Meet the veterinarians
About Dr. Katie Cotter
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio as the seventh of eight children in our bustling family. Like most veterinarians, I loved animals from an early age and spent a lot of time feeding strays and attempting to heal ailing animals—whether they needed my help or not. Veterinary school was a natural progression, further inspired by my older brother who had already earned his veterinary degree.
I completed my undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, I began my career in corporate practice, and then private practice, in Wisconsin. However, my love for my family and the desire to be close to them drew me back to Ohio in 2015, where I’ve primarily worked as a relief veterinarian. I enjoy relief work because I’m able to meet new people and pets, learn new approaches to medicine, and continue to provide care.
I am continually fascinated by the bond between people and their pets. A particularly pivotal moment occurred when my friend asked if I would euthanize their beloved dog, Buckeye, at their home. I was honored by their invitation and the opportunity to help them say goodbye. That experience was so moving and so incredible. Allowing Buckeye to fall asleep in his own home, surrounded by his loving family, was absolutely beautiful.
That experience with Buckeye and his family inspired me to offer this service to others. Each time, I continue to be amazed, humbled, and honored to share in this private, personal, and final gift of love. I am privileged to be a part of Lap of Love, providing this kindness full-time and easing the suffering of pets and their families.
In every interaction and at every visit, I am forever in awe of the human-animal bond. This relationship, connection, and invisible yet powerful force is why I love being a veterinarian.
About Dr. Nellie Wilbers
I grew up right here in Columbus, Ohio, knowing from a young age that I wanted to work with animals. Following this dream, I obtained my Veterinary Medical Degree from The Ohio State University and began practicing in 2015. My first dog Matilda inspired me to pursue further education and training in animal behavior and I became certified in Fear Free vet care and Low Stress Handling, allowing me to better understand and communicate with my patients so that I could best meet their needs.
After working in different areas of the veterinary field, but not quite feeling at “home", I stumbled upon a podcast interviewing Lap of Love’s co-founder Dr. Mary Gardner. I discovered that Lap of Love’s values of compassionate, in-home, family centered care aligned with my own and I immediately applied for this position, quickly learning that I had found my home and my calling. It is an honor to be a part of the Lap of Love family, helping provide individualized comfort care to your loved one during their Golden Years and guiding them through a gentle and dignified goodbye when they are ready.
When I am not on the road helping families, I enjoy spending quality time with my partner Jeff, our dog Rowan, and our kitties Elliot, Arya, and Jasper. I also enjoy yoga, permaculture gardening, dancing, camping, and biking along the Olentangy Trail. I look forward to helping you navigate end of life care for your loved one and to bringing you a little bit of peace and comfort during a difficult time.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Jennifer Bell
As a young child growing up in Central Ohio, I always had an affinity towards animals. However, veterinary medicine was not the path I initially pursued. I earned both a Bachelor and Master degree in Social Work from The Ohio State University. As a medical social worker, this is where I was first introduced to Hospice. I also spent part of my career working in home health and senior services. Early in my career I found I enjoyed it most when my work brought me into people’s homes. While I enjoyed my social work career, veterinary medicine was still calling to me. My first college roommate was my cat, Honey. After college we added 2 pug puppies to the mix, Hannah and Hallie. Raising and training two small puppies rekindled my interest in veterinary medicine. I began working as a veterinary assistant, while pursuing my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University. During this time, I also completed additional coursework in animal assisted therapy, and Hallie and I became certified as Pet Partners, visiting nursing homes and hospice patients.
After graduation, I spent time working at several small animal general practices in Central Ohio. With my previous end of life experiences as a social worker, I always found pet loss to be such a sacred part of my new veterinary profession. I was fortunate to work for several practices that allowed me the opportunity to offer home euthanasia services. I was grateful when I could come to the home, as I could see how much easier it was for my patients and their families. Personally, I have also had to make the decision to say goodbye to my beloved pets 3 times. Each goodbye was different. Each goodbye was hard. Each goodbye was peaceful. I was so thankful for the veterinarians that held my hand and who allowed me to be present for each goodbye.
When I’m not practicing veterinary medicine, I enjoy spending time with my family, which consists of my husband, our 2 sons and our 2 dogs; a puggle named Tyde, and a pug named Chaos (both rescues who came to us already named). I also enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors, am an avid music fan, and have a love of all things hockey.
