Caring for Pets of the Sick and Elderly
Description: There are many ways veterinary professionals can get involved in their local communities. In this webinar, you’ll learn about community programs you can connect with to help local hospice and palliative care patients keep and care for their pets. Dianne McGill, founder of Pet Peace of Mind, and Drs. Bob Lester and Mia Cary discuss how you can support elderly and ill pet owners in your community. You’ll learn about the organizations involved in this work, and how to become involved with local hospice and elder care programs.
Participants can expect to learn about:
- The importance of pets in the lives of patients
- The gap in services available to help hospice and palliative care patients keep their pets
- Practical ways to support elderly or ill pet owners in your community
Dianne McGill is the founder of Pet Peace of Mind, an organization that works to ensure hospice and palliative care patients have the support they need to care for their animal companions. She is the former chief executive officer and executive director of the Banfield Charitable Trust, where she guided the charity’s expansion and launched programs including Pet Peace of Mind and Meals on Wheels Pet Care Assistance. During her tenure, the charity was thrice awarded Charity Navigator’s four-star rating for operational transparency and financial stewardship. In 2013 and 2014, Charity Navigator also named the charity to its national top 10 list of impact-to-income public charities.
Prior to Banfield Charitable Trust, McGill was the resource development director at a higher education non-profit. She has served as an officer and director of various nonprofit boards, and currently devotes a portion of her time to nonprofit management consulting. Her other leadership roles include senior level positions with the Associated Press, McClatchy Company, and Gannett Newspapers. She holds certificates in community mediation and organizational training.
Dr. Bob Lester is chief medical officer at WellHaven Pet Health, a family of companion animal hospitals and practices. He also serves as a site team member for the AVMA Council on Education, and on the Job Analysis Task Force for the International Council for Veterinary Assessment. He was a contributor to the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges’ Student Debt Initiative Report, and frequently consults about business and academic opportunities within the veterinary profession. Dr. Lester authors a column “Creative Disruption” for Today’s Veterinary Business. He serves as a board member and treasurer of Pet Peace of Mind and also serves on the boards of the North American Veterinary Community and PetsPAC.
Dr. Lester earned his DVM from Oregon State and Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He spent his early career as a mixed animal practice owner before joining the founding leadership team at Banfield Pet Hospitals. He spent 20 years at Banfield, where he held various positions in medicine, operations, franchising, human resources, and ultimately served as vice president of professional relations. After Banfield Dr. Lester helped found the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU CVM), where he served as assistant dean and helped pioneer a fourth-year community-based clinical education program and a professional skills curriculum, including instruction in communication, leadership, teamwork and practice management.
Dr. Mia Cary earned her DVM from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. She spent her early career in private practice as an associate veterinarian in Gainesville, Florida. She then joined Novartis Animal Health where she held various positions. In 2004, she joined Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) as a professional service veterinarian and helped launch the newly formed pet division. Over the next nine years Dr. Cary held leadership roles in sales, professional services, and marketing. In 2014 she joined the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) as vice president of corporate relations and in 2016 she was named NAVC’s first-ever chief innovation officer, which subsequently transitioned to chief collaboration officer. In 2017 Dr. Cary joined the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as the organization’s first chief of professional development and strategic alliances. She has served as president of the American Association of Industry Veterinarians (AAIV) and currently serves on the board of directors of Pet Peace of Mind (PPOM).
