How we got here.
Dr. Stephanie shares the inspiration
for Gentle Journey Vet Care.
An idea a lifetime in the making.
At 6 years old, I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was inspired to pursue palliative and end-of-life care from a young age. My mom went back to nursing school at 40 years old and used her degree to provide hospice and oncology care. Not only did I help her with her homework and studying, but I saw her build relationships with families during the hardest part of their lives, caring for their loved ones.
It’s about the journey.
I have been practicing emergency medicine for 10 years after receiving my DVM degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. I was present for some of the hardest moments of people’s lives, requiring trust and empathy in a split second for hard decisions. Despite those challenges, the hardest part was often not being able to follow up with guardians and pets with whom I built a relationship with in those moments.
We get it.
This is personal.
Tembo, Dr. Stephanie’s dog and inspiration.
I began working with an in-home wellness practice and was always drawn to the older pets and their concerned guardians who wanted to keep them comfortable. Along with a prolonged hospice experience of my own heart dog Tembo in 2019, I realized an enormous gap in veterinary medicine between diagnosis, decline, and death. There were many quality moments I had with Tembo after his diagnosis of cancer and degenerative neurologic disease, but it required an enormous amount of care including hygiene, medications, supplements, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, and acupuncture.
Without the consistent, focused, and ever-evolving care plan I made for Tembo, he wouldn’t have had an amazing end of life. We even completed a bucket list that included walking the Brooklyn Bridge, eating a pup cup, and going to the beach. He inspired me to pursue palliative care-focused education, pain management, and acupuncture certification, and use it all to help others close that caregiving gap.
Why Gentle Journey Vet Care
Practicing in your home immediately eliminates the stress of carriers, travel, entering a hospital, and the “white coat effect.” My Fear Free certification and 10 years of experience allow me to reduce your pet’s stress even further during medical handling and treatment. My extensive training in veterinary acupuncture and end-of-life palliative care acupuncture give me an adjunctive therapy to add to your pet’s treatment plan.
Every pet deserves to have the same type of ending as Tembo—one that is thoughtful, comfortable, and full of joyful moments. This is why I was inspired to start Gentle Journey Vet Care with the ultimate goal of providing comfort and care for your pet.