Why Do Pets Matter? Hosted by Debra Hamilton, Esq‪.‬ Debra Hamilton, Esq.

My good friend Kate Rosenthal, Marketing and Events Manager for PAWS for People joins us today to talk about their Annual WAG and Walkathon. 
Why do pets matter to Kate?
Pets provide unconditional love and bring us joy! In addition to the emotional benefits, interacting with a pet has proven health benefits. 
PAWS for People enables individuals with their own, gentle, affectionate dogs, cats & bunnies to share those amazing benefits by training them to provide pet therapy to those in need.
The 15th Annual WAG & Walkathon is PAWS for People’s signature event. Get ready to "Make Every Step Count" during this year’s month-long, cumulative marathon in partnership with the Kennel Club of Philadelphia's National Dog Show. 
Join this fabulous group for 30 days of mile-tracking & fun challenges, concluding with the in-person PAWS Furry Fall Festival on Saturday, October 21st at Glasgow Park in Newark, Delaware.
To register for or donate to the WAG & Walkathon: https://www.pawsforpeople.org/walkathon/
For volunteers: https://www.pawsforpeople.org/get-involved/
For site/visit requests: https://www.pawsforpeople.org/request-paws/
 
More About PAWS for People:
PAWS for People™ (Pet-Assisted Visitation Volunteer Services, or PAWS) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing therapeutic visits to any person in the community who would benefit from interaction with a well-trained, loving pet. 
What makes PAWS for People stand above other pet therapy services is the emphasis we place on providing individualized therapeutic experiences for every person we visit. 
Their strict standards in training and testing dogs, cats, and bunnies ensure every therapy team is capable of meeting the various needs of our diverse clientele.
PAWS is most active throughout Delaware, but also serves areas in southern Pennsylvania, northeast Maryland, and southern New Jersey. PAWS visits people of all ages, ethnicities and income levels.
PAWS for People is a 501(c)(3). Our Tax ID#  is 76-0780197.
More About Kate:
Kate Rosenthal joined PAWS for People in 2018 in the role of Volunteer & Site Manager for PAWS children's programs and in 2022 accepted the new role of Marketing and Events Manager. 
She brings over 20 years of nonprofit experience, serving as staff, volunteer, and trustee with several professional associations and schools. 
In her spare time, Kate enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her husband, two children, and their pups, Maizy and Luka. 
Connect with Kate and PAWS for People
Website -  www.pawsforpeople.orgWalkathon Event Website - https://secure.frontstream.com/2023walkathonFB: https://facebook.com/PAWSforPeopleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawsforpeople/ 

I am so excited to introduce everyone to Colonel Carla Bass. Carla is the force behind "Write With Influence." I met her earlier this year during an event hosted by the AKC Legislative Conference. The AKC Legislative Governmental Group brought her in to teach the legislative liaisons how to write more effectively to communicate better with local and national legislators.
You are probably asking yourself, "What does this have to do with pets?" 
What Carla teaches will help us communicate better with our breeders, handlers, veterinarians, and even the other people in our lives.
 Dean Koontz Quotes:
“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.”― , A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog
"The opportunity to love a dog and to treat it with kindness is an opportunity for a lost and selfish heart to be redeemed. They are powerless and innocent, and it is how we treat the humblest among us that surely determines the fate of our souls."
"Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer."
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Carla empowers others to achieve their goals through persuasive writing. 
She is an award-winning author, speaker, coach, and adjunct university instructor. 
Her course, "Catapult Your Career--Write to Influence!" is available on Teachable. com!To contact Carla:  Carla@WriteToInfluence.net
Resources mentioned during the call:
Carla Bass -- Write To Influence (Book)
https://www.amazon.com/Write-Influence-Appraisals-Scholarships-Internships/dp/0997593024/
From Carla's Blog:
https://writetoinfluence.net/articles-and-writing-tips/frame-a-winning-argument/
https://writetoinfluence.net/articles-and-writing-tips/want-to-win-an-argument-strategize-it/
The Third Side - Why We Fight and How We Can Stop -- Willian Ury 
https://www.amazon.com/Third-Side-Why-Fight-Stop/dp/0140296344/
Myers-Briggs Framework -- https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/myers-briggs-overview/

