MARQUETTE — The first in-home animal hospice and palliative care service is now available in the Upper Peninsula.

Compassionate Pet Care of the U.P. offers various services to make one’s pet more comfortable as they battle an illness or injury or are approaching the end of life.

Licensed veterinarian technician Jessica Hurd — who said she is the first vet professional certified in animal hospice and palliative care in the U.P. — has always had a soft spot for senior pets, she said.

“I just see these old faces and they’re so sweet and you can tell they have a long story to them,” Hurd said. “I just want to make them comfortable and make sure their people are comfortable treating them, and let them know that it’s not as difficult or daunting as it may seem to treat them.”

Compassionate Pet Care is a mobile service. Those interested in services can contact Hurd to make a consultation to discuss medical history and the needs of the pet.

Hurd may assist pets with physical therapy, taking samples and environmental assessments to see what may be affecting a pet’s mobility or well-being.

“There’s a limit to what I can do because of my license, so I cannot prescribe, diagnose, do surgery or euthanize without a vet present, so that’s where my limitations are,” Hurd said.

But there is a lot of in-home care that can be done to improve the life of one’s pet, she said.

Hurd currently has a furry client battling cancer who does chemotherapy from home. Because the pet does not travel well back and forth to the vet, Hurd visits the home to take blood samples and brings those to the clinic to determine the animal’s response to medication.

Going to a vet clinic can be a scary and stressful situation for any pet. Hurd’s goal is to remove those stressors from the process to make treatment easier for pets and their owners.

“Of course there are things that absolutely have to be done in the clinic, but if there’s stuff that can be maintained at home, it just decreases that stress and makes them more comfortable,” Hurd said.

Hurd actively works at a vet clinic herself and aims to collaborate with veterinarians to educate and giving support to pet owners while providing pets with the comfort and care they need to continue life’s journey.

“It’s an opportunity to have everybody work as a team,” Hurd said. “I always stress that I’m not taking business from the veterinary clinics, and I’m actually strengthening the bond between clients and their clinic because I can provide this service in-home because pets behave differently at home than they do in the veterinary setting. They’re more comfortable; it’s not so scary; it’s in their safest environment; it’s where they feel safest.”

By providing hospice and palliative services, Compassionate Pet Care of the U.P. is giving pet owners more time to plan for what may lie ahead while keeping pets close and comfortable.

“We just want to make people more comfortable and not make the end of life so daunting or scary to take care of,” Hurd said.

For more information, call Hurd at 231-715-6914, email compassionatepetcare.oftheup@gmail.com, or visit compassionatepetcareup.com.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held by the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the new business this morning at Miner’s Park in Negaunee. A Business After Hours event will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. today at Paw-rific Pet Grooming in Negaunee. The event is open to the public.

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206.