Meet the veterinarians
About Dr. Leland Scott
To me, home is wherever I am. So far in my life, I've lived in 14 states and one overseas location.
I feel like I'm one of the few veterinarians who didn’t want to be a vet growing up. This was a career switch I made as an adult. I knew I wanted to go to vet school after working with birds as a wildlife center volunteer and later volunteering at a bird-only hospital. Birds are fascinating! I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for my undergraduate education, followed by veterinary school at North Carolina State University.
Earlier in my veterinary career, I enjoyed dentistry and oral surgery and planned on pursuing a residency to become board-certified. Unfortunately, personal health issues have prevented me from pursuing that goal. I like being a vet because it’s nice to be able to help people care for those who can’t speak for themselves.
I recently lost a pet. It was a devastating experience, particularly because it was a behavioral euthanasia. My baby was losing his sight, which was causing him to become increasingly aggressive and dangerous. I shed a lot of tears after saying goodbye, but I've taken comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering. I think it’s important to remember that suffering is not strictly physical. Saying goodbye to our pets is a difficult thing to do, and I enjoy being able to help families navigate the mix of emotions and questions that inevitably come with the experience. Sometimes we simply need someone to make us feel seen and heard, and I am happy to be that person for the families I help.
In my free time, I'm a gamer. I also enjoy going on walks and hikes. I'm a roller coaster enthusiast. I love to visit good wineries and escape to the mountains.
About Dr. Katie Janse van Vuuren
An entry in my journal from second grade reads, "When I grow up I want to be a ‘veterinarian,” and I’m living my childhood dream. I grew up in Yorktown, Virginia, and when I was in 6th grade I spent several weeks shadowing my mother's cousin and his wife, who were both veterinarians at a hospital in New York. I watched some incredible procedures, learned so much, and couldn’t wait to practice veterinary medicine myself. I went back to that veterinary hospital every summer for years, first shadowing, then working full-time during my college summer breaks.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech (go Hokies!) before attending the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada, where I received my veterinary degree and fell in love with the land of Anne of Green Gables.
After graduation, I worked in emergency veterinary medicine in Canada. I enjoyed providing exceptional personalized care to animals and supporting their owners during times of high stress and emotion. While working in emergency medicine, I became passionate about quality end-of-life care. Every pet deserves the dignity to go peacefully. Clients often have fears surrounding end-of-life care for their pet, and I can help ease their minds by making the process as peaceful as possible. When I lost my childhood cat, Jenny-Any-Dots, our family veterinarian came outside of his working hours and gently facilitated her passing. What he did was above and beyond and taught me that every family’s relationship with their pet is so unique, and therefore each situation must be personalized to fit the family and their beloved pet. This is what I strive to do in my role at Lap of Love.
Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, baking—one of my proudest moments was making macarons from scratch, and traveling.
About Dr. Leland Scott
To me, home is wherever I am. So far in my life, I've lived in 14 states and one overseas location.
I feel like I'm one of the few veterinarians who didn’t want to be a vet growing up. This was a career switch I made as an adult. I knew I wanted to go to vet school after working with birds as a wildlife center volunteer and later volunteering at a bird-only hospital. Birds are fascinating! I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for my undergraduate education, followed by veterinary school at North Carolina State University.
Earlier in my veterinary career, I enjoyed dentistry and oral surgery and planned on pursuing a residency to become board-certified. Unfortunately, personal health issues have prevented me from pursuing that goal. I like being a vet because it’s nice to be able to help people care for those who can’t speak for themselves.
I recently lost a pet. It was a devastating experience, particularly because it was a behavioral euthanasia. My baby was losing his sight, which was causing him to become increasingly aggressive and dangerous. I shed a lot of tears after saying goodbye, but I've taken comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering. I think it’s important to remember that suffering is not strictly physical. Saying goodbye to our pets is a difficult thing to do, and I enjoy being able to help families navigate the mix of emotions and questions that inevitably come with the experience. Sometimes we simply need someone to make us feel seen and heard, and I am happy to be that person for the families I help.
In my free time, I'm a gamer. I also enjoy going on walks and hikes. I'm a roller coaster enthusiast. I love to visit good wineries and escape to the mountains.
About Dr. Katie Janse van Vuuren
An entry in my journal from second grade reads, "When I grow up I want to be a ‘veterinarian,” and I’m living my childhood dream. I grew up in Yorktown, Virginia, and when I was in 6th grade I spent several weeks shadowing my mother's cousin and his wife, who were both veterinarians at a hospital in New York. I watched some incredible procedures, learned so much, and couldn’t wait to practice veterinary medicine myself. I went back to that veterinary hospital every summer for years, first shadowing, then working full-time during my college summer breaks.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech (go Hokies!) before attending the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada, where I received my veterinary degree and fell in love with the land of Anne of Green Gables.
After graduation, I worked in emergency veterinary medicine in Canada. I enjoyed providing exceptional personalized care to animals and supporting their owners during times of high stress and emotion. While working in emergency medicine, I became passionate about quality end-of-life care. Every pet deserves the dignity to go peacefully. Clients often have fears surrounding end-of-life care for their pet, and I can help ease their minds by making the process as peaceful as possible. When I lost my childhood cat, Jenny-Any-Dots, our family veterinarian came outside of his working hours and gently facilitated her passing. What he did was above and beyond and taught me that every family’s relationship with their pet is so unique, and therefore each situation must be personalized to fit the family and their beloved pet. This is what I strive to do in my role at Lap of Love.
Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, baking—one of my proudest moments was making macarons from scratch, and traveling.
About Dr. Leland Scott
To me, home is wherever I am. So far in my life, I've lived in 14 states and one overseas location.
I feel like I'm one of the few veterinarians who didn’t want to be a vet growing up. This was a career switch I made as an adult. I knew I wanted to go to vet school after working with birds as a wildlife center volunteer and later volunteering at a bird-only hospital. Birds are fascinating! I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for my undergraduate education, followed by veterinary school at North Carolina State University.
Earlier in my veterinary career, I enjoyed dentistry and oral surgery and planned on pursuing a residency to become board-certified. Unfortunately, personal health issues have prevented me from pursuing that goal. I like being a vet because it’s nice to be able to help people care for those who can’t speak for themselves.
I recently lost a pet. It was a devastating experience, particularly because it was a behavioral euthanasia. My baby was losing his sight, which was causing him to become increasingly aggressive and dangerous. I shed a lot of tears after saying goodbye, but I've taken comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering. I think it’s important to remember that suffering is not strictly physical. Saying goodbye to our pets is a difficult thing to do, and I enjoy being able to help families navigate the mix of emotions and questions that inevitably come with the experience. Sometimes we simply need someone to make us feel seen and heard, and I am happy to be that person for the families I help.
In my free time, I'm a gamer. I also enjoy going on walks and hikes. I'm a roller coaster enthusiast. I love to visit good wineries and escape to the mountains.