I am so thankful for Dr Stephanie!! I just wanted a peaceful passing for Katie my 15 year old cat. I can say with all my heart her final moments could not have been any better!! I was able to hold Katie and let her take her final breaths in my arms! I cannot imagine if I would not have been allowed to be with her during her passing because of Covid! I honestly can’t thank you enough! Katie was very special to me and thank you for everything!! ❤️

We miss you Katie!! 😘 7/2/20 💔
Diane W.

Dr. Stephanie is incredibly compassionate and was a blessing for our family during the last days of our pup. Communication before, during and after was always easy and never felt rushed. Her thoughtful card we got in the mail, with her recall of some of the things we shared about our dog, was truly touching. We would give Dr. Stephanie the highest recommendation without reservation – she is exactly the type of veterinarian we needed. Being able to say goodbye at home made it so much easier and she was accommodating with her schedule too. We are so grateful to have benefited from her counsel and services.
Brian Y.

My husband and I cannot recommend Dr. Stephanie enough. Our sweet 11 year old pup got a cancer diagnosis after significantly declining over a few weeks. The day we called Dr. Stephanie she was so kind, understanding, and prompt about contacting us. The next day, she was professional, loving, and wonderful towards us and our little girl. She outlined the process and made sure we had plenty of time when we needed it. It is such a hard choice to make by Dr. Stephanie made us feel safe and heard through the whole process. A few days after she came to our home, she sent us the most thoughtful card with a hand-stamped token with Schween’s name on it. It made it feel so personal and let us know she really did care about us. This is the only bad part about owning animals, and we are so grateful for Dr. Stephanie helping us give our Schween a peaceful journey across the rainbow bridge while at home in our arms.
Sarah T.

Dr. Stephanie was amazing. On the day that my beloved kitty, Xena, let me know it was time — sooner than I thought/tried to plan for — the vet I had planned to use was unavailable. Dr. Stephanie was recommended and she came out within a couple of hours and was exactly the right person. Her easygoing and kind demeanor, her compassion and her veterinary knowledge made a heart-wrenching experience more bearable, demonstrating such care for my baby—and for me.
Laurie B.

Dr. Stephanie was so loving, caring and sweet. She walked us through step by step in the comfort of our own home. Let me old our 17 year old as she left us. Carried her away in a sweet basket, wrapped in a blanket. Even let me put flowers with our love before she left. It was one of the saddest moments of our lives, but Dr. Stephanie made it so special and memorable.
Stacie D.

Dr Stephanie is a gift from God. One of the hardest decisions to ever have to make, she was able to accommodate us the day we called , and quickly gave us peace of mind that it was the right decision.

Dr Stephanie Took care of out girl Denver as if she where her own. I am so grateful that we found her, and we where able to say goodbye to Denver in her favorite chair in her own back yard. During the trying times of covid-19, Denver was given the dignity she deserved and was returned to us in a beautiful box with her paw print and a very kind personal note. We are grateful for Dr Stephanie’s professionalisms, empathy, and kindness.
Pam K.

Dr. Stephanie was outstanding from the first phone call to the day Rocky’s ashes were dropped off at our house. She was very friendly, compassionate and accommodating. She helped make Rocky’s passing a peaceful one. I highly recommend Dr. Stephanie and Journey Home Veterinary Services!
Jennifer L.

Dr Stephanie was everything I wanted at this incredibly sad, dark time having to say goodbye to my best buddy. She was not only sweet, kind and compassionate she was in no hurry and explained everything she did and was going to do in a very kind and understanding way. I would and will use her services again for our other cats and future pets when needed. I was overwhelmed by her pure love kindness and support during and after. The follow ups and sweet hand written card were gestures of someone who cares and loves being there for others and their amazing animals. Thank you Stepanie for what you do 🙏🏻🙌🏻💫
Kelly W.

Dr Stephanie was amazing. Our Daisy girl had been with us for 14 years. Dr Stephanie treated our Daisy girl and our family with grace and dignity. Tucking our Daisy girl in with a soft blanket after she passed was such a special touch. Thank you so much
Haley B.