I am honored to be a part of the Lap of Love team, and look forward to assisting Central Ohio families in their time of need. I truly feel the greatest gift I can give in my profession is to allow you and your beloved pet to share those last moments together peacefully, in a place your pet feels safe and secure, surrounded by so much love.
About Dr. Jessica Arth
I was raised in northern Ohio and moved to central Ohio in 2006 to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I felt drawn to veterinary medicine while caring for a friend's young litter of kittens in grade school, and the calling was magnified by exposure to animals and animal care over the years. I am a grateful and proud graduate of The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and have been caring for companion animals in general practice since graduation.
My interest in providing in-home veterinary care started before I ever began veterinary school, as I had read stories of mobile veterinarians and felt a connection to the personal, low stress experience a pet benefits from in their own home. Early in 2016 I started a small project offering in-home palliative care to patients and reconnected with my love of caring for animals in a home setting, which eventually led me to Lap of Love.
Being a veterinarian allows me to connect with animals and humans in a special way and enables me to foster and strengthen the bond between pet and family. My pets are family and caring for them as they age has been an honor. I am always learning new and different ways to help my senior animals age with grace and comfort, and I love providing that same care to pets in my community. Being a Lap of Love team member allows me to help offer other pets the same loving, low stress care my animals get to enjoy, and for that I am grateful.
About Dr. Jeremy Kiene
I grew up in Broomfield, Colorado, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. My love for animals was sparked early by my childhood pets—Siberian huskies named Smokey and Dusty, and a tabby cat named Spencer—and by listening as my mom read novels like Old Yeller and Bambi aloud to my brother and I. However, I didn’t think seriously about veterinary medicine until much later. I earned a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Regis University in Denver, followed by a Ph.D in Renaissance literature from the University of Notre Dame. I spent the next few years teaching 16th and 17th century poetry and drama, first at a small liberal arts college in Maryland and then at a large research university in California.
While at Notre Dame, I volunteered at an animal shelter to escape the stress of dissertation writing, and began to wonder if I’d missed a calling to work with animals. However, it wasn’t until I experienced the loss of my beloved cat, Marlowe, after a year-long battle with cancer, that I decided to give up my academic career to become a veterinarian. The long drives to and from the referral hospital were harder on Marlowe than his treatments, and I promised him (and myself) that when he was ready, I would arrange for a peaceful passing at home so he would never have to ride in the car again. Unfortunately, the time came swiftly and unexpectedly in the middle of the night, with help too far away. I rushed Marlowe to an emergency clinic where he died almost before I could hand him off to the nursing staff. My grief and guilt at having broken my promise gave rise to a determination to honor Marlowe by training to provide pet owners in a similar situation with compassionate support, and dying pets ease from their suffering and a gentle and dignified passing.
I began working evenings and weekends in a veterinary clinic, first as a kennel attendant and then as an assistant. Eventually I completed my undergraduate veterinary prerequisites and moved back home to Colorado to attend veterinary school at Colorado State University. There I fostered interests in oncology, internal medicine, pain management, and palliative care. I also served as a manager for CSU’s pet hospice program, which dispatched teams of veterinary student volunteers to perform in-home health assessments and offer emotional support for people with terminally ill pets. I was privileged to witness the loving bonds between these pets and their families, which seemed even more intense, complete, and sacred as the end came near. I found that my personal experience with the loss of several pets over the years, and the difficult questions these experiences raised for me before and after, were just as valuable to me as my clinical training in terms of caring for my patients and communicating clearly and empathetically with my clients.
While at CSU, I met my wife, Ally, whose post-doctoral residency in veterinary clinical pathology at The Ohio State University brought us to the Columbus area. I learned from a former CSU colleague that Lap of Love had openings for veterinarians in Columbus, and I jumped at the chance to work with a wonderful team of professionals who share my passion for gentle, compassionate, in-home care for pets and their families. When not working, Ally and I love spending time with our assorted animal companions. We can be found hiking or camping with our crew of Siberian huskies (Jayne, Sochi, and Maya) and our Boxer mix, Homer, lounging at home with our cat, Lucretia, and a good book, or watching a good or hilariously bad movie, or a soccer, hockey, or football game.
