In-Home Pet Hospice Veterinarian – The Hospice Vet
The Hospice Vet provides in-home euthanasia and end-of-life care for pets across Northeast Florida, serving Duval, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties. The women-owned and operated practice is led by Dr. Katie Stender, a University of Florida graduate in veterinary medicine who, after years in general practice, now focuses exclusively on in-home end-of-life care. Dr. Sarah DeLoach, a Virginia Tech veterinary graduate, also provides services, and Gabrielle Harsey serves as practice manager. Both veterinarians are licensed in Florida.
The practice offers in-home euthanasia visits priced at $425, which provide a peaceful passing at home and include medications, a clay paw print impression, and fur keepsakes. Quality of life consultations, also $425, involve a physical examination and a customized comfort care plan. Aftercare is handled through local partner Crevasse’s Pet Cremation, with private cremation offered at $325 to $375 depending on the pet’s weight, including a wooden urn with custom engraving, and communal cremation available at $225 to $275. The practice also maintains a virtual memorial on Instagram and provides a quality of life self-assessment offered as a downloadable PDF for families weighing their options.
Dr. Katie describes her work as responding to families during what she characterizes as the most sacred space of pet loss, drawing in part on her personal experience losing her own Labrador. The practice frames its mission around supporting pet owners through difficult decisions with compassionate, customized care delivered in the comfort of the home rather than a clinical setting.
The Hospice Vet can be reached by text or call at (904) 521-3440, seven days a week, and by email at drkatiehospicevet@gmail.com. The practice is located at 1820 State Road 13, Suite 11, St. Johns, FL 32259, from which it covers the surrounding Northeast Florida counties listed across its service area.