Lap of Love will supply you with all the necessary tools to assist a loved one and their family. Supplies include: controlled substances, a safe, syringes, needles, a stretcher, blanket, chest freezer, and more. It is necessary that you personally possess a smartphone, a computer, and a working knowledge of technology. You must also have a well-maintained 4 door vehicle for transportation of patients and room for supplies. Most importantly, you must have compassion and empathy for pets and the people that love them. 

One of our Core Values is to “help above all else.”  For every family that schedules an appointment, our doctors visit their home to speak with them and evaluate their pet, even if it needs to be done safely from a distance. Each doctor follows their own moral compass and provides potential solutions, which could include humane euthanasia, rehoming or surrendering their pet to a shelter, or encouraging the pursuit of treatment in a clinical setting. For aggressive patients, our doctors determine whether an appointment can be safely and peacefully performed at that time, working with the family to develop a plan. If not, they can prescribe oral medications for the family to pick up and administer to their pet preceding a future appointment. Every doctor receives specific training on how to navigate these unique situations with compassion and dignity, while keeping the safety of all parties a priority.

Most of our clients send their pet with the veterinarian for cremation services. Proper presentation is essential when transporting a family’s beloved pet, and you will be provided with the necessary equipment (i.e., a basket, stretcher, cozy blankets, etc.) to make this possible. Most doctors have a chest freezer (provided by Lap of Love) at home in a garage or shed with electricity to safely keep patients until the established crematory in your area retrieves them. Following cremation, the crematory delivers a pet’s cremains to a location agreed upon by the family. Lap of Love will assist you in building a relationship with the local crematory as well as determining a pickup schedule. More in-depth guidance surrounding aftercare is provided during your training. 

We expect our doctors to feel comfortable lifting up to 50lb, as well as kneeling on the floor, and squatting. When a client with a dog larger than 40 pounds needs our services, our care coordinators will gently ask while scheduling, “Will you or someone there be able to assist the doctor to the car with Max?” Over 95% of the time, families want to help (many even feel honored to function as their pet’s pallbearer). On occasion, an owner may be unable to assist, or a pet may weigh more than 100 pounds. For these appointments, we request assistance from the crematory and schedule appropriately.   

True, in-home hospice care is rarely sought out by clients, as it is still a newly emerging field. At this time, approximately 2-5% of our appointments are true, in-home hospice consultations, which focus on comfort care, educating the family on how to care for their pet, and preparing them for what to expect at the end of their loved one’s life. Lap of Love remains the single largest veterinary hospice provider in the United States.

We take great pride in the amazing family and culture we have grown over the years. Lap of Love veterinarians are humble, mindful, empathetic, and compassionate. They are comfortable working independently but are also willing to offer a helping hand. They are non-judgmental and understanding.

As a member of our team, we hope you are comfortable and confident enough to introduce yourself by “Dr. First Name” to clients in order to help them feel connected and friendly with you. Families may offer you coffee, tea, and sometimes even gifts upon your arrival. They welcome you into one of the most intimate moments of their lives. Our primary goal is that when you leave their home, the client feels “like a dear friend came to help me.”

• Our appointments can vary from day-to-day due to the nature of our work.  On average, a doctor will assist 3 families per day, with some shifts being busier or slower.  

• Appointments can be scheduled at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, and 6pm. This 6pm appointment is reserved for special circumstances and is not booked as frequently as daytime appointments.  Our schedules provide an hour window of arrival should a previous appointment need more support, you get caught in traffic, or if you need a little time for yourself in between helping pets. If a family needs a same-day appointment, the support center provides a minimum of an hour’s notice to you. 

In general, the families are prepared for our doctors to arrive within a one-hour window. We expect our doctors to communicate directly with every family to provide a more accurate arrival time. Most of our doctors take advantage of time in the car by listening to audiobooks or podcasts, rocking out to their favorite playlist, or calling loved ones. Many also relish being outside of the four walls of a clinic, and appreciate seeing the outdoors during their workday.

The service area is generally a 30-35 mile radius from the center of the market area, though occasional requests will come from families further away. Drive time will vary daily and can range from a few minutes to an hour’s drive from the center of the market area. Our policy at Lap of Love is to not turn a family away based on their location, but rather let them decide if an additional drive fee is acceptable.

We do extensive market research to understand and evaluate the current need. Each area may differ based on this research. Additionally, our Support Center is strategic in how they book appointments; if there are multiple doctors in a service area, appointments are generally booked for the closest available doctor to lessen time on the road.