Stories from Families

Inviting someone into your home during such a vulnerable time takes trust—and it’s never easy, especially in the midst of grief. 

In hopes of providing reassurance, what follows is a word cloud shaped by the words that families have shared about Dr. Kaitie, as well as some of the individual stories of those she has been honored to serve.

•  Lisa and Brad D.
  • "We wanted to express our sincere gratitude for the compassion, kindness, and care you showed Kona, Brad and me, during one of the most difficult moments we've ever faced. Saying goodbye to Kona was heartbreaking, but your gentle approach, patience, and empathy helped bring us comfort and peace during an incredibly painful time.  We are deeply grateful for the dignity and love with which you treated Kona, as well as the support you offered us as we said our final goodbyes. Kona was a beloved member of our family, and we will always cherish the memories we shared.  We speak of her antics almost everyday from remembering how she was "on-point" when we deboned a chicken to her proclivity to poop if water touched her tail.  We still remember her fondly, with tears and laughter. Thank you for helping make that last chapter as peaceful and comforting as possible."
• Jon & Keira Adams
  • "We were lucky to have found Kaitlin when we had to make the difficult decision of transitioning our sweet dog, Chuck. She walked us through the process with incredible kindness and compassion, and stayed with us every step of the way; before, during, and after the process. We will be forever grateful to have had her there with us, allowing Chuck to transition at home."
• Sophia L. and Mike E.
  • "We adopted our beloved Brutus when he was about 5 years old from a friend who had to move and couldn’t care for him anymore. I’ll admit, I didn’t connect with him at first like I did with previous dogs. But over the years, he became my loyal companion. Brutus was our gym dog, couch buddy, best friend, and eventually grew to be part of my soul. He grew with me through so many phases of my life. Brutus was never an overly affectionate dog, he never jumped with excitement to see me or climbed into my lap. Instead, he sat faithfully next to me, always kept me in his sight, and would stare deeply into my eyes. I knew Brutus was getting older, his face was gray and he moved more slowly than he used to, but I guess I didn’t realize how much he had really aged. For 9 years, he never slept in bed with us, despite me always trying to forcefully snuggle him. When he had enough for the day, he would march downstairs and tuck himself into his bed under a mound of blankets. I knew something was wrong when it was bedtime one night and Brutus crawled up next to me in bed and fell asleep instead of going downstairs. After a visit to the vet, we learned his little body was full of untreatable cancer and he had likely been suffering silently for months. Our vet told us we had a few days or weeks, but recommended we choose a time for the end to prevent our sweet boy from being in pain, or possibly having a medical issue that caused him to die alone when we were asleep or not home. We found Dr. Kaitlin after deciding that we wanted Brutus to leave the world from his favorite spot at home, surrounded by his humans who loved him. Dr. Kaitlin came to our house, explained the process thoroughly and compassionately, and made our last moments with our boy as good as they possibly could’ve been, despite the obviously crushing circumstance. We never felt rushed or silly for our tears or emotional outpouring. Dr. Kaitlin was so kind to us, and treated our boy with the utmost dignity and respect. She even checked on us a few days later and on the anniversary of Brutus passing. I felt her care to be extremely genuine and am forever grateful that she helped us to have our last moments with Brutus in the comfort of our home. I cannot recommend her enough."
• Alison & Freddie W
  • "Dr. Kaitlin came to our home to help us say goodbye to our sweet Riley cat, who had been part of our family for almost 17 years. I cannot say enough about how gentle, compassionate, and present Dr. Kaitlin was with us during one of the hardest moments we've faced as pet owners. Being able to stay in our own home, in a familiar and peaceful space, made all the difference — for Riley, and for us, even allowing our dog to say his goodbye. Dr. Kaitlin took the time to answer our questions, never rushed us, and treated Riley with so much tenderness. Years later, I still think about how much easier she made that day, and I'm so grateful we had the opportunity to have this experience in our home."
• Andy & Becky
  • "Bringing a pet into your life comes with the terrible knowledge that you’ll someday need to say goodbye. If you are anything like us, they are more than family. At times a hiking companion, sometimes a therapist to hear about the day’s trials, a warm presence on your lap on a cold winter morning, always there to make you laugh or to lick the tears from your face. Making the decision to say goodbye in the comfort of their home is the ultimate act of love and compassion. We were grateful to find Dr. Dozier when it was time to say goodbye to Katie, one of our cats. Giving her a compassionate, comfortable passing on her favorite couch is something that will always be grateful for."
• Randei T.
  • "...My sweet black lab Drake was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. We tried several medications and treatments, but nothing provided more than temporary relief. During our last visit to the vet, he became extremely stressed and was not able to calm down or catch his breath. I took him home and promised him that I would never take him to the vet again. Finding Dr. Kaitlin Dozier allowed me to uphold that promise and allow him a peaceful, comfortable transition at home. Although I met her that evening for the first time, Dr. Dozier made it feel like she had known my dear companion and I for years. She was gentle, patient, kind, and genuinely caring. I am eternally grateful that Drake was able to cross the Rainbow Bridge at home where he felt safe and loved. Dr. Dozier made the experience as painless as possible for us all, she is a master at navigating this difficult time with pets and the humans who love them."