Meet the veterinarians
About Dr. Krista Sirois
My hometown is everywhere and nowhere. When I was growing up, my family and I moved every two years, and that wandering spirit has stayed with me as an adult. However, if pressed, I’d claim Austin, Texas as my ‘adopted’ home base.
My veterinary journey began at age 16 as a kennel technician. I went on to work as a veterinary technician for about 10 years. Watching veterinarians care for pets and pet parents prompted me to pursue veterinary school.
I completed my undergraduate degree in 2006 at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania. In 2016, I graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. After veterinary school, I completed a behavior medicine residency. After four years working exclusively in veterinary behavior, I returned to Austin to start my own behavior service in a general practice setting. There, my interests expanded to include other areas, including pain management and feline medicine, and how they influence behavior.
Every pet I’ve lost has shaped my understanding of veterinary and end-of-life care. From our family cat, who was my companion from age 2 to 18, to my last dog, Molly, their impact—even in their passing—has made me who I am as a veterinarian. I consider end-of-life care to be a gift we can give to the beloved companions who have given us so much.
My behavior specialization makes me especially suited for end-of-life care and support. In a space filled with unwarranted judgment, I serve as a safe space for these families.
When I’m not caring for pets and their families, you’ll find me on the tennis court or spending time on my other hobbies. Right now, those include crocheting, cross-stitching, working puzzles, spending money on my cats, and maintaining aquariums full of nano fish and colorful shrimp!
About Dr. Kimmie Carper
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.
About Dr. Kelsi Hodges
Born in San Angelo and raised in Tyler, I have been a native Texan my entire life. I am an only child and was raised on 10 acres of beautiful East Texas countryside, so my animals were my most cherished playmates. I have always known that I wanted to be a veterinarian. I spent every spare moment from the age of 12 shadowing at local vet clinics, and even went to vet camp for two summers during middle school. I wanted to spend all my time with animals and loved problem solving to figure out what was wrong when they were sick.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in animal science from Abilene Christian University and graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 as a doctor of veterinary medicine. My first job out of vet school was in mixed animal practice in rural West Texas. It was challenging work and I learned a lot, especially how rewarding it was to serve people and their animals, and how personal that care felt when delivered in the owner's home setting during farm calls. After two years, we relocated for my husband's job to the Fort Worth area and then to the Austin area, where I worked in small animal general practice.
Our son was born in May 2021. We soon found out that he had six congenital heart defects that threatened to take his life at only 8 weeks of age. Luckily, the local pediatric hospital excels in cardiac care, and his surgeon and entire care team saved his life. After two open heart surgeries and a slew of medical and therapy appointments, he is currently thriving. Throughout those life-changing two years, I realized that I wanted to be able to connect to owners on a deeper level, and support them in their greatest time of need, as I was cared for during ours.
Also during this tumultuous time, our beloved mixed breed dog, Malcolm, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he told us it was time to say goodbye, I wanted to be able to be his mom, not his veterinarian. I called Lap of Love, who gave him his angel wings with such dignity and respect, in his favorite sunny spot in the yard after eating an entire cup of peanut butter. I am honored to join Lap of Love to connect with and support pet families, because every pet deserves a peaceful passing in the comfort of their own home when the time comes.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and son, and our cockapoo, Barley. We love to travel, especially to theme parks, and are Disney fans through and through.
About Dr. Krista Sirois
My hometown is everywhere and nowhere. When I was growing up, my family and I moved every two years, and that wandering spirit has stayed with me as an adult. However, if pressed, I’d claim Austin, Texas as my ‘adopted’ home base.
My veterinary journey began at age 16 as a kennel technician. I went on to work as a veterinary technician for about 10 years. Watching veterinarians care for pets and pet parents prompted me to pursue veterinary school.
I completed my undergraduate degree in 2006 at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania. In 2016, I graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. After veterinary school, I completed a behavior medicine residency. After four years working exclusively in veterinary behavior, I returned to Austin to start my own behavior service in a general practice setting. There, my interests expanded to include other areas, including pain management and feline medicine, and how they influence behavior.
