Heart WIth Wings Team

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.

I have been watching my wife, Dr. Laura, helping families through her hospice veterinary practice and I was so moved by the gratitude that she received from the families that she helped. I have spent the last 20 years working as an automotive painter and was looking for a career change. When the opportunity came to help expand ‘Heart With Wings’, I knew I wanted to help.

Although I had always had pets growing up, my very first pet as an adult was a border collie-lab mix, named Zoe. She was my best friend and my rock. She was always there for me from a hard break up to moving, different jobs, and later marriage and children. As a senior, Zoe developed severe mobility concerns and diabetes. She needed twice daily insulin injections and pain medications to keep her comfortable. Despite our best efforts, Zoe declined and we had to make the heart-wrenching decision to say goodbye. We helped her pass at home in her bed and it was so peaceful for her. The loss of Zoe hit me really hard and so I appreciate the various different emotions that families feel when losing a pet, as I felt many of them. I also appreciate how important it is to have someone you can trust to provide aftercare. As your pet leaves your family’s arms to ours, please know we are treating your pet as part of our family.

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.

Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Technician (CHPT)
Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Professional (CPEP)

Kathryn has been a valued part of the Heart with Wings team for four years and is our Senior Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT). She is a Certified through CAETA as a Peaceful Euthanasia Professional and is also a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Technician through the IAAHPC.

Kathryn is passionate about supporting families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. She provides compassionate and easy-to-understand quality-of-life assessments, assists with palliative care visits, and supports senior assessments. She takes great pride in honouring the unique bond between families and their animal companions, always adding her own special touch to ensure each pet and family feels cared for and supported. She feels incredibly grateful for every family who allows her to be part of their journey and to help guide them through their pet’s final moments.

With a background in both small animal medicine and exotic companion animals, Kathryn brings a unique range of experience to the Heart with Wings team. She is our only RVT with experience caring for not only dogs and cats, but also reptiles, pocket pets, avian species, and poultry. Kathryn believes that no matter their species, our animals are our friends, our family, and pieces of our hearts.

Outside of work, Kathryn can usually be found reading at home alongside her 11-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Kira.

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 bachelor’s 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.