Dr. Shea Cox, Founder BluePearl Pet Hospice
- Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner
- Certified Hospice & Palliative Care Veterinarian
- Certified Pet Loss Professional
Dr. Shea Cox is a recognized leader and subject matter expert in veterinary hospice and palliative care. With a focus on technology, innovation and education, her efforts are changing the end-of-life landscape in veterinary medicine, and as a Telehealth advocate, she is working to change the laws around how veterinarians can use Telemedicine to care for patients at end of life.
In addition to launching the first hospice and palliative care service integrated within a specialty hospital setting in 2012, she was the first to launch a nationwide Telehealth platform dedicated to quality of life and end of life support in 2017.
In 2020, PetHospice was acquired by BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospitals, a Mars Veterinary Health company. Dr. Cox and her team are leading the expansion of specialty-level, in-home pain management, hospice and palliative care, and end-of-life services nationwide.
Other professional endeavors include:
- Worked first as a Nurses' Aide, then as a Registered Nurse, in areas of home health and hospice care for nearly a decade
- International lecturer
- Led the development of a 100-hour RACE-approved education program to certify veterinarians and technicians in hospice and palliative care
- Authored 13 textbook chapters relating to hospice care and pain management
- Served as a hospice and palliative medicine consultant to over 65,000 veterinarians worldwide ("VIN", Veterinary Information Network)
- Developed the American Animal Hospital Association End of Life Guidelines
- Developed the AAHA/AVMA Telehealth Guidelines for Small Animal Practice
- Developed the American Association of Feline Practitioners Hospice and Palliative Care Toolkit (December 2022)
- Past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care
About BluePearl Pet Hospice
Hospice is Choosing A Fuller Life
Founder Dr. Shea Cox launched PetHospice in 2012 following a career path first as a human nurse, working in areas of hospice and palliative care, and then as an emergency and critical care veterinarian, working in referral specialty hospitals for 13 years.
PetHospice was launched to solve the disconnect between the time and support needed as end of life nears, and the lack of time the primary care veterinarian is able to provide during a typical 20-minute appointment.
Our goal is to redefine the relationship that exists between the veterinarian, the pet parent, and the pet and our model has broadened the scope of end-of-life care by bringing the pet parent into the equation to provide more complete care. Why? Because at end of life, the pet is not the only "patient" that needs support, the family does as well.
And that is the heart of what we do – we walk with families every step of the way to ensure they get the same level of care that their pet does during one of the most critical and emotional times in their relationship with them.
Our support includes in-home hospice and end of life care, nationwide telehealth services, professional grief counseling, and free online education and community support.
From day one, the mission of PetHospice has been a simple one: to make every pet’s end-of-life experience as meaningful as the life lived. Because we believe that making a better life for pets and their people, has to include making a better end of life for them as well.
