40 Years In Veterinary Medicine

I am humbled and grateful for this incredible journey I’ve been blessed to share with clients, patients, colleagues and like minded people worldwide who share a passion for people, pets and the planet. 

Where it began…

I incarnated KNOWING I wanted to be a veterinarian. I only played with stuffed animals, never dolls. I rescued injured animals, taking them to a local veterinarian who gave me nursing instructions and the medicine (always for free).  In elementary school kids brought me their sick pocket pets and with the aid of this wonderful veterinarian, I helped these pets recover. Before leaving for college I worked for a small animal veterinarian, an equine veterinarian and I became the youngest and only female EMT 1, all before I was 18 years old. 

During my first 2 years of college I worked on an ambulance as an EMT 1 and went on to become the first and youngest female paramedic in the state of Fla. The passion for emergency medicine has stayed with me my entire veterinary career, only I directed it to animal emergencies. 

After graduating veterinary school, I worked in a 5 doctor practice, doing fulltime day medicine and emergency shifts nights and weekends. I then took a position running an emergency clinic and did “relief work” at various practices during the day.

2 years after graduating veterinary school I felt ready to open my own practice. I wanted to come into a small community that I could grow with and be a valuable member of. Opening a business in my late 20’s was expensive and risky. My mom (not a risk taker) tried to talk me out of it. But it was my dad who gave me the “courage to try”. He said “you can never fail if you have given it your best. The only failure comes when you never try, you never take the calculated risk. Failure is simply an opportunity to grow and find a better way to succeed.” 

As I reflect back, I see the Divine influence guiding me. The experiences, the opportunities, the road blocks, the people and the pets and how I chose to perceive it all and respond, all lead to who I am today. I NEVER could have imagined being a speaker, a leader in industry transformation or participating in developing cutting edge solutions for the veterinary world. 

These first 40 years have exceeded my expectations. They have been filled with challenges and successes, laughter and tears, growth and improvement. In every moment I can see the Divine wisdom gently (sometimes with a big kick in the rear) guiding me and supporting me.

As I enter my next 40 years, there is no slowing down. I feel more energized, more passionate, and more committed to making a difference for people, pets and the planet than ever before. 

I want to give gratitude to:

• Every fur, feathered and scaled patient that I was honored to serve. 

• To all the pet guardians, even the “one star” reviews, because the contrast helped me to be more laser focused on those I was meant to help. 

• To all my mentors who shared their knowledge and gifts 

• To the support staff that make what I do possible on a day to day bases

• To my daughter Alyssa, whose love, support, skill and encouragement allows me to be the biggest and best expression of myself.

In celebration of my 40 years in veterinary practice, I want to share my top 40 lessons I’ve learned about health, resilience, business, and the power of continually evolving…

Lessons I’ve Learned… So Far:

1.Your patients are teachers. Every animal has something to teach you if you’re willing to listen.

2.Holistic care is the future. Western medicine alone can’t solve every problem. Integrating alternative therapies is key.

3.Veterinary practice is about more than medicine. It’s “family”. Building relationships with pet parents and guiding them through their pets’ health journeys.

4.Every case is unique. Never assume two animals are the same, even if their symptoms look similar.