Dr. Dani McVety, One of the Founders of Lap of Love, is an Inspiration

When I was in Orlando at the Global Pet Expo a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Dani McVety speak at a breakfast in her honor and I was blown away by what she had to say.

About Dr. McVety

Dr. McVety is Co-Founder and CEO of Lap of Love, she is a speaker, author, consultant and co-host of PetCareTV. She was so authentic and inspiring as she talked about her struggles through veterinary school, the passion she found working in the emergency room up to how she and her partner Dr. Mary Gardner have grown their business, Lap of Love.

Inspired when, shortly after graduating veterinary school, Dr. McVety was asked by a client if they could keep their dog in their lap while it was being put to sleep and she couldn’t be brought to deny the request, Dr. McVety knew something had to change.  Despite what she was taught in veterinary school Dr. McVety completely understood her client’s request to not have her beloved dog on a “cold sterile table” for its final moments and so the idea for Lap of Love was born.

What is Lap of Love?

Lap of Love is an in-home veterinary hospice and end of life service that makes a very difficult time for many people a little easier.

The reach of Lap of Love is nationwide in the United States, offering services in many of the country’s 52 states. One of the unique and most useful things that I found looking at the Lap of Love site is their Quality of Life tools. The tools were designed by the organization’s founders to try and help people be able to determine their pet’s quality of life. The site describes how there are often so many factors that go into answering the question of “How do I know if its time to let go” and the goal of these resources is to make that question a little easier to answer.

 

“Our philosophy centers around the human-animal bond and the need for that bond to be as undisturbed as possible during this most difficult time.” Said Dr. Dani McVety in an early press release from Lap of Love.

That same press release outlined how Veterinary Hospice is rapidly gaining momentum as veterinarians learn to listen to the needs and desires of their clients.  Just as the demand for additional diagnostics increases, so does the number of clients that simply want to keep their terminally ill pet comfortable until it’s “their time.”  Too often owners are told there is nothing more that can be done.

“Our goal is to help pet owners understand there actually are alternative ways to manage this difficult time for both the owner and their pet,” explains Dr. McVety.

An Inspiration for us all

It takes a special kind of person to chose to dedicate their lives to helping animals cross over the rainbow bridge and Dr. McVety is no exception. In meeting her at the Professional Women’s Network breakfast I was blown away by her charisma, compassion and upbeat attitude.

It’s incredibly heartwarming to know that resources like this are available in the U.S. and I hope they become more widely available in all of North America soon.

Have you heard of Lap of Love? What do you think about in home hospice and end of life services for your pets?