Pronouns: He / Him
About Dr. Vic Fredley
I grew up in California, learning from a young age that I loved animals. I was the kid always asking my parents for pets, and bringing creatures into the house that I found outside. I begged my parents for a dog, and they brought home a Chihuahua named Sunny. Unfortunately, he was hit by a car soon after adoption. This was a difficult and heart wrenching experience for me, but it was the first time I learned about the “Rainbow Bridge.” It brought me such comfort to think of my dog in a lush, green meadow filled with sunshine, free of all pain, and I really believed in that story.
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley before attending THE Ohio State University, where I received my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation I worked in shelter medicine, spaying and neutering pets, and performing other soft-tissue surgeries in busy shelter environments. My experience in shelter medicine is similar to the field of end-of-life care because both fields require attention to the emotional as well as the physical needs of the animal, and focus on the importance of the human-animal-bond. Through my work, I’m able to connect deeply with families and their pets and can help them determine when it’s time to say goodbye.
Outside of veterinary medicine, I enjoy gardening, pottery, dancing, playing the piano, and interior design. I live with my husband Rick, our Italian Greyhound mix Wally, our Cerebellar Hypoplasia cat Fizzgig, our polydactyl cat Emby, and our ball python Squiggly.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Laurie Fomby
I grew up in Rockford, Illinois, which is about 90 minutes Northwest of Chicago. I have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember and I never considered other career options. During my childhood, my family fostered puppies and kittens for a local shelter, so I was constantly surrounded by animals, and I loved their companionship. When I left for veterinary school, I took my childhood dog, Moses, and he then accompanied me to Pennsylvania for my first veterinary job.
I attended the University of Illinois—go Illini!—and then earned a PhD from the Ohio State University. I loved science and animals, but when I first started my veterinary career, I did not know how to enjoy the owners. Therefore, I left a great small animal and exotics practice, obtained a doctorate degree in toxicology, and spent 12 years in research. I also taught at the local community college. I eventually returned to clinical practice, spending some time in shelter medicine and then at a small animal practice.
I have lost many pets over the years but two are close to my heart. My first dog, Moses, passed away with the help of a colleague who came to my house. My children's cat, Maxi-cat, was helped by Dr Nellie with Lap of Love. I love working with senior pets and I want to give them the best possible end of life. I am honored to help pets pass comfortably in their own homes, thereby providing comforting last memories for their owners.
When I am not working, I love to garden— I am an Ohio Master Gardener volunteer. I also enjoy horseback riding, hiking, and biking. When it is cold, I read and quilt.
About Dr. Robyn Beattie
I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember, and I never had a desire to do anything else. We always had animals growing up, and I loved keeping them healthy and taking care of them when they were sick. Although I love all animals, I am especially drawn to our feline friends.
I completed my undergraduate and veterinary studies at Mississippi State University. After graduating from vet school, I moved here to Columbus, Ohio and worked in a feline-only practice. Pets, especially cats, can get stressed in new places, so I particularly enjoy making their visits as peaceful and stress-free as possible.
During my time working in practice, I came to realize how sacred and important end-of-life care was for our pets. I felt a calling to treat pets and their families with compassion, and to provide a peaceful and dignified passing.
I recently lost one of my own cats, Frances, to oral cancer. She was a formerly feral cat and was extremely shy and reserved. I knew that bringing her into the clinic would be stressful for both her and me, so I decided to say goodbye in our home. Her passing was so smooth and saved us both the stress of coming to the clinic. This experience inspired me to provide that same experience for other families, which led me to Lap of Love.
Outside of work, I am a competitive Irish step dancer. I danced growing up, and am excited to be able to do it once more. I also enjoy reading and crocheting, and I share my home with three cats: Ernest, Tristan, and Poppy.
About Dr. Katie Cotter
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio as the seventh of eight children in our bustling family. Like most veterinarians, I loved animals from an early age and spent a lot of time feeding strays and attempting to heal ailing animals—whether they needed my help or not. Veterinary school was a natural progression, further inspired by my older brother who had already earned his veterinary degree.
I completed my undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, I began my career in corporate practice, and then private practice, in Wisconsin. However, my love for my family and the desire to be close to them drew me back to Ohio in 2015, where I’ve primarily worked as a relief veterinarian. I enjoy relief work because I’m able to meet new people and pets, learn new approaches to medicine, and continue to provide care.
