them, is an incredible gift. Through my work with Lap of Love, I can provide the service I would want for my own pets to other pet owners. I feel great empathy for pet owners suffering from the pain of loss, and I want to ease that pain by providing the best possible end-of-life experience.
Outside of work, I love to write. I am currently completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and working on a fantasy series about a veterinarian who stumbles into an alternate world and begins treating the mythical creatures who live there. Writing is a passion and an outlet for me, and I also enjoy attending conferences to meet other writers.