I have always loved animals and felt a strong empathic connection to them. I have wanted to be a Veterinarian since a very young age. I felt called to help pets and their families and as I grew older, I found that I felt honored to learn to be their voice. I was fortunate enough to travel the world and lived in many different countries due to my father’s career. One of the most memorable locations was Egypt, where we rescued a sassy, Calico street kitten who we named Cleopatra. Other fond memories of Egypt include camping in the desert with Tony, the beloved family pug/dachshund mix.

My path to becoming a Veterinarian started in New England, where I attended the University of New Hampshire and received my Bachelor of Science. For my Doctorate, I combined my passion for Veterinary Medicine with my love of travel and attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts. I completed my Clinical Year of studies at the University of Illinois and stayed on for an additional year to complete an Anesthesiology Internship. I absolutely loved my internship and everything I learned helped to develop a solid foundation in pain management and patient care. This experience truly taught me how to be an advocate for my patients and to be in tune with their needs in the moment.

After veterinary school, I began working in general practice, where we have the joy of seeing furry family members at all stages of their lives. While everyone, including myself, enjoys a new puppy or kitten appointment, I found myself more drawn to the humane euthanasia appointments. I felt honored that the families trusted me to guide them and their pet through their end-of-life transition. I found the most peaceful humane euthanasia appointments were when I had the chance to have a house-call appointment rather than being in the clinic. Home visits allow for a serene, comforting, and familiar environment during a very difficult day. I feel it is my duty to make this day go as smoothly and peacefully as possible. Animals give us the gift of unconditional love. Our animals deserve so much love and respect during their passing and it is an honor that I can provide this peace and closure for them and their families. I feel it is my duty to make sure families understand the process and feel comfortable with their decision for humane euthanasia.

One of the most memorable house-call humane euthanasia appointments I have had the honor of performing was for my own family dog, Tony. He was my Dad’s best buddy and his favorite past-time was spending evenings in my Dad’s lap. Towards the end, Tony only really recognized my Dad and in true Dachshund fashion was quite grumpy with everyone else. I helped my Dad come to peace with the difficult yet compassionate decision of choosing humane euthanasia for Tony. It was a beautiful Spring day, and I chose to perform everything myself so that my family and Tony would not have to deal with the stress of strangers or going to the clinic on his last day. We picked a beautiful spot outside in the yard and Tony was in my Dad’s lap the entire time. This was an incredibly bittersweet moment for me, yet through the pain of losing a treasured family member, I also felt relief and honor that I could be the one to help my family and Tony through this time. 

As the founder and doctor of Serene Passage Veterinary In-Home Euthanasia, I am grateful to be able to provide this same peace and closure to other families and their beloved pets.

In my free time, I enjoy outdoor adventures with my fiancé, Mark and our beloved dog, Bruce. Our sweet boy is pictured here on the pages of this website. Bruce came into my life during vet school in St. Kitts. Now, he is seeing me through the creation of this company that allows me to care for all of the lovely families and pets that I have the honor of serving.

— Dr. Laura Poland (Independent owner and operator).