I grew up in Huntsville, AL, and have always felt a calling toward animals and veterinary medicine. At the age of 3, my favorite weekly outing was to the pet shop just behind my childhood home. I remember anxiously awaiting that trip each week, and would have brought home every pet in the store if I could!

When I was 10 years old, my 5th grade class participated in an economic education program that provided hands-on learning experience for students. As part of this program, our teacher created a mock village, where each student had a specific job at a “business.” If multiple students were interested in the same position, we had interviews and elections to appoint the person to the specific role. One of the positions was the “Zookeeper,” which consisted of taking care of the class fish. Although this was the “lowest paying” job (yes, we got paid fake money to put toward an auction at the end of the year), I knew it was the role for me! I proudly accepted the position, with no election needed, and carried out my duties.

As I transitioned through middle and high school, I desired to learn more about animals and surrounded myself with them in any way possible. Accordingly, I continued on the path toward becoming a veterinarian, and later graduated from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine where I began my career as a general practitioner.

While working in general practice, I quickly felt a distinguished sense of value when I was assisting a family through the final moments with their pets; having the ability to offer comfort to families and a peaceful transition for their pets gave me a whole new sense of purpose as a veterinarian.

Today, I am honored to have the opportunity of making this the focus of my veterinary career through Lap of Love. My pets are family to me, and I want nothing more than to offer them a peaceful passing in the comfort of their own home during their final moments. As a hospice veterinarian, I am able to fulfill a greater purpose of providing that same level of care to other families as well, which in my opinion is what every pet and family deserves.

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