I knew it was close to time to say goodbye to our dog Coal. The cancer was progressing quickly. I had never gone through the loss of a large dog. I wanted him to be at home, comfortable, and so his brother Diesel could see him through. Even in the time of COVID I wanted Coal to cross the bridge in his home.

I had made arrangements with Dr. Stephanie for Saturday. She was the first to reply to my voice mail (I called 3 places that would come to the home). She was also the most reasonably priced and the most willing to roll with the way Coal might be at the time and not force me to take him outside.

I called her frantic Friday and told her that he was ready. She came within 2 hours and helped us all say goodbye. She kneeled on my dining room floor as if she had known Coal his whole life. She explained the process and made it less scary.

The other amazing thing was she did this on HER birthday. She put my family and my dog’s comfort above her day.

I will always recommend and contact her when any of my pets need to cross (as they always eventually, sadly do).

She also then sent a card that was more heartfelt than people that knew him expressed.

Thank you Dr. Stephanie. We are so grateful for you and to you.
Heather C.

Dr. Stephanie was so compassionate and is such a wonderful human. Walked us through the whole process, gave us our space to say good bye to Ox. The follow up card was so sweet, and she even mentioned Ox’s doggy sisters by name. She is amazing and highly recommend her if anyone finds themselves having to say good bye to a pet. Thank you so much Stephanie you made the end so much easier for us.
Jennifer C.

Dr. Stephanie was just tremendous during our family’s heartbreaking decision to let our dog of 9 years go. She balanced just the right amount of interaction with giving us space. She was compassionate and generous without being sappy. She makes a million small touches that are so genuine, sweet and meaningful: a pillow for our dog as we said goodbye, a personal card, a follow up email. I give Dr. Stephanie my highest recommendation and sincere thanks
Tisha S.

Dr. Stephanie accommodated our family on short notice and a need for Saturday euthanasia appointment. I had never been through saying goodbye to a family dog before this experience. While it is so hard, Dr. Stephanie really made an enormous difference in what our experience could have been. She provided good information, answered questions, gave me and my family space at appropriate times and is so clear in her love and compassion for animals and for families going through grief. We highly recommend Dr. Stephanie for home euthanasia. She is absolutely wonderful!
Bill M.

Stephanie Kotas was absolutely wonderful in coming to my home to take care of my dog. She was patient and took us all step by step through the process. My dog’s ashes were in a lovely box and the paw print was wonderful. Highly recommended
Centalynn A.

It was a difficult day when we had to say goodbye to our cat Dexter. Dr. Stephanie didn’t rush us or make us feel like we were making the wrong decision. She came all the way down to us with a beautiful basket to place him in and was completely prepared. She helped us give our little boy a peaceful way out of this world and was extremely compassionate. It was an amazing experience to be able to be there for him in the end. She is even going to return his ashes to us next week and is going to drive back down here to deliver them. We are so grateful we found her
Sara J.

Dr. Stephanie was AMAZING!! She helped us so much with our Layla and we will continue to use her with our future animals. We had to make the very difficult decision to put down our Layla and she was so calm, supportive and walked us through the entire process. Just WONDERFUL
Emily T.

Dr. Stephanie made an awful experience a little less awful. I second everyone else’s reviews about thoughtfulness, efficiency, and follow up. Our cat hated vets and Dr. Stephanie provided an extra sedative to help calm him. She is the perfect balance of compassion and professionalism
Melanie H.

Dr. Stephanie is truly an amazing and caring human being. Her help with the hospice and later euthanasia of my cat Simon kept me sane and ensured that Simon didn’t suffer. Making the decision to let a pet go is never easy and I am so glad that I found Journey Home. Dr. Stephanie thank you for all that you do for pets and people particularly during this difficult time
Nicole S.

I cannot say enough positive things about our experiences with Journey Home vet. Dr. Stephanie is both professional and empathetic. Saying goodbye to a pet is always heart-wrenching, however the ability to do it in your home with Dr. Stephanie is far more comforting and less stressful on both the pet and owner(s). We greatly appreciated her kindness and gentle nature, and were so thankful and touched with the sympathy card. Thank you for taking such good care of our family
Ryan C.

