Dr. Marcie Fallek–a veteran veterinarian and author of the memoir, “Little Miracles Everywhere: My Unorthodox Path to Holistic Veterinary Medicine”—recalls what prompted her to attend veterinary school in Italy.
Fallek enumerates the significant challenges of being a vet student there, most notably
that she didn’t speak any Italian when she started—meaning that studying her notes involved translating every word. Addressing yet another formidable challenge of attending vet school there, she describes how the exams, covering an entire course–across the entire term—amounted to just three oral questions asked by the professor. One motif that materializes in “Little Miracles Everywhere” is Fallek’s ongoing quest—for knowledge of one kind or another, for answers about spiritual matters, for an examination of whether, for her, there’s a God. Not coincidentally, she relates in the book, and in this conversation, that she embarked on a pivotal trip to India (the first of many), 
describing the people and conditions she encountered and how traveling there influenced her, and that quest. Fallek speaks to another central storyline that threads through the book: Her disheartening discovery–once she became a full-fledged veterinarian, and started working in various offices and clinics—that a number of vets she observed up close appeared to be driven
more by dollars than a genuine desire to heal animals. Moreover, beyond the financial priority, but not unrelated to it, Fallek became concerned that many traditional vets might be providing care that was counterproductive to healing—for example, dispensing certain antibiotics and other meds. Thus began, or furthered initially, her evolution from conventionally-trained vet to one embracing holistic veterinary medicine. Fittingly, this part of our chat dealt with her opposition to many vaccinations, and her growing support for—and training in—accupuncture. Licensed to practice in New York, Connecticut, and Florida, Dr. Fallek offers consultations by telephone and videoconference, and said she plans to launch a concierge practice. (https://www.holisticvet.us/)
ALSO: I spoke with Claudia Otis, a co-founder of The Little Lion Foundation, a Long Beach, California organization that has offered an array of assistance to cats and their humans who’ve been affected by the L.A. Wildfires. Otis first outlined The Little Lion Foundation’s fundamental mission under conventional circumstances—that is, when not providing various forms of disaster relief to victims of the fires—before explaining what assistance the organization has offered, or is prepared to offer, including temporary housing, food, litter, medical care, and more. They also have volunteers willing to foster cats displaced by the fires or otherwise needing foster care—and Otis indicated they anticipate needing additional volunteers who could help with fostering. To otherwise help The Little Lion Foundation provide its help, Otis noted, they would welcome donations of money, cat food, litter, and other supplies, and the best way to do so is by visiting their website: https://www.littlelionfoundation.org/
COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Doctors And Veterinarians” (https://brianregan.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
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