I am continually fascinated by the bond between people and their pets. A particularly pivotal moment occurred when my friend asked if I would euthanize their beloved dog, Buckeye, at their home. I was honored by their invitation and the opportunity to help them say goodbye. That experience was so moving and so incredible. Allowing Buckeye to fall asleep in his own home, surrounded by his loving family, was absolutely beautiful.
That experience with Buckeye and his family inspired me to offer this service to others. Each time, I continue to be amazed, humbled, and honored to share in this private, personal, and final gift of love. I am privileged to be a part of Lap of Love, providing this kindness full-time and easing the suffering of pets and their families.
In every interaction and at every visit, I am forever in awe of the human-animal bond. This relationship, connection, and invisible yet powerful force is why I love being a veterinarian.
About Dr. Nellie Wilbers
I grew up right here in Columbus, Ohio, knowing from a young age that I wanted to work with animals. Following this dream, I obtained my Veterinary Medical Degree from The Ohio State University and began practicing in 2015. My first dog Matilda inspired me to pursue further education and training in animal behavior and I became certified in Fear Free vet care and Low Stress Handling, allowing me to better understand and communicate with my patients so that I could best meet their needs.
After working in different areas of the veterinary field, but not quite feeling at “home", I stumbled upon a podcast interviewing Lap of Love’s co-founder Dr. Mary Gardner. I discovered that Lap of Love’s values of compassionate, in-home, family centered care aligned with my own and I immediately applied for this position, quickly learning that I had found my home and my calling. It is an honor to be a part of the Lap of Love family, helping provide individualized comfort care to your loved one during their Golden Years and guiding them through a gentle and dignified goodbye when they are ready.
When I am not on the road helping families, I enjoy spending quality time with my partner Jeff, our dog Rowan, and our kitties Elliot, Arya, and Jasper. I also enjoy yoga, permaculture gardening, dancing, camping, and biking along the Olentangy Trail. I look forward to helping you navigate end of life care for your loved one and to bringing you a little bit of peace and comfort during a difficult time.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Jennifer Bell
As a young child growing up in Central Ohio, I always had an affinity towards animals. However, veterinary medicine was not the path I initially pursued. I earned both a Bachelor and Master degree in Social Work from The Ohio State University. As a medical social worker, this is where I was first introduced to Hospice. I also spent part of my career working in home health and senior services. Early in my career I found I enjoyed it most when my work brought me into people’s homes. While I enjoyed my social work career, veterinary medicine was still calling to me. My first college roommate was my cat, Honey. After college we added 2 pug puppies to the mix, Hannah and Hallie. Raising and training two small puppies rekindled my interest in veterinary medicine. I began working as a veterinary assistant, while pursuing my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University. During this time, I also completed additional coursework in animal assisted therapy, and Hallie and I became certified as Pet Partners, visiting nursing homes and hospice patients.
After graduation, I spent time working at several small animal general practices in Central Ohio. With my previous end of life experiences as a social worker, I always found pet loss to be such a sacred part of my new veterinary profession. I was fortunate to work for several practices that allowed me the opportunity to offer home euthanasia services. I was grateful when I could come to the home, as I could see how much easier it was for my patients and their families. Personally, I have also had to make the decision to say goodbye to my beloved pets 3 times. Each goodbye was different. Each goodbye was hard. Each goodbye was peaceful. I was so thankful for the veterinarians that held my hand and who allowed me to be present for each goodbye.
When I’m not practicing veterinary medicine, I enjoy spending time with my family, which consists of my husband, our 2 sons and our 2 dogs; a puggle named Tyde, and a pug named Chaos (both rescues who came to us already named). I also enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors, am an avid music fan, and have a love of all things hockey.
I am honored to be a part of the Lap of Love team, and look forward to assisting Central Ohio families in their time of need. I truly feel the greatest gift I can give in my profession is to allow you and your beloved pet to share those last moments together peacefully, in a place your pet feels safe and secure, surrounded by so much love.
About Dr. Jessica Arth
I was raised in northern Ohio and moved to central Ohio in 2006 to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I felt drawn to veterinary medicine while caring for a friend's young litter of kittens in grade school, and the calling was magnified by exposure to animals and animal care over the years. I am a grateful and proud graduate of The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and have been caring for companion animals in general practice since graduation.