I have had many dogs in my life and saying goodbye to one is always hard. Dr Stephanie was caring and compassionate to all of us human and dog. My dog left us as she lived…sitting on the couch next to me.

Thanks to Dr Stephanie for making that possible
Tammy W.

One of the most difficult decisions a pet-owner can make is when to help usher your beloved friend past pain and suffering and onto peace, and this decision is even harder when it has to be made and completed in a vet office that may be a very frightening place for your pet. Dr. Stephanie provided an immensely appreciated service for myself and my husband as we said a heartbreaking goodbye to our good boy in the comfort and safety of his own bed. Her kindness and care was amazing, and the care extended beyond the painful day of saying goodbye. My husband and I can’t speak highly enough of Dr. Stephanie and are eternally grateful for the compassion she showed to not only us, but to our beloved boy. Thank you so much Dr. Stephanie
Meagan S.

I can’t say enough positive things about Dr. Stephanie – She was just the person we needed in this sad time. In addition to being very responsive and getting us in with incredibly short notice, she was kind, caring, professional, and empathetic. I’m so glad we decided to call her – She made the very difficult process of saying goodbye just a little bit easier. Thank you
Margarite J.

Thank you Dr. Stephanie.. During this crazy COVID-19 situation, Dr. Stephanie arrived to my house with her mask on, let us be with our sweet Molly 6 feet away and talked us through saying Goodbye! I will recommend her to ANYBODY! Her heart is pure, she is gently, loving, comforting and delicate. I cannot say enough about how positive this experience was. Having the opportunity to be at home with the other pets was the best situation ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart
Kim E.

We weren’t sure what losing a pet during a pandemic was going to look like, but Dr Stephanie came to our home (on fairly short notice), mask-on, and helped us through the whole process, making sure we got to stay by our sweet Riker’s side the entire time. She is extremely compassionate, and helped us bring up happy memories during one of the saddest moments of our lives. The ability to do this at home with someone as kind as Dr Stephanie made this easier for us, and her follow-ups, along with hand-delivering Riker’s ashes, really made us feel less alone as our house became emptier. I would absolutely recommend Dr Stephanie to anyone else in difficult circumstances such as these
Kathryn P.

Dr. Stephanie is absolutely amazing. There are not enough words to express how grateful we are to her for her services. She is so incredibly accommodating, compassionate and goes above and beyond to make the devastating experience of saying goodbye to a beloved pet more bearable. We have used her two times in our home now, and honestly wish we had known about her years ago. We highly recommend Dr. Stephanie and Journey Home Veterinary Services
Jennifer R.

During a really bad time, during the loss of a treasured friend and COVID lockdown. Dr Stephanie was amazing. She took the time to be kind and professional. Tears were shed and she wasn’t pushing just to get out the “door.” I didn’t have to drag my friend to the vet’s office and stress her last day here with yet “another office visit.” It was a blessing to have her at home where she knew she was loved and safe. Dr Stephanie let us have the time to say goodbye.

Economically, the price was well worth it and it helped that I didn’t have to make arrangements for everything.

Thank you soooo much
Mary H.

We were so grateful to Stephanie on that most painful day when it was time to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Lyra. Stephanie’s patience and presence was comforting and reassuring throughout the whole process. Like an angel she swooped in to relieve suffering and to set our girl free for her next adventure. We are so grateful that final day was filled with as much peace and ease as possible. And the card we received following was tremendously thoughtful and filled with love. Thank you for everything!
Hannah S.

Dr. Stephanie is a special caring and kind person. She helped us through a difficult time. Missy was our 15 y/o pup, that was a light at the end of my day when I would come home from work.In the past 3 months she had changed and was in obvious pain and struggling.Thank you for being there for our family during this difficult time Dr. Stephanie, we appreciate your kindness and what you do for the world.
Jamey B.

Dr. Stephanie is an incredibly compassionate, gentle, and knowledgable vet. She was highly recommended to us when we were in search of in-home care for our aging & anxious cat. We are so glad to have found her, as she was an excellent doctor for our kitty, and helped us through the end-of-life process with empathy and warmth.

