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About The Good Life
Saying goodbye is hard enough without having to worry about the stress of a car ride or feeling awkward in an unfamiliar environment. Our veterinarians offer a gentle alternative. We come to you, so you and your pet can remain in the comfort of home, surrounded by love, dignity, and the time you need to honor your beloved pet during their transition.
Our Mission
To provide in-home pet euthanasia services with compassion, empathy, and kindness in a way that supports both humans and animals during one of the most difficult, yet most loving moments of their journey together.
About Our Veterinarians
> Claudia Hite, DVM
Dr. Claudia Hite earned her DVM degree from Texas A&M University in 1997 and has been practicing in the greater Puget Sound region ever since. She spent many years working in emergency veterinary medicine in Tacoma. Over the years, she developed a special interest in taking care of geriatric patients, and has been making end of life care the focus of her work since 2014 by starting The Good Life.
Dr. Claudia has wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember. She was fortunate to grow up surrounded by pets in a family of animal lovers that nurtured her interest in animals from an early age.
> Lisa Roth, DVM
Dr. Lisa Roth grew up in Southern California and has always had an affinity for animals. She has raised Guide Dog puppies and led equine trail groups, and began working in veterinary hospitals at the age of 15. After falling in love with the state of Washington while visiting a friend, Dr. Lisa attended Washington State University where she earned her DVM degree in 1992. She has been in practice in the South Puget Sound area ever since.
Dr. Lisa’s focus has always been on preserving and honoring the bond between pets and their people. Throughout her years in practice she has seen how impactful end of life care and decisions around euthanasia can be to that bond, and therefore chose to concentrate on this aspect of veterinary medicine by joining The Good Life in 2018.
> David Goetz, DVM
Dr. David Goetz graduated from the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006 and went on to complete an internship in general medicine and surgery. An avid traveler, Dr. David is licensed and has practiced in FL, NY, and WA. He is certified in veterinary acupuncture and stem cell therapies; he has also taught at university, spent time as a race track veterinarian, and has worked in industry on non-surgical castration techniques.
Dr. David has an affinity for geriatric pets and end of life care. As a firm believer in the human-animal bond, he works with compassion and empathy to preserve that bond, especially during the end of our beloved pets' lives.
> Maia Chan, DVM
Dr. Maia has always been an ardent believer in quality of life, and that making the final weeks, days, and minutes with our adored pets as happy and comfortable for them as possible is the greatest final gift we can give. She truly feels that meeting compassionate, devoted pet owners and witnessing the incredible bond they share with their beloved pets is the most heartwarming and humbling part of her day.
Dr. Maia Chan grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and loved most all animals from a young age. When she was four she aspired to be a “wild horse catcher,” but by age ten had managed to settle on the more traditional path of veterinarian. She has shared her home with dogs, cats, fish, parrots, rats, invertebrates, and many reptiles. She earned her DVM from the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, then worked in companion exotics and laboratory animal medicine before finding her calling in end of life care in 2018. She has been fortunate to work in end-of-life veterinary practices in Seattle, Washington DC, and the Tacoma area.
> Christa Lloyd, DVM
Dr. Christa Lloyd was born and raised in Colorado, and grew up enjoying all the available outdoor activities. She pursued her undergraduate degree at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, where she also became very involved with the search & rescue team. This solidified her passion for helping people, and she took this with her to graduate school.
Dr. Christa obtained her combined DVM and MPH (Master’s in Public Health) degrees from the University of Minnesota in 2011. She worked in traditional private practice, emergency, and general house call practice in Colorado and New Mexico before moving to Tacoma. She enjoys getting outside to explore nature as much as possible with her husband and 2 children, and has dogs, cats, and fish at home that also keep her busy but happy.
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Through all of her prior adventures, Dr. Christa has developed an interest in pet behavior and reducing stress during veterinary visits, and is always striving to provide pets with the most relaxed end-of-life experience possible. From both personal and professional experiences, she understands what a comfort it can be for a pet to remain at home in a familiar environment with their family.
As part of our ongoing effort to provide the best possible end of life care for our patients and clients, Doctors Claudia, Lisa, and Maia have all completed advanced training and certification with the Companion Animal Euthanasia Academy.
The Good Life is also a proud member of the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC)
About Our Care Staff
> Susan
> Casey
> Keven
> Jacqui
Through these experiences as well as as a dedicated pet owner, she has developed a special interest in pet loss and grief, and has become a passionate advocate for end of life care in the home setting. Susan joined The Good Life staff officially in 2018, but has helped on a volunteer basis since almost the beginning.
Susan has worked in Veterinary Hospitals in the capacity of receptionist and hospital manager in California and Pennsylvania. She also has an extensive history of volunteering at diverse animal related organizations such as UC Davis, various animal shelters and rescues, therapy dog organizations, as well as the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement; she has been a Certified Pet Loss Counselor since 2005.
Originally from the Bay area, Susan now lives in Port Orchard with her husband of 27 years and her four dogs. She enjoys training, grooming and loving her dogs, sewing, wild bird feeding, gardening, photography, photography, and visiting with family in Idaho and California.
> Susan
> Casey
> Keven
> Jacqui
As a Florida native Casey has worked with a variety of wildlife owls, turtles, tortoise, ducks, raccoons, and including 3 baby squirrels that were washed out of a nest during a hurricane. With roads closed there was no way to get them to a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary. She worked diligently for 2 weeks with around the clock care. After their time with specialists they were able to be released back into the wild.
Casey has worked with animals for 20 years. Whether it has been volunteering, fostering, and failing at fostering, but gaining new family members in the process. She has been working as a veterinary assistant for 5 years and currently works in animal emergency. When not working, she can be found tending to her own menagerie of animals, hiking, or playing games and watching movies with her 2 children.
> Susan
> Casey
> Keven
> Jacqui
Keven has been working in the veterinary field since 2011 but his passion for pets has been a lifelong endeavor. He worked at BluePearl in Tacoma for 9 years as an assistant, ICU nurse, neurology assistant, surgery assistant, and helping out wherever he could with exotics. He spent the majority of his time working with neurology and helping rehabilitate patients with disc disease and other neurological issues.
Keven has several rescues including an English Bull Terrier, a cat, and a pair of mischievous ferrets.
> Susan
> Casey
> Keven
> Jacqui
Jacqui grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula with her family and their menagerie of pets. As a teenager, her adventures in animal care started with pet sitting for friends and family, which turned into over 20 years of care, including being there for the families through their pets aging, loss, and welcoming new pets.
Jacqui has been working for a local veterinary hospital since 2007 initially as an assistant & then a client care receptionist to present. She and her husband of over 16 yrs are proud foster pet failures. They love living in the PNW with their dog pack & senior cats. If Jacqui's not teaching her dogs new tricks or attempting to keep her garden alive (it's still a learning curve) you'll find her & her hubby hunting for little treasures on the beach or being couch potatoes with their fur kids”
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HALO'S EUTHANASIA
“Thank you so much for your kind care of our very painfully sick boy. Because of you his suffering was short and his dignity was preserved. We miss him greatly. Seeing how that his dignity was as important to you as it was for him and us, has made all the difference. The experience has made it easier for our Miss Heidi to move through the grief steps, ensuring her physical and mental health... Thank you very much Claudia & John. ”
-Alice and Eugene L. Plus Miss Heidi