Dr. Dani McVety—the veterinarian, and Tampa native, who co-founded Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in 2009—recounts the circumstances behind launching what has since become the nation’s largest network dedicated to end of life veterinary care, operating in 36 states. 
McVety provides an overview of how Lap of Love works, describing how and when one of their veterinarians (they work with nearly 200) would come to the house of someone whose pet had been deemed—usually by their regular vet, in consultation with the owner—to be at the end of his or her life. In addressing how the limitations of COVID affected the normal routines–and multiple virtues– of Lap of Love’s in-home care, McVety notes that the company was not only unhampered by 
those restrictions, but business soared: For much of the pandemic period, examinations and more serious procedures were done by the veterinarians or staff members meeting the patients and their humans outside the office or hospital, taking the animal inside, but—owing to Covid protocols—the owners were required to stay outside. Even when their animals were contending with terminal conditions, and might be reaching the crushing moment when euthanasia was called for—no one was willing to be separated from their animal, 
when there was the option, through Lap of Love, to carry out that sad deed at home, hugging that animal. McVety explains what may be the counterintuitive scenario of Lap of Love veterinarians generally not experiencing burn out, pointing out that many in their ranks were formerly vets working in conventional practices, where it was not uncommon for those docs to be overcome with burnout, before going to work at Lap of Love. Throughout the interview, she fields a number of listener emails, texts and calls, most recounting highly favorable, poignant experiences with Lap of Love, some asking questions, one relating a hair-raising saga about a Lap of Love competitor who came to the caller’s home to euthanize her cat and, apparently, was stylistically inappropriate every step of the way. (https://www.lapoflove.com, https://www.facebook.com/lapoflove, https://www.instagram.com/lapofloveveterinaryhospice/)
ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, about the recently announced sentence—15 months in prison, and 10 years of probation—for the felony fraud charges against Albert Adams, the former CEO of the nonprofit organization Soaring Paws. State Attorney Warren outlines the forms of fraud that Adams perpetrated on dog owners initially, how that led to Adams being on probation, until newly committed fraudulent acts resulted in the prison term and probation. Noting that he himself is a dog lover, and owner, Warren explained that anyone who does anything to harm dogs or dog owners—if it involves criminal wrongdoing—will be running afoul of him, and will likely be prosecuted. (https://www.sao13th.com, https://www.facebook.com/sao13th/)
COMEDY CORNER: Josh Gondelman’s “We Adopted A Pug” (http://www.joshgondelman.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
Listen Online Now:
