Meet Kaitlin D. | Watercolor/Acrylic Artist, Home Hospice/Euthanasia Veterinarian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaitlin D. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaitlin, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I tend to not think of myself as much of a risk-taker, but I actually can highlight a few big ones that shaped (and then re-shaped) my trajectory in life. I was anorexic, bulemic and depressed at the end of high school but supposedly stable when I decided to move alone across the country. Digging up my small-town-Kansas roots to go to school at the University of Pennsylvania was a huge change, and it turned out that I was NOT stable enough to do that without medication. So, I came home to lick my wounds and ended up dropping out of Ivy League. While home, I took a random job as a kennel cleaner at my local veterinary clinic and discovered a brand new drive in life. Getting my undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, I upended life again to attend veterinary school in Fort Collins. Moving back to the Kansas City area to be nearer to family, I went through multiple jobs as I tried to find where I fit. At that point, I fit nowhere. On my 30th birthday, I moved back out to Colorado, deciding that if I was going to be sad I could at least be sad near mountains. A few employment opportunities later, I promised myself I would try being a home euthanasia veterinarian and then just try a different career entirely if it still didn’t work out.

It worked out.

It finally worked. And now I have a healthy enough work-life balance to commit time to my artistic career as well, and become the best, happiest version of myself that I can. I’m so, so glad to finally be here and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I started painting I was actually a shelter veterinarian, early in my career. There is nothing more rewarding to me than eliminating suffering, and there is nothing more painful than when I cannot. It is a brutal, exhausting world that chews up and spits out veterinarians, and I am in awe of any of my colleagues who can do it with a centered calm. One of the ways I tried to keep a strong sense of who I was outside of work hours was to paint. It wasn’t enough to keep me in that area of the veterinary field, but after more trial and error I am currently at peace as a home euthanasia and hospice veterinarian for the company Lap of Love.

I never, ever expected to end up here, but I’ve also never felt more content. Death was the enemy before, and one that I could never hope to beat. Now, death is simply an ending to a long journey, and I do everything in my power to make it a graceful, fulfilling one. I eliminate suffering with every appointment, and I help families through what is the hardest decision of many peoples’ lives.

However, despite the newfound tranquility in me there is still pain and grief as well. That never goes away, and it shouldn’t. Loving that hard should hurt, and each sweet one I help pass leaves a mark. But I make it a practice every day to let the grief and pain flow through me and into my art. My art celebrates living, and I hope to move towards celebrating death now that I am more confident in my skills and mental balance. It’s the beautiful, heart-breaking mix of the two that means the most to me.

My sweet dog Benny is nearing the end of his life, and when he passes I will likely incorporate some of his ashes into a portrait of him. It will be an act of pure love and healing. That’s what my art does for me, and what I’d like to do for others as I continue to grow in my craft.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A week would never, ever be enough! But if I could, I would take them to as many of the quirky, one-of-a-kind places as possible. Meow Wolf would be an absolute “must,” and it would be the focus of a day all by itself. Talk about an art fever-dream that I never get tired of. But there are so many places I haven’t been to yet–I moved here right before the pandemic hit and am a bit of an introvert naturally, so I’d probably put quite a few things on the list that would be new to me as well! I have just got to get to the botanic gardens one of these days…

However, as a traveling veterinarian I have a long list of parks I stop at when I’m in the area that each have a special place in my heart. Right in the middle of downtown Denver, full of art and trails and bridges over the river, there’s Commons Park. Beautiful all year-round. You want plenty of ups and downs, shady trees, playgrounds, river crossings and a mini train? Belleview Park in Englewood. How about a historic town you can wander through next to a gorgeous lake and extensive trails full of wildlife? Belmar Park in Lakewood. Ooh ooh, and there’s Prospect Park in Wheat Ridge, trails and ponds and a lake and ducks for days…okay, I’ll stop, but I could go on for hours. The park system around here just can’t be beat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was born into what I think of as a highly useful family. Odds were good that if you wanted to do anything involving construction, gardening, livestock, or hand crafts, someone knew how. And if we didn’t know how, we were highly adept at finding out from somewhere else. As a kid, my grandmother (Janice) always encouraged my creativity when we came to visit. She would make plaster-of-paris molds for us to paint, and I was always welcome to rifle through her bits and bobs to put together some crafty little thing I’d taken a shine to. Also, if there was any (and I mean ANY) new artsy hobby I wanted to try, my mother (Janean) would get me the supplies. If I was interested she was interested too and she’d give me every opportunity to explore new fascinations, oftentimes learning alongside me. It’s such a joy now to give them pieces I made specially for them, to reflect the depth of their impact on me.

Also, no inspirational list of mine would be complete without Bob Ross and the Art Sherpa. If anyone is interested in dabbling in painting, try out videos from both amazing artists. Their tutorials reflect their joy in bringing new artists into a wonderful world, and you’ll never feel like you’re not good enough to try something that intimidates you.

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Image Credits
M. Janean Elmore