One thing that stands out about Dr. Stephanie is her willingness to assist her patients at any time, any place. Her schedule is very flexible; she responds quickly to questions, and was available for last-minute appointments when needed. She is also very thorough in her medical notes and shares documented information quickly. Moreover, her rates are fair and reasonable, and she is completely forthcoming about them.

Above all, Dr. Stephanie is so kind. She expressed genuine concern for our pet even though she only knew her for a few weeks, and followed up with support to us after our pet was gone. We will always be grateful for her expertise when it came to making a decision about our cat’s quality of life, and especially for providing us the opportunity to say goodbye to our kitty calmly & peacefully, and in the comfort of our own home.

S. B.

Dr. Stephanie is absolutely amazing. There are not enough words to express how grateful we are to her for her services. She is so incredibly accommodating, compassionate and goes above and beyond to make the devastating experience of saying goodbye to a beloved pet more bearable. We have used her two times in our home now, and honestly wish we had known about her years ago. We highly recommend Dr. Stephanie and Journey Home Veterinary Services!
Jennifer R.

I cannot say enough positive things about our experiences with Journey Home vet. Dr. Stephanie is both professional and empathetic. Saying goodbye to a pet is always heart-wrenching, however the ability to do it in your home with Dr. Stephanie is far more comforting and less stressful on both the pet and owner(s). We greatly appreciated her kindness and gentle nature, and were so thankful and touched with the sympathy card. Thank you for taking such good care of our family.
Ryan C.

Dr. Stephanie made my pups last day a perfect one. I cannot express how grateful I am to have found someone to help with one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Dr. Stephanie is caring and loving and at a time when I was feeling guilty and miserable she was comforting and understanding. I wish I could give 6 stars.
Nicolas P.

Made a very tough and emotional situation as comfortable as possible. Very professional. The care package really helped.
Todd J.

Thank you Dr. Stephanie.. During this crazy COVID-19 situation, Dr. Stephanie arrived to my house with her mask on, let us be with our sweet Molly 6 feet away and talked us through saying Goodbye! I will recommend her to ANYBODY! Her heart is pure, she is gently, loving, comforting and delicate. I cannot say enough about how positive this experience was. Having the opportunity to be at home with the other pets was the best situation ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Kim E.

Steph was so great with our dog Roxy when she did acupuncture. Our dog has a lot of leg problems as she had a TPLO two years ago. Steph was gentle, precise, and quick. I honestly wasn’t sure how my dog would do but with Steph’s calm demeanor and professionalism, she was completely responsive to the treatment.
Amber B.

Thank you Dr.Steph for your kind caring heart and soul! Never is saying goodbye is to our four legged loves easy. When that decision has to be made Dr. Steph is there to help bring one last gift of compassion to our furry friends that gave us nothing but unconditional love. Words cannot express my personal gratitude to you to bring peace to my sweet Mabel.
Jenn H.

Compassionate end-of-life care and euthanasia. Dr. Stephanie is very prompt, empathetic and quite professional in dealing with clients in this difficult field. Very highly recommended.
Melanie M.

Stephanie was absolutely amazing!! I was a vet tech for 10 yrs before leaving the field. But over the weekend my family had to decide what was best for our old man. She responded to me almost immediately and was in constant contact until we had everything planned out. She was very sweet and understanding. She arrived on time Monday morning, which is good, but didn’t make our soon goodbye any easier but at least we didn’t have to wait around. She came straight to our house and had everything she needed with her and didn’t have to make trips back and forth to the car. We handled the costs up front so we wouldn’t have to worry about it after the fact. I knowing the process knew what would be happening, and how, but she took the time to explain it all to my family so they would understand. Each step of the way she said what she was doing. She loved on our boy with us while we waited for the sedative to kick in. He was a fighter so it took a little longer, but he was calm and comfortable the entire time. She didn’t rush us or him at all. We had our 2 other pups with us during it and she loved on them too. Once our baby crossed the rainbow bridge she left us to say our goodbyes in peace and didn’t rush us then either. Once we were ready she came back in and we put our handsome boy in the stretcher to take out to the care. She made a pillow for him to rest his head on, and she put a blanket over him and tucked him in. He looked absolutely perfect and so peaceful. Once out to the car we got to say our final goodbyes to our boy before walking away. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We wished our boy would’ve gone on his own, but in the end he went the way we wanted. Not alone. In his home. With his family all around him.
Thank you again Steph for being so wonderful.
Ashley L.