I can't wait for you to listen to this podcast with Suzanne Cannon co-founder of VetBilling.com. 
She has created an amazing service that can help every pet owner figure out a way to pay for their pet's veterinary care. 
VetBilling's flexible, client-friendly payment solutions allow veterinarian teams to deliver affordable relationship-centered care when a client may have otherwise been forced to make a different choice.
Quite frankly, it blows my mind that every veterinary clinic in the country isn't using the VetBilling.com service. So, if your veterinarian isn't offering this as a payment option, we're going to tell you how to get Suzanne's information to them during the show.
Why are pets important to Suzanne? In her own words -- Pets are the one way we experience unconditional love while we are alive on Earth. 
"I have loved animals probably since I took my first breath! Which was interesting to my parents who raised me in Los Angeles, with very few animals around our neighborhood and none in our household. But if animals were around anywhere, I'd find them and befriend them. 
From the time I was 3, I was obsessed with horses; I rode my first horse at 4; started taking lessons at age 6, and by then I'd gotten my first cat and dog. My connection to animals is not something I can logically explain, but they matter deeply to me as sentient beings who enrich our lives enormously, model unconditional love and acceptance, and call us to be better versions of our human selves. 
I cannot imagine my life without companion animals in it. 
I'm also an introvert, and it's often easier for me to feel more comfortable with animals than people. I feel a deep spiritual connection with animals, and I hold them in reverence as sacred beings."
 
More about Suzanne Cannon:
Suzanne co-founded VetBilling® in 2014, after a $ 4,000 emergency vet bill awakened her to the realization that too many pet owners lack accessible options for financing the cost of veterinary care. VetBilling’s mission is to keep pets and their families together, by reducing economic euthanasia and surrenders driven by lack of access to the credit and cash reserves necessary for managing unexpected veterinary expenses.
Suzanne has presented on the topic of financial access to care for Maddie’s Fund, the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition, Cornell University’s Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship, VetPartners, and the Veterinary Science Technology Program at SUNY-Delhi. She has also created two RACE-approved CE courses on managing client financial constraints in the veterinary clinical setting. 
Suzanne holds an M.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University of Maryland and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University. With a prior professional background in pastoral counseling, Suzanne is passionate about helping veterinarians and pet owners identify financial solutions in a collaborative atmosphere of emotional safety.
Suzanne lives on 4 acres in the rolling countryside of Carroll County, Maryland along with her partner in life and in business, Tony Ferraro. Together they share 3 dogs - an Otterhound, Scout; a miniature schnauzer, Finch; and Sophie, a Maltese that was inherited from a relative who recently passed away. Suzanne also owns Chase, a Clydesdale/Thoroughbred cross, who is retired from foxhunting and dressage and now enjoys hacking out on wooded trails as often as possible. 
Resources Mentioned During The Show:
Link to credit article Suzanne mentioned during our conversation:
https://vetbilling.com/excellent-credit-score-declined-for-credit-yes-it-happens-to-your-veterinary-clients/
 
VetBilling Info and Website:https://www.vetbilling.com
The business Suzanne co-founded with her partner 10 years ago, VetBilling, is one solution for mitigating the cost barrier to care. 
VetBilling’s mission is to keep pets and their families together, by reducing economic euthanasia and surrenders driven by lack of access

Today Dr. Michael Blackwell, DVM from the University of Tennessee joins us for an exceptionally thought-provoking conversation about moving veterinary care into the 21st century, setting appropriate expectations, having a positive perspective and approaching this new era of veterinary medicine with mindfulness and compassion.
He believes that pets help us to be better humans by their demonstration of love and compassion. 
More About Dr. Blackwell:
Dr. Michael Blackwell has led a life of public service spanning private practice, government, and academia. This diverse professional journey has enabled him to deeply appreciate the importance of the human-animal bond. 
Dr. Blackwell currently serves as the Director of the Program for Pet Health Equity in the Center for Behavioral Health Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and as Director at AlignCare Health Inc.
His mission is to improve access to veterinary care, especially for families with limited means.
 
Connect with Dr. Blackwell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-blackwell-06a6066/
 
Program for Pet Health Equity: https://pphe.utk.edu/
 
AlignCare:https://www.aligncarehealth.org/main
 

Today Rachel Lemcke joins us for a conversation about the important service she provides veterinary teams that saves them time and money by strategically planning and utilizing their lab equipment and services. 
Rachel is focused on boosting efficiency and profitability in the lab without sacrificing the quality of medicine.
To put it very simply, she helps your vet get the information they need for testing products at the best price so they can do more for their team and clients without increasing prices. So, please be sure to share this podcast with them! 
 
