Celebration Plans to Honor Deceased H Street NE Veterinarian

Friends and coworkers of a well-liked veterinarian on the H Street corridor who died in July are slated to hold a celebration in his honor this weekend.

Former clients and friends of Keith de la Cruz are invited to attend the gathering at Quincy Park in Arlington (1021 North Quincy St.) near the Virginia Square Metro station at 4 p.m. Sunday.

De la Cruz was an animal doctor for almost three years with AtlasVet at 1326 H St. NE before he died in July. Prior to joining AtlasVet, he worked for ten years at Caring Hands, a family of veterinarian clinics in Virginia. The celebration was organized by friends and former coworkers of de la Cruz’s at Caring Hands.

“We want it to be more of a tribute to his life than a memorial service,” said Michelle Vitulli, a Caring Hands veterinarian, who helped set up the event. “We want to celebrate Keith and all that he brought to each of us: his coworkers, his friends, his band members and the community.”

De la Cruz was very well-regarded by his clients at AtlasVet, many of whom have taken to the hospital’s Facebok page to share fond memories of him. De la Cruz was 42 when he died, according to a page posted by Dignity Memorial National Funeral Home in Falls Church, Va., where friends and family can share memories.

The cause of his death is not clear, and de la Cruz’s coworkers at AtlasVet and Caring Hands declined to say how he died.

In addition to de la Cruz’s former clients and friends, pets are welcome at the gathering in his honor. But a Facebook post by AtlasVet notes they must be “licensed, vaccinated and well-behaved” and remain on a leash.

Photo via Facebook/AtlasVetDC