Our Team
We’re here to help you and your pets through what we know is a difficult and heartbreaking time in your lives.
Meet Our Team
The team at Heart With Wings provides mobile veterinary services, including end of life consultations, in-home hospice and palliative care, pet euthanasia, and aftercare for pets and owners in Barrie, Orillia, Innisfil, the Georgian Bay Region, Cottage Country, and the surrounding areas.
Dr. Laura Coulter
Certified Palliative and Hospice Care Veterinarian
Medical Director
Dr. Coulter's Bio
Not unlike most people in the veterinary profession, Dr. Coulter dreamed of being a veterinarian from the time she was a child. Through many years of hard work and persistence, Dr. Coulter became a 2010 graduate from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. Since graduating, she has been practising as a small animal veterinarian. She recognized the need for a mobile service offering in-home senior and end of life care, as well as euthanasia in the comfort of the pet’s home, through her work in veterinary hospitals.
Providing the highest quality palliative, hospice, and end-of-life care is incredibly important to Dr. Laura and she is committed to advancing her knowledge in this field. Dr. Coulter is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). She has also completed expert training in the art of gentle euthanasia through the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy.
Dr. Coulter lives in Barrie with her two children, husband, and three fur babies. Her great loves are her family, her Chocolate Labrador named Mocha, boating, chocolate, and coffee.
Dr. Maggie Sharpe
Certified Palliative and Hospice Care Veterinarian
Dr. Sharpe 's Bio
From an early age, Dr. Maggie developed a deep passion for animals, raised in a family that adopted and fostered many well loved furry friends. She remembers being present for the euthanasia of her beloved family dog, Jersey, when she was 6 years old, and vividly recalls the grief she felt over the loss of her canine sister. Since then, she has experienced several family pet euthanasias in both clinic and home settings, with the most peaceful being at her family cabin with several family members present around their beloved senior shepherd mix, Mouse, as she passed.
Soon after starting her career as a veterinarian, Dr. Maggie recognized the clear need for a more comprehensive approach to the care of animals in their senior years, especially those with complicating conditions. This led her to becoming certified in Hospice and Palliative Care through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC).
Dr. Maggie graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2018, after obtaining Bachelors Degrees in both Biology and Psychology at Western University in her hometown of London, Ontario. She moved to Barrie in 2020 after practicing in Collingwood for two years. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and DIY projects in her new home, which she shares with her partner, shelter dog Tika, and 2 kitties.
Dr. Leah Parlow
Dr. Parlow's Bio
Dr Leah grew up in Kingston in a household with cats, dogs and a guinea pig. Because of this, she developed an early appreciation for the joy that pets bring to our lives, and always knew she wanted a career working with animals.
She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College and initially moved back to Kingston to work in the busy small animal practice that she had previously volunteered at. She moved to Barrie in 2022, and now works at a local general vet clinic as well as with Heart With Wings.
Her passion has always been building relationships with clients and their furbabies, and is especially passionate about supporting geriatric pets and helping to improve their quality of life.
A memory that has shaped Dr. Leah is losing her beloved childhood Labrador retriever, Rosie. Rosie passed away at home unexpectedly, and it was unfortunately without the help of a veterinarian to guide Rosie and her family through the process. That difficult experience inspired Dr. Leah to learn more about palliative veterinary medicine and end of life care, as our family would have benefited from understanding more about Rosie’s disease process and the options available for her.
She has completed the Euthanasia Master Program through the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy and is very grateful to be a member of the Heart With Wings team.
In her free time, Dr Leah enjoys spending time with pets, family and friends, cooking, and doing anything outdoors!
Kaylin
Hospice Centre Manager
Kaylin's Bio
Ever since she was young she has known no other passion than caring for animals. Growing up, she and her family had a variety of pets from dogs and cats, to lizards, guinea pigs, bunnies, and fish! She graduated from Georgian College’s Veterinary Assistant program in 2016 and has since then, had the pleasure of working for multiple small animal veterinary practices.
Despite her many exciting experiences in regular practice, Kaylin felt drawn toward the families needing hospice and end-of-life care for their pets. Becoming a mother has given her the gift of offering genuine comfort and support in many challenging times, and joining Dr. Laura’s team has allowed her the opportunity to share this with others.
Kathryn
Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Professional (CPEP)
Kathryn's Bio
Kathryn has been working as an animal healthcare provider for the past 10 years. She started as a Veterinary Assistant and knew immediately that animal health was where she needed to be.
Kathryn graduated from the Georgian College Veterinary Technician Program in 2018 and became a Registered Veterinary Technician within the year. She has since flourished in her position as an RVT and considers herself an advocate for all of her patients. She has also now completed her certification in the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy.
Kathryn has been surrounded by animals since she was young. But her very first furry family member that was all her own was a beautiful Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Tysen. Tysen was only the age of 5 years old when tragedy struck and Kathryn had to make the extremely hard decision to move forward with end-of-life care. Losing Tysen before he was ready was extremely hard for Kathryn, and she made the decision then to focus her love and compassion on palliative and end-of-life care. She hopes to help give every family the opportunity to say a beautiful goodbye to their loved ones.
Alexa, BSc
Client Care Representative
Alexa's Bio
My career began as soon as it could in high school as a veterinary assistant. I continued my education to Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Bioveterinary and Equine science. The pandemic brought me back home where my passion of working with animals continued to grow. That led me to pursue my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Ross University in the Caribbean.
Upon my time studying, my 11 month old kitten, Benny, was home with my partner and had become very sick. It was an absolutely devastating heartbreak of not only losing him so soon in his life, but also not able to say goodbye to him on our terms. This event led me to where I am today, with Dr. Laura and her team at Heart With Wings, to ensure every single one of you and your pet do not go through this transition alone.
Life At Heart With Wings
