You can trust us with your pet’s care.
Get to Know Dr. Stanclift
We’ll be there through the entire process of the final stages of your pet’s life—offering advice and care when you need it.
Dr. Nicole is a member of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care, where she has undertaken further study in geriatric pet care. She is also a member of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association and fully supports their mission to advance the welfare of all animals.
Dr. Nicole Stanclift
Dr. Nicole Stanclift was born in Redlands, California, and spent her school-aged years in Lake Arrowhead. Dr. Nicole enjoyed growing up close to nature and shared her family home with many pets over the years. She attended California State University San Bernardino, where she earned her Bachelors of Science in pre-medical biology and participated in the honors program. After college, she volunteered with wildlife in Costa Rica and worked as a veterinary assistant at her local veterinary hospital. Dr. Nicole attended veterinary school at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and spent all four years of her degree there. She rotated through large and small animal clinics and gravitated toward her courses in clinical communication and peer helping. Upon completing her degree, she and her husband moved back to Southern California to enjoy some sorely missed sunshine.
Dr. Nicole worked as a small animal general practitioner for many years while also working as a mobile palliative care and home euthanasia veterinarian in San Diego county. Dr. Nicole found that her work in mobile end-of-life care was very rewarding, and the families she helped were so grateful for the service that she began working full time in the field. In 2019 Dr. Nicole had to say goodbye to her own beloved pet (Murphy) and experienced firsthand how relieving it was to be in the comfort of home when saying goodbye. After having her second child, the pull to be closer to family became overwhelming, and Dr. Nicole and her family decided to move back to the area they had always considered “home.” Dr. Nicole knew she had to continue her calling to serve families in their homes and support them through the process of end-of-life care. Dr. Nicole is honored and humbled to now offer her services to families in the Inland Empire.
Don LaBella
Don was born, grew up, and attended college in upstate New York where he met his spouse. Together they lived in New York City, Boston, Cleveland and Princeton, New Jersey before moving to the west coast in 1998. After living in Seattle and Ashland, Oregon they moved to Palm Springs in 2021. Don and Glenn now spend time between their home in the Coachella Valley and cabin in Idyllwild.
In December of 2021 Don met Dr. Nicole when Cora, their 15 year old Schnauzer mix was at her end of life. He felt such a connection to Dr. Nicole when she performed Cora’s euthanizing that he came out of retirement to work with her. He is now the Office Manager for Serene Passages. He finds that the time he spends helping a pet owner make one of the most difficult decisions of their life is very rewarding. And since he was in the same situation recently he feels he can easily relate to what these owners are going through.
It goes without saying that Don has been an animal lover all his life. Before Cora, he and Glenn owned a Schipperke and several cats (all rescues) and have just recently adopted a 3 year old rescue. Benjamin (seen in the photo with Don) has boundless energy and keeps everyone in the family in good shape especially on walks in Idyllwild.
He would like to assure owners who are going through the grieving process after losing a beloved pet that in time they will heal and be ready to bring another animal into their lives as he has.