Dr. Stephanie was nothing but amazing when helping us with our dog’s transition. She was prompt in her communications and was able to get to our house in just a few hours. She was patient, kind, and compassionate. For such a sad event in our lives, I could not have asked for a better doctor and scenario.
Kayla H.

There is no amount of praises to give to Stephanie and the care she provided for me, my family, and sweet, 14 year old puppy. I struggled for the longest time knowing he was ready to go but, that I wasn’t able to let him. And when I finally knew that I couldn’t be selfish anymore, I wanted to be able to have him at home and not transport him to a cold office to say goodbye.

Stephanie was so caring and compassionate and made an extremely painful day the best that it could be. From the moment she stepped into the house I felt more peace about the decision I had to make. She didn’t rush me and she even spent time getting to know my Levi.

While I wish you weren’t having to read a review like mine because that means that you too are having to make a painful decision, there is no one more compassionate, kind, and professional then Stephanie to help you through the process.

Kelly M.

Dr. Stephanie is incredible. After almost 15 years, our beloved (and objectively amazing) dog Lula let us know she was ready to go. Dr. Stephanie was responsive, kind, compassionate, and supportive. We were able to meet with Dr. Stephanie in advance and she walked us through our options and help us decide our path. Being able to share our final moments together in our own home was invaluable. Can’t recommend Dr. Stephanie enough.
M. A.

I had to recently face the fact that my best friend needed that final act of kindness which meant that I had to arrange for a quiet, peaceful euthanasia in his own home. Through a referral I was able to find Dr. Stephanie who is a new breed of veterinarian, one that provides hospice, palliative care and at home euthanasia to her clients. A mobile vet. I put my beloved Grady to rest outside on a sunny day after he played and ate his favorite food. He was succumbing to cancer. Dr. Stephanie came to my home and lovingly and thoughtfully administered pain relieving drugs to lift the veil of pain permanently and forever from Grady. I highly recommend her and would certainly use her service again. Grady was a male Shetland Sheepdog.
Donna T.

Dr Stephanie helped us all through one of the most difficult times in our lives. We had to say goodbye to our beautiful dog. Dr Stephanie was there totally for us . She was compassionate and warm. We shared some of Penny’s adventures with her. It turned out to be a very peaceful and meaningful journey for us all. We thank Dr Stephanie from the bottom of our hearts. And, yes – the card a couple of days later was really touching.
Janet S.

My Jada had finally reached the point that she was tired and finished. I called Journey Home, they were recommended to me by my vet at Orchards Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Steph was able to come that evening, she very willingly waited for my son to arrive as we said good-bye to our sweet pup. Dr. Steph was very considerate and appropriately empathetic. She listened to what we were saying, she stayed in the background as we said our goodbyes, she explained everything she was doing and what to expect. This was not our first fur baby we have helped reach the rainbow bridge, nothing here was new but it helped us that she was so compassionate.

The thing that I found uplifting and comforting is when she sent to us a sympathy card for our loss, the picture on the front of the card looked almost exactly like our Jada, she hand wrote a note and hit on conversations that were going on throughout the evening. She mentioned how Jada was with Estes now and up to their old shenanigans just as we had talked that evening. She showed in her note that she actually was listening to us, taking to heart our love for our Jada. She didn’t have to do that. I love that card and it will stay with Jada.

I highly recommend Dr. Steph, she is prompt, professional, attentive, and appropriately empathetic! She is a true professional and I thank her for help with our journey.

Connie L.

