Comforting Hands: In-Home Veterinary Hospice and Euthanasia

05/26/2026

Dr. Beckett will be unavailable for home visits between the dates of Sunday, May 23rd and Sunday May 31st, as he is taking some much-earned time off. He will be available again starting the week of June 1st.

01/16/2026

New Provider Spotlight! 💫

This week we welcomed Dr. Susan Outman to our team here at PVS!

Get to know:
Dr. Susan Outman was raised in Old Town, Maine. She attended the University of Maine, where she received her B.S in Animal Science. She spent many hours of her undergraduate schooling at the Witter Farm gaining experience with cows, horses and sheep.

She then moved to Prince Edward Island to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College, graduating in 2021. While in veterinary school, she spent two months in Scotland and Ireland in a large animal internship. She also participated in a published research project looking at anthelmintic resistance in the equine population of PEI.

After graduating, Susan moved back to her roots in Maine and practiced small animal medicine for 4.5 years in the midcoast. In January of 2026, she joined the PVS team. Her professional interests include preventative medicine, palliative care and client education.

In her spare time, Susan loves to watercolor paint, sail along the Maine coast, and travel internationally. She also enjoys reading a good book while snuggled up with her two dogs: Lola and Stella.

Dr. Outman is seeing clients here in clinic and accepting new clients at this time as well! 🐱🐶

Please help us give her a warm, PVS welcome! 🤗

05/25/2025

FYI Dr. Beckett will be out of town, and unavailable, from from Sunday, May 25th to Sunday, June 1st. He will be available for visits again starting Monday, June 2nd.

Take care, and always remember to spoil your furry family!

01/27/2025

My heart is full.

In the four-and-a-half months that Comforting Hands Veterinary has been in operation I've helped over a hundred families during one of the most difficult times of their lives. It has been a unique honor to be invited into their homes, and into their lives, as they say goodbye to a beloved family member for the last time. The amazing stories that have been shared with me about these little creatures with such enormous personalities has lifted my soul. Each one is so incredible that it just *has* to be true.

I am frequently told that it must be so difficult to do such a sad thing. And while there is sadness, there is also a peace and a kind of joy. The day I became a veterinarian I took an oath, an oath that has driven nearly every decision I've made as a doctor. Part of that oath is a promise to prevent and relieve suffering. This path I have chosen is the ultimate way to live up to that oath. I have always taken end of life very seriously, and now I strive to ease the passing of those in my charge as calmly, peacefully, and pain-free as possible - for my patients as well as for their families. Any day that I can remove fear and pain, and provide comfort and solace is a good day indeed.

I hope to continue in this endeavor for the foreseeable future. For those of you that wish to assist me, you can do so by sharing this post and this page. You can help by getting word of this service out to our friends in the community that may want to say their farewells to their beloved pet, their furry family, in the comfort and safety of their own home.

Take care,
Dr. Beckett

01/01/2025

Happy New Year, everyone!

11/29/2024

11/16/2024

The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow weak,
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done,
For this last battle cannot be won.
You will be sad, I understand;
Don't let your grief then stay your hand.
For this day more than all the rest,
Your love for me must stand the test.
We've had so many happy years -
What is to come can hold no fears.
You'd not want me to suffer so;
The time has come, so let me go.
Take me where my needs they'll tend
And please stay with me until the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time that you will see
The kindness that you did for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I've been saved.
Please do not grieve - it must be you
Who had this painful thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years -
Don't let your heart hold back its tears.

- Author unknown

11/11/2024

Thank you to all the veterans out there!
Happy Veterans Day!

11/05/2024

Update: Phone calls, texts, and emails all seem to be functioning normally again. Thank you for your patience while we swapped to a more reliable service provider!

207-424-2735
[email protected]

10/28/2024

Conversations surrounding End of Life Care for our pets are difficult and emotionally draining. Having them in a busy clinic environment can be overwhelming for many. Dr. Beckett is honored to be able to come to your home, the place you and your pet are most comfortable for palliative care, hospice and euthanasia appointments.

Losing a pet can be heartbreaking. But knowing when to offer your cat or dog end-of-life care can help lessen the suffering. Learn about pet hospice and more.

10/09/2024

No pet parent wants to think about saying goodbye to their fur baby. But when it comes time to make end-of-life decisions, in-home euthanasia lets you say goodbye while your beloved dog or cat sta…