My interest in providing in-home veterinary care started before I ever began veterinary school, as I had read stories of mobile veterinarians and felt a connection to the personal, low stress experience a pet benefits from in their own home. Early in 2016 I started a small project offering in-home palliative care to patients and reconnected with my love of caring for animals in a home setting, which eventually led me to Lap of Love.
Being a veterinarian allows me to connect with animals and humans in a special way and enables me to foster and strengthen the bond between pet and family. My pets are family and caring for them as they age has been an honor. I am always learning new and different ways to help my senior animals age with grace and comfort, and I love providing that same care to pets in my community. Being a Lap of Love team member allows me to help offer other pets the same loving, low stress care my animals get to enjoy, and for that I am grateful.
About Dr. Jeremy Kiene
I grew up in Broomfield, Colorado, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. My love for animals was sparked early by my childhood pets—Siberian huskies named Smokey and Dusty, and a tabby cat named Spencer—and by listening as my mom read novels like Old Yeller and Bambi aloud to my brother and I. However, I didn’t think seriously about veterinary medicine until much later. I earned a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Regis University in Denver, followed by a Ph.D in Renaissance literature from the University of Notre Dame. I spent the next few years teaching 16th and 17th century poetry and drama, first at a small liberal arts college in Maryland and then at a large research university in California.
While at Notre Dame, I volunteered at an animal shelter to escape the stress of dissertation writing, and began to wonder if I’d missed a calling to work with animals. However, it wasn’t until I experienced the loss of my beloved cat, Marlowe, after a year-long battle with cancer, that I decided to give up my academic career to become a veterinarian. The long drives to and from the referral hospital were harder on Marlowe than his treatments, and I promised him (and myself) that when he was ready, I would arrange for a peaceful passing at home so he would never have to ride in the car again. Unfortunately, the time came swiftly and unexpectedly in the middle of the night, with help too far away. I rushed Marlowe to an emergency clinic where he died almost before I could hand him off to the nursing staff. My grief and guilt at having broken my promise gave rise to a determination to honor Marlowe by training to provide pet owners in a similar situation with compassionate support, and dying pets ease from their suffering and a gentle and dignified passing.
I began working evenings and weekends in a veterinary clinic, first as a kennel attendant and then as an assistant. Eventually I completed my undergraduate veterinary prerequisites and moved back home to Colorado to attend veterinary school at Colorado State University. There I fostered interests in oncology, internal medicine, pain management, and palliative care. I also served as a manager for CSU’s pet hospice program, which dispatched teams of veterinary student volunteers to perform in-home health assessments and offer emotional support for people with terminally ill pets. I was privileged to witness the loving bonds between these pets and their families, which seemed even more intense, complete, and sacred as the end came near. I found that my personal experience with the loss of several pets over the years, and the difficult questions these experiences raised for me before and after, were just as valuable to me as my clinical training in terms of caring for my patients and communicating clearly and empathetically with my clients.
While at CSU, I met my wife, Ally, whose post-doctoral residency in veterinary clinical pathology at The Ohio State University brought us to the Columbus area. I learned from a former CSU colleague that Lap of Love had openings for veterinarians in Columbus, and I jumped at the chance to work with a wonderful team of professionals who share my passion for gentle, compassionate, in-home care for pets and their families. When not working, Ally and I love spending time with our assorted animal companions. We can be found hiking or camping with our crew of Siberian huskies (Jayne, Sochi, and Maya) and our Boxer mix, Homer, lounging at home with our cat, Lucretia, and a good book, or watching a good or hilariously bad movie, or a soccer, hockey, or football game.
Pronouns: He / Him
About Dr. Vic Fredley
I grew up in California, learning from a young age that I loved animals. I was the kid always asking my parents for pets, and bringing creatures into the house that I found outside. I begged my parents for a dog, and they brought home a Chihuahua named Sunny. Unfortunately, he was hit by a car soon after adoption. This was a difficult and heart wrenching experience for me, but it was the first time I learned about the “Rainbow Bridge.” It brought me such comfort to think of my dog in a lush, green meadow filled with sunshine, free of all pain, and I really believed in that story.
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley before attending THE Ohio State University, where I received my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation I worked in shelter medicine, spaying and neutering pets, and performing other soft-tissue surgeries in busy shelter environments. My experience in shelter medicine is similar to the field of end-of-life care because both fields require attention to the emotional as well as the physical needs of the animal, and focus on the importance of the human-animal-bond. Through my work, I’m able to connect deeply with families and their pets and can help them determine when it’s time to say goodbye.
