About Dr. Sara Render Hopkins, DVM, CVA, CHPV

I was raised in Toronto, Canada and moved with my family to the United States in 1991. I’m happy to call Washington State my home, where I’ve lived since 1996.

For years I knew that I wanted to work with animals. I completed my veterinary education at Washington State University in 2000, and more recently, veterinary acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS).

I practiced at an Eastside small animal clinic for 11 years. I loved my work there, particularly my patients and their families. In the later years, I developed an interest in pain management and a passion for giving pets the dignified and loving end-of-life journey they deserved. In 2013, I felt the need to combine my acupuncture training with my love for compassionate care of animals in a home-based setting, and founded Compassion 4 Paws.

I’m so glad I did. I find nothing more fulfilling than offering pets the care and dignity they deserve in an environment where they’re completely comfortable.

In the fall of 2017, I became one of the first veterinarians to achieve certification in Animal Hospice and Palliative Care through the IAAHPC (International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care). The 16 month course furthered my knowledge to better support pets and their families during their end-of-life journey.

I live in Edmonds with my husband Dennis, our young son, our cats Tallulah and Sushi, and our dogs Roy and Tilley. During my free time I enjoy traveling, camping, reading, crafts and spending time with friends.

Click here to view Dr. Sara’s Educational Background & Professional Affiliations.

About Dr. Allison Edwards, DVM

I was raised in the Seattle area and am proud to be a 3rd generation Seattleite. I am happy to be back home after many years of being away at school. I completed my veterinary education at Washington State University in 2012 and then spent a year undertaking a small animal rotating internship at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, CO (the clinic of Animal Planet’s ‘Emergency Vets’ television fame). Since graduation, I have been practicing emergency medicine. I believe this was the best preparation for my transition to hospice and end of life care, since the two often go hand in hand. I am so grateful to have made this move to Compassion 4 Paws  and truly feel as though I have found my calling. I find it so satisfying to be able to guide and assist people and their beloved pets during this difficult time.

I recently moved to Shoreline with my husband as we welcomed a new baby girl to our family.  We have two adorable pups, Henry and Bella, along with a rescue goldfish, Goldie, and axolotl, Toothless.  During my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, walking around Greenlake and sailing.  I am currently working on obtaining my certification in Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (CHPV) through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) and am excited to incorporate my training into our practice.

About Dr. Tracy Fuelleman, DVM, CVA

I was born in Colorado but grew up in Southern California. I left California in 1980 to begin college at Seattle’s Pacific Lutheran University and went on to complete my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota in 1989. I returned to Washington State after completing vet school and have since called this area my home.

Following my return to the Pacific Northwest, I have had the pleasure of practicing veterinary medicine in several hospitals in the greater Puget Sound area. In 2015 I obtained my certification in Veterinary Acupuncture through Colorado State University. In the last several years, my focus of practice has evolved and I am very pleased and honored to work with Compassion 4 Paws to assist people and their precious pets in times of need.

I live in Seattle with my husband Don. When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling, gardening, food and wine, and reading.

About Shawnee Neubauer, Practice Manager and Care Coordinator

I started my career with animals when I was 18 years old – that’s when I began work as a “kennel kid” for a small animal practice in Glendale, Arizona. Soon after, I was able to turn my passion for pets into a career. I worked for a short time at the Arizona Humane Society as an adoptions counselor, then started taking classes to become a veterinary assistant. Following that, I began an externship at the Emergency Animal Clinic and was hired on as a veterinary assistant for a group of local small animal clinics. I quickly climbed the ranks from assistant to technician and eventually to practice manager, a position I enjoyed for many years. During that time, I was able to devote some of my time to animal rescue, volunteering with Arizona Border Collie Rescue whenever I could.

After living a few wonderful years in the Pacific Northwest, my husband and I relocated to Colorado. I am so thankful that I was able to continue my work with Compassion 4 Paws and feel honored to help people and pets through these difficult times.  In early 2019, I was able to complete extensive coursework and training through The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement to receive my Certificate of Counselor Training.  I am honored to have received this training, and look forward to continuing to help families that are struggling with the loss of their beloved pets.

When I’m not at home playing in the dirt or attempting to perfect my skills in the fiber arts, I love to spend my time camping and exploring the great outdoors with my husband and our three border collies.  I also enjoy volunteering my time with The Colorado Master Gardener program and Mountain Pet Rescue here in Colorado whenever I can.

About Tasha Denison, Care Coordinator

I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with animals. At 18 my passion became a reality when I began working at a veterinary practice. Over the years, I had opportunity to travel to different veterinary hospitals to better my team building skills, client education and improve staff morale when needed.

I am incredibly thankful to have found my calling with Compassion 4 Paws. I strive to help families through their most difficult times and hope to make their transition as smooth as it can possibly be. It is a true blessing to work with such an amazing team who are equally as passionate about the relationship between people and their beloved pets.

In my spare time, I enjoy lounging in the sun, going out with friends and spending quality time with my pup, Gotti, and my son. You can find us working on our toys in the shop or supporting our Seahawks during football season!

About Eliza Berry

I have been dedicated to the care of pets and their human companions in Washington State for over 20 years. At the age of 17, I started working in emergency clinics and general practices as a veterinary assistant and lead client service coordinator. After earning my degree in Biology from UW in 2015, I transitioned to human health care where I worked for 2.5 years as a patient service representative providing between visit care. I am happy to once again be a part of the field I am passionate about, and continue my work with animals. I truly value the bond we have with our pets, and having experienced saying goodbye to my beloved 15-year-old dog Willie in my home, I am grateful to be a part of the Compassion 4 Paws team helping others through this same experience.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my kitties Xena and Wombat, jogging, traveling with my husband and being a devout Seattle Sounders soccer and Husky football fan!

About Dennis Hopkins, Logistics

I’m grateful to say I was able to create a thriving remodeling business from the ground up, one that focused on integrity, efficiency and environmental stewardship – all of which are very important to me.

When Sara began to consider leaving general veterinary practice to start Compassion 4 Paws, I realized the potential for helping people and their beloved pets in this type of in-home care.  At that time I decided to retire my remodeling business and began focusing more on Compassion 4 Paws.  As I watched the practice grow, I began to recognize some of the business insufficiencies that were time consuming and cumbersome for the doctors as well as the care coordinators.  I applied my project management skills and rallied a team of consultants and software developers to create a software application for mobile hospice veterinarians to make the business side of their practice more efficient . And that was the start of REX Veterinary Software. I also assist with the day-to-day operations at Compassion 4 Paws making sure the team is equipped to help the people and the pets they love.