Dr. Stephanie was a wonderful source of comfort in our time of sorrow as we had to euthanize our beloved dog. Dr. Stephanie was able to perfectly balance professionalism with compassion, and I can’t imagine things going any better. We would highly recommend her to anyone faced with this difficult decision.
David H.

This review should have been written a while back, but to be completely honest, the pain of losing my precious angel is still very fresh, and hard to re-live.

On October 30th we had to say goodbye to our beloved Nova. The heartache is deep and we will forever miss our Tiny little princess.

We adopted Nova in December of 2002, at the age of 1. She has blessed our lives and warmed our hearts all these years. We were so lucky to call her our baby for as long as we did. Most say she lived a good long life, but to be honest, there really is never enough time, regardless of how long we got to love her.

Making end of life decisions is very difficult and, although some say it is humane, it is a very difficult hurdle to jump. However, I did feel like I made the very best decisions I could in picking her doctor for this service.

In my search I received Doctor Stephanie’s name and number multiple times through several companies I called. They all had glowing reviews and said she was very good and gentle. This doesn’t even begin to describe how wonderful she was. It takes a very special kind of person to do this dreaded kind of job. She is compassionate towards our beloved fur babies end of life experience, but also compassionate towards the family members that need to say goodbye. Doctor Stephanie is both very professional and approachable in the whole process, and that was important to me.

From the phone calls setting it up, to her flexible schedule, into the actual process, and beyond Doctor Stephanie with Journey Home was a Godsend. I cannot say enough good things about her. She was everything we needed and more. Shortly after, we received a beautiful card from her in the mail, along with a beautiful charm that had “Tiny” engraved in it. It made me cry, but then again I can cry at the drop of a hat these days. It will be a cherished piece we will hold dear. The whole process was a total blur but, somewhere along the way Doctor Stephanie picked up on all the little things, like the fact that we called Nova “Tiny” and our beliefs on where we believe Nova is today… up in heaven. She did not miss a beat on how she handled this very emotional experience in our lives but guided us through the whole process. Thank you Doctor Stephanie. I will be forever grateful for your compassionate heart.

If anyone ever needs to go through this most difficult time and decision I highly recommend Doctor Stephanie and the company Journey Home. Thank you Doctor Stephanie, I am so happy we found you and trusted you with our precious little girl.

Dawn S.

I cannot say enough positive things about our experience with Dr. Stephanie. I would recommend her to anyone going through the experience of having to give a peaceful, graceful and empathetic passing to their loved pet family member.

Our sweet loving cat Monkey was part of our family for almost 15 years, and it was very difficult to make the decision to let her go peacefully (and not pursue surgery/chemotherapy) when she was diagnosed with lymphoma. Our vet recommended a home visit as a choice for euthanasia, and gave us a few business cards. They told us that Dr. Stephanie of Journey Home was the one they highly recommended of them all. I am glad that we chose her.

I was having a hard time with letting Money go, as was my husband and young daughter. Under the circumstances, the experience was amazing. The thoughtfulness, grace and consideration of our fragile feelings that Stephanie showed was such an incredible comfort. This helped us so much to know that she had a peaceful passing in her home with her family touching her. And the card we received in the mail from her was so incredibly thoughtful.

I hope that we will not need her services anytime soon with our other pets, but if so, I will absolutely be calling Dr. Stephanie.

Sara G.

Dr. Stephanie played such an important, positive role in saying goodbye to our Lucy Cat. I had never had to make this decision for a pet before, and didn’t know what to expect. I was so glad to have such a kind and competent person to help our family during this time of transition. Dr. Stephanie was professional, patient, compassionate, and sensitive not just to Lucy’s needs, but to our emotional needs as well. Lucy’s ashes came back to us beautifully wrapped and with a lovely plaster paw print. We also received a thoughtful, hand written card a few weeks later. I would highly recommend Dr. Stephanie’s services to anyone who may find themselves needing them.
Devin W.

Dr. Stephanie was wonderful. We lost our best boy Wash in early September and she helped us understand the whole process from start to finish and gave us as much time as we needed with him. The whole experience was very peaceful and calm. I would highly recommend Journey Home.
Victoria L.