Our Team

We’re here to help you and your pets through what we know is a difficult and heartbreaking time in your lives.

APPOINTMENT

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.

Jordan

Hospice Centre Manager
Client Care Representative
(Maternity Leave)
Jordan's Bio
Ever since I was a little girl, animals and nature have called to me. As I grew into the person I am today, I discovered my true love for animals and how important it is to care for them when they can no longer care for themselves. Throughout my childhood I spent my summers searching for frogs and catching butterflies, and then in high school I did a co-op at a veterinary clinic that quickly evolved into my first job in the veterinary field. When I wasn’t away studying for my 4-year Honours in Biological Sciences BSc., I volunteered my time taking care of exotic and wildlife rescue animals at a local sanctuary. One of the greatest experiences of my life was volunteering in Africa for 3 weeks, caring for orphaned and senior monkeys. When I returned home I completed my certificate for Animal Care Assistant, graduating top of my class and receiving the Silver Medal Award.

Now with my young son and husband, though I cherish the wonderful memories I have made in my adventures, I have found a real warmth and happiness in a nurturing role. It brings me great pride to help Dr. Laura and her team to provide both pets and their families peace during difficult times.

Emily Piche

Lead Registered Veterinary Technician 
Certified Hospice and End of Life Care Practitioner

Emily's Bio

Emily’s first love was a blonde Chihuahua named Honey Baby. Receiving Honey as a puppy shortly after her parents’ separation, they quickly became the best of friends. As Honey grew older, she developed health issues that would require regular trips to the vet. Although the staff was friendly and compassionate, Honey dreaded her visits to the clinic and would tremble and snap at the staff members. When the hard decision was made that it was time to euthanize, Emily couldn’t bear to see the stress Honey would face on her last day. She told her mom she couldn’t go and said goodbye from the front door. Emily now knows that what Honey needed was a home euthanasia.

Following her passion for animals and medicine, Emily attended the veterinary technician program at Georgian College, graduating with honors. She went on to complete over 500 hours of field placement alongside a CFIA-appointed large animal veterinarian, followed by 100 more working with a board-certified veterinary surgeon. Emily then completed her professionalism and ethics course and successfully wrote the national exam, becoming a registered veterinary technician. In 2022, she completed expert training in the art of gentle euthanasia through the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy.

She has spent nearly five years working in small animal practice. Emily is passionate about senior animals and palliative care. She believes that every pet deserves to spend their final hours in the comfort of their own home surrounded by the family members who love them.

Emily lives on a hobby farm alongside her husband, two wonderful children, and their many cherished pets. In her spare time, Emily enjoys camping, canoeing, hiking, and riding both her horse and her dirt bike.

kathryn

Kathryn

Registered Veterinary Technician

Kathryn's Bio

While new to our Hearts with Wings team, 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.

Kaylin

Kaylin

Hospice Centre Manager (Acting)
Client Care Representative
Kaylin's Bio

Kaylin is our newest Client Care Representative. 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.

Kaylin

Alexa

Client Care Representative

Alexa's Bio
My passion for helping animals started when I was born into my family that ran a horse farm. This led to being on a horse before I could walk and I have not stopped riding to this day. I knew my passion lied with animals growing up being surrounded by all types of them on the farm.

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