More about Rachel Lemcke:
Rachel is the founder of Amwell Data Services, a full-service independent veterinary laboratory consulting agency. She formed Amwell Data Services to help give veterinarians and their teams more margin, with the larger goal of helping make careers in veterinary medicine more sustainable. 
Throughout her time as a veterinary Lab Manager, she realized many veterinary practices aren't leveraging their laboratory services as well as they could for overall practice stability and growth. 
From pricing analysis to equipment and test selection to improving workflow efficiencies, Rachel is dedicated to morphing the veterinary laboratory into a thriving, evolving asset for vets and their teams.
 
For veterinarians looking to learn more, a free discovery call with Rachel is available at https://amwelldataservices.com
 
Connect with Rachel and Amwell Data Services:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/amwellds/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/amwellds
 
LinkedIn: Rachel Lemcke & Amwell Data Services LLC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/independent-veterinary-laboratory-consultant/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amwell-data-services-llc/
 

Today we are talking to Jamie McLaughlin and Dylan Clark about a very special Marine -- Sergeant Reckless - a Korean War Hero. 
Who was Sgt. Reckless?
How did she end up in the US Marine Corps?
What were Sgt. Reckless’s accomplishments?
How were her accomplishments recognized?
How is Sgt. Reckless different from other animals who have served in the military?
What veterans’ benefits has Sgt. Reckless earned through her service?
Why should Sgt. Reckless be buried in a national cemetery?
What cemeteries would be the best options for her?
Supporting Project Reckless is a grassroots campaign and we are asking those who support it to sign Dylan Clark’s Change.org petition. Please be sure to share the petition on social media so we can ensure her contributions to our country are never forgotten. Sergeant Reckless wasn’t a horse, she was a MARINE!
 
Resources for our listeners:
Change.org petition. Please sign and share on social media:
https://www.change.org/p/give-decorated-u-s-war-horse-the-burial-she-deserves/
 
Online articles about Project Reckless:
https://www.audacy.com/connectingvets/news/honoring-the-fallen/petition-seeks-national-cemetery-burial-for-marine-war-horse
https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/burial-for-war-horse-sought-at-arlington-national-cemetery/article_b49064b0-da0e-11ed-9d33-3b17ee8587e8.html
 
Three Pearls Charities Inc. Project Reckless page:https://threepearls.org/projects/project-reckless/
 
About Jamie McLaughlin:
Jamie believes pets matter to themselves. They have unique individual lives. Pets and other animals have wants and needs, likes and dislikes, friends and enemies. The more I learn, the more my view of animals evolves.
She is an animal welfare and environmental attorney.  She holds a J.D. with a Certificate in Public Interest Law from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, and an LL.M. in animal law from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.  
Jamie received her B.A. in anthropology and English from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.  
She has a background in finance and holds a Certified Financial Planner designation. Jamie is a former financial planning franchise owner and served as a personal financial advisor to Silicon Valley professionals for over 17 years where she provided portfolio oversight, wealth management, insurance analysis and financial goal planning.  
In 2018, Jamie transitioned from her financial planning practice to pursue animal and environmental law.   Jamie’s animal law concentrations are animal status, and the impacts of industrial animal agriculture models on the environment, humans and nonhuman animals.  
She serves as Vice President of the Animal Law Commission Working Group for the Union Internationale des Avocats (International Association of Lawyers) and is pursuing an LL.M in environmental law at Lewis & Clark. 
Contact Jamie at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-mclaughlin-531313a4/ orjmclaughlintpc@gmail.com 
 
About Dylan Clark:
Dylan believes pets matter because humanity has been dependent upon other species for our development and flourishing throughout time. Our K-9 friends have been our guardians and hunting companions for tens of thousands of years; cats and oxen made early agriculture easier and more productive; horses revolutionized transportation; and pigeons revolutionized communication. Animals matter because without our animal friends, civilization as we know it would not exist.
He is the acting Vice President of Operations for Logistical Legal Marketing, LLC. He provides marketing and logistical business advice for multiple law firms across several jurisdictions in the western United States. 
Dylan was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and published a case study titled The Industrial and Environmental Pressures Affecting the Fante-Speaking Artisanal Fishers of Anomabo, Ghana.  
He served as a USMC tank commander in the 4th Marine Armor Division in Spokane, Washington. 
Dylan received his