In-Home Pet Euthanasia in Chester County

I grew up in a small town outside of Buffalo, NY called Alden. I wanted to be a vet from the time I could walk, bringing home stray cats, clearing innocent worms from sidewalks after the rain fell, and watching nature programs without ceasing. I evolved from there, finally getting a dog at 8 and beginning to ride horses at 10. I went to veterinary school at Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Within the field, I enjoy an eclectic smattering of disciplines, including beef feedlot medicine, exotic medicine, and the human-animal bond.

Being a veterinarian allows me to pursue my passion for helping people, and I understand that when I am working with someone’s pet, it’s their beloved family member and the family is just as important as the pet. I unfortunately have lost several pets in my life, from birds to horses, but the most devastating to me was when my 8 year old dog went into sudden cardiac failure and died in my arms, just 3 months after I had euthanized my kitty, Severus, from cancer. These experiences have cemented the difficulty of saying goodbye to a beloved friend, and it is also why I love being able to help families say goodbye and give their friend the most dignified passing that they can. In this career I have continued to learn, earning my Certified Veterinary Hospice and Euthanasia Practitioner certification, as well as my certification in Thanatology, or the study of death, dying, and bereavement.

Outside of veterinary medicine I enjoy running everything from 5ks to ultramarathons, kayaking, trainspotting, hunting, painting, gardening, playing piano, reading, quantum physics and astronomy. I am an active member of Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomy Society, the Nickel Plate Railroad Historical and Technical Society, as well as St. John’s Reformed Church and its choir. 

Pronouns: She/Her

I'm originally from Berwyn, Pennsylvania. I went to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and I spent most of my time training and studying capuchin and squirrel monkeys while earning my bachelor’s degree in biology. 

During college, I also worked at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center on the University of Pennsylvania campus, training working dogs for potential careers in search and rescue, human remains recovery, cancer detection, diabetic alert, law enforcement apprehension and narcotics and explosives detection. I also performed individual research projects in sports medicine and olfaction. I finally fulfilled my dream of joining the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine as a vet student in 2016. 

I have special interests in surgery, canine fitness, the human-animal bond, and supporting families during quality-of-life discussions and humane euthanasia. 

I currently live in Wayne, Pennsylvania with my one-eyed cat, Slim. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time outdoors, golfing, and watching Philly sports.

As the daughter of a Navy man, I moved around a lot as a child. Fortunately, I always had pets by my side who became my best friends and closest allies, no matter where my family’s travels took me. 

I continued to travel as I pursued my veterinary education. I received my veterinary degree from Cornell University in New York and completed an Internship at Texas A&M, followed by a residency in internal medicine at North Carolina State University. 

Since becoming a veterinarian, the exploration of the human-animal bond has been the focus of my life. More than twenty years ago, I moved to the UK to teach at the Royal Veterinary College, and three years later, I accepted a position at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, north of London. In this role I traveled globally, training thousands of veterinarians, and co-authored books in a partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that produced evidence of the profound role that pets play in our relationships, communities, and everyday lives. 

My husband and I have a thriving menagerie of cats, dogs, and fish and we have also lost many pets over the years. We know personally the pain of having to say goodbye to a beloved best friend, wishing we could extend their lives to match our own. We sought the services of veterinarians to provide at-home euthanasia for our own pets to help us be present as they crossed over, and the experiences have been deeply moving.  

I am grateful for the empathy and compassion of veterinarians who make end-of-life care a part of their career, and by joining the Lap of Love team I can give back by helping people who love their pets as family and need our comforting services to ensure their pets pass peacefully and with dignity in their own homes. 

I was raised in beautiful rural central Pennsylvania. After losing our beloved family dog, Rocket, my parents were reluctant to get another pet, but I convinced them that fostering endless litters of orphaned kittens for our local shelter didn’t count.

I meandered a little on my path to veterinary medicine. While I was drawn to all sorts of animals as a child, I didn’t feel called into the profession until my college years, when I worked as a veterinary assistant at a low-cost vaccine clinic in a city shelter. The experience showed me I was well-suited to cooperative care work and enjoyed the creativity necessary in shelter medicine when resources were limited. 

I obtained my veterinary degree from Tufts University, and I love being a veterinarian because of the wide array of skill sets it fosters. Since graduating, I have worked as a general practitioner in small animal medicine and enjoy implementing cooperative care techniques whenever possible. I’m also fascinated by various topics in veterinary medical ethics and medical philosophy.

I am truly honored to be joining the Lap of Love team. The loss of a pet is profoundly difficult, in part, because it is the loss of something innocent. The bond we can form with an animal is remarkable and deeply personal. We become our pet’s protector and advocate. I think veterinarians are uniquely positioned to hold a space for that type of grieving. We can recognize, without passing judgment, the gravity and meaning of each relationship. I have always cherished how sorrow can mingle with love and belonging in life’s most difficult moments. That profound human experience is especially evident during the passing of a beloved animal companion. 

In my free time, I enjoy taking walks with my family, listening to podcasts or shamelessly jamming out to Taylor Swift. I love a good organizational project and honestly believe that the musical CATS is significantly underrated. 

I grew up on a small farm outside of Saratoga Springs, New York. I enjoyed caring for all the animals there, from dogs and cats to chickens and horses. I also watched intently as our local veterinarian diagnosed and treated our family pets, and I knew from a young age that I wanted to do the same. 

I attended Colgate University for my undergraduate degree and earned my veterinary medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. I practiced equine medicine for five years after graduation, then shifted gears to small animal medicine.

Helping pet owners understand complex diagnoses and navigate care decisions is a deeply rewarding aspect of being a vet, but end-of-life care is my true passion. I provide services to pets and their families through Lap of Love because alleviating pain and offering compassion and comfort are the most important things veterinarians can do for our patients.

Having lost both of my dogs, Henry and Rhonan, in the past few years, I understand what pet owners are going through. Although it was gut-wrenching to say goodbye, providing each of them with a pain-free passing was such a gift. I hope to provide the same peaceful and painless transition for the pets in my care.

Outside of work, you can most likely find me outside. I enjoy almost any outdoor activity, particularly gardening, running, and mountain biking with my son.