Dr. Courtney Bennett was started by Dr. Courtney Bennett after she relocated to Louisville in 2012 to join her KY native significant other, visual artist Mark Traughber. Prior to joining the Louisville community, she practiced in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA after graduating from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. She had the pleasure of working alongside many talented veterinarians at several wonderful small animal practices prior to her career shift. Those years provided a strong foundation for her geriatric and end of life-focused care here in Kentuckiana.
Dr. Bennett also shares her home and love with her incredible little boy, Leslie, and two crazy kitties, Milton and Kitten Smitten Motorhead Stinky Bottom, and her newest cattle dog rescue, Jacks.
Dr. Bennett's time in PA helped build her foundation not only through practicing skilled veterinary medicine but also through caring for her terminally ill mother, Dora, who suffered from Huntington's Disease. She was able to help care for her over the next 5 years, including the 1 and 1/2 years that she was in hospice care (over a year longer than the doctor's expected). Through her mother's difficult battle and her role as a caregiver, Dr. Bennett's continued interest in palliative care and supportive therapy grew.
Over the years, Dr. Bennett has said goodbye to many amazing animal companions, including Shroomie (the most amazing 20-year-old cat) and Piggy (an 18-year-old silly, happy Pug). Since then, she has continued to know great love and also great loss, helping each animal family member with their gentle transitions at home.
Dr. Bennett is a proud member of the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) and the International Veterinary Association of Pain Management (IVAPM). She has been involved locally with Hosparus, Hildegard House, and is a board member of the KY Chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America.
Dr. Bennett believes that having a special bond with an animal companion is a wonderful gift because it allows for a friendship that is like no other. As a geriatric and hospice care veterinarian, it is important to her that she helps people during the difficult times when their animal friends truly need them the most. She believes that we should live life to its fullest and then help make the end of life as comfortable and peaceful as possible. Although it can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, the process of aging and dying does not have to be a painful or frightening experience for our animal companions or us. We can honor and celebrate their life journeys as they transition from this world by providing comfort, support, and love [citation].