Outside of veterinary medicine, I enjoy gardening, pottery, dancing, playing the piano, and interior design. I live with my husband Rick, our Italian Greyhound mix Wally, our Cerebellar Hypoplasia cat Fizzgig, our polydactyl cat Emby, and our ball python Squiggly.
Pronouns: She/Her
About Dr. Laurie Fomby
I grew up in Rockford, Illinois, which is about 90 minutes Northwest of Chicago. I have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember and I never considered other career options. During my childhood, my family fostered puppies and kittens for a local shelter, so I was constantly surrounded by animals, and I loved their companionship. When I left for veterinary school, I took my childhood dog, Moses, and he then accompanied me to Pennsylvania for my first veterinary job.
I attended the University of Illinois—go Illini!—and then earned a PhD from the Ohio State University. I loved science and animals, but when I first started my veterinary career, I did not know how to enjoy the owners. Therefore, I left a great small animal and exotics practice, obtained a doctorate degree in toxicology, and spent 12 years in research. I also taught at the local community college. I eventually returned to clinical practice, spending some time in shelter medicine and then at a small animal practice.
I have lost many pets over the years but two are close to my heart. My first dog, Moses, passed away with the help of a colleague who came to my house. My children's cat, Maxi-cat, was helped by Dr Nellie with Lap of Love. I love working with senior pets and I want to give them the best possible end of life. I am honored to help pets pass comfortably in their own homes, thereby providing comforting last memories for their owners.
When I am not working, I love to garden— I am an Ohio Master Gardener volunteer. I also enjoy horseback riding, hiking, and biking. When it is cold, I read and quilt.
About Dr. Robyn Beattie
I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember, and I never had a desire to do anything else. We always had animals growing up, and I loved keeping them healthy and taking care of them when they were sick. Although I love all animals, I am especially drawn to our feline friends.
I completed my undergraduate and veterinary studies at Mississippi State University. After graduating from vet school, I moved here to Columbus, Ohio and worked in a feline-only practice. Pets, especially cats, can get stressed in new places, so I particularly enjoy making their visits as peaceful and stress-free as possible.
During my time working in practice, I came to realize how sacred and important end-of-life care was for our pets. I felt a calling to treat pets and their families with compassion, and to provide a peaceful and dignified passing.
I recently lost one of my own cats, Frances, to oral cancer. She was a formerly feral cat and was extremely shy and reserved. I knew that bringing her into the clinic would be stressful for both her and me, so I decided to say goodbye in our home. Her passing was so smooth and saved us both the stress of coming to the clinic. This experience inspired me to provide that same experience for other families, which led me to Lap of Love.
Outside of work, I am a competitive Irish step dancer. I danced growing up, and am excited to be able to do it once more. I also enjoy reading and crocheting, and I share my home with three cats: Ernest, Tristan, and Poppy.
About Dr. Katie Cotter
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio as the seventh of eight children in our bustling family. Like most veterinarians, I loved animals from an early age and spent a lot of time feeding strays and attempting to heal ailing animals—whether they needed my help or not. Veterinary school was a natural progression, further inspired by my older brother who had already earned his veterinary degree.
I completed my undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, I began my career in corporate practice, and then private practice, in Wisconsin. However, my love for my family and the desire to be close to them drew me back to Ohio in 2015, where I’ve primarily worked as a relief veterinarian. I enjoy relief work because I’m able to meet new people and pets, learn new approaches to medicine, and continue to provide care.
I am continually fascinated by the bond between people and their pets. A particularly pivotal moment occurred when my friend asked if I would euthanize their beloved dog, Buckeye, at their home. I was honored by their invitation and the opportunity to help them say goodbye. That experience was so moving and so incredible. Allowing Buckeye to fall asleep in his own home, surrounded by his loving family, was absolutely beautiful.
That experience with Buckeye and his family inspired me to offer this service to others. Each time, I continue to be amazed, humbled, and honored to share in this private, personal, and final gift of love. I am privileged to be a part of Lap of Love, providing this kindness full-time and easing the suffering of pets and their families.
In every interaction and at every visit, I am forever in awe of the human-animal bond. This relationship, connection, and invisible yet powerful force is why I love being a veterinarian.