Every pet I’ve lost has shaped my understanding of veterinary and end-of-life care. From our family cat, who was my companion from age 2 to 18, to my last dog, Molly, their impact—even in their passing—has made me who I am as a veterinarian. I consider end-of-life care to be a gift we can give to the beloved companions who have given us so much.
My behavior specialization makes me especially suited for end-of-life care and support. In a space filled with unwarranted judgment, I serve as a safe space for these families.
When I’m not caring for pets and their families, you’ll find me on the tennis court or spending time on my other hobbies. Right now, those include crocheting, cross-stitching, working puzzles, spending money on my cats, and maintaining aquariums full of nano fish and colorful shrimp!
About Dr. Kimmie Carper
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.
About Dr. Kelsi Hodges
Born in San Angelo and raised in Tyler, I have been a native Texan my entire life. I am an only child and was raised on 10 acres of beautiful East Texas countryside, so my animals were my most cherished playmates. I have always known that I wanted to be a veterinarian. I spent every spare moment from the age of 12 shadowing at local vet clinics, and even went to vet camp for two summers during middle school. I wanted to spend all my time with animals and loved problem solving to figure out what was wrong when they were sick.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in animal science from Abilene Christian University and graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 as a doctor of veterinary medicine. My first job out of vet school was in mixed animal practice in rural West Texas. It was challenging work and I learned a lot, especially how rewarding it was to serve people and their animals, and how personal that care felt when delivered in the owner's home setting during farm calls. After two years, we relocated for my husband's job to the Fort Worth area and then to the Austin area, where I worked in small animal general practice.
Our son was born in May 2021. We soon found out that he had six congenital heart defects that threatened to take his life at only 8 weeks of age. Luckily, the local pediatric hospital excels in cardiac care, and his surgeon and entire care team saved his life. After two open heart surgeries and a slew of medical and therapy appointments, he is currently thriving. Throughout those life-changing two years, I realized that I wanted to be able to connect to owners on a deeper level, and support them in their greatest time of need, as I was cared for during ours.
Also during this tumultuous time, our beloved mixed breed dog, Malcolm, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When he told us it was time to say goodbye, I wanted to be able to be his mom, not his veterinarian. I called Lap of Love, who gave him his angel wings with such dignity and respect, in his favorite sunny spot in the yard after eating an entire cup of peanut butter. I am honored to join Lap of Love to connect with and support pet families, because every pet deserves a peaceful passing in the comfort of their own home when the time comes.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and son, and our cockapoo, Barley. We love to travel, especially to theme parks, and are Disney fans through and through.
About Dr. Krista Sirois
My hometown is everywhere and nowhere. When I was growing up, my family and I moved every two years, and that wandering spirit has stayed with me as an adult. However, if pressed, I’d claim Austin, Texas as my ‘adopted’ home base.
My veterinary journey began at age 16 as a kennel technician. I went on to work as a veterinary technician for about 10 years. Watching veterinarians care for pets and pet parents prompted me to pursue veterinary school.
I completed my undergraduate degree in 2006 at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania. In 2016, I graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. After veterinary school, I completed a behavior medicine residency. After four years working exclusively in veterinary behavior, I returned to Austin to start my own behavior service in a general practice setting. There, my interests expanded to include other areas, including pain management and feline medicine, and how they influence behavior.
Every pet I’ve lost has shaped my understanding of veterinary and end-of-life care. From our family cat, who was my companion from age 2 to 18, to my last dog, Molly, their impact—even in their passing—has made me who I am as a veterinarian. I consider end-of-life care to be a gift we can give to the beloved companions who have given us so much.
My behavior specialization makes me especially suited for end-of-life care and support. In a space filled with unwarranted judgment, I serve as a safe space for these families.
When I’m not caring for pets and their families, you’ll find me on the tennis court or spending time on my other hobbies. Right now, those include crocheting, cross-stitching, working puzzles, spending money on my cats, and maintaining aquariums full of nano fish and colorful shrimp!