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TWO CRITICAL DECISIONSFOR GRADS
TRAVELS WITH TIGERSIN INDIA
WHY I HIRED APROFESSIONAL
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A HELPFUL RESOURCE FOR YOU AND YOUR PRACTICE
This year it is important to remember why an appraisalof your practice is right for you. Our detailed appraisal ofyour practice determines an accurate market value for the purpose of: financial planning, insurance, purchase andsale, divorce, incorporation, retirement planning and more!
The cost of an appraisal is 100% tax deductible and ourprocess only requires a few hours of your time in person.
14 Is The Year to Understand your Practice value and build your plan for the future
Jon Walton specializes in the sale and appraisal of veterinarypractices. Having grown up in the industry, he has agreat deal of knowledge about the veterinary practiceenvironment and how the business of a successfulpractice operates.
If you are thinking about buying, selling or having yourpractice appraised, contact Jon for a free consultationtoday:
20
To see more practices for sale please visit:roicorp.com/vet.
What do you think your practice should be worth?We can help you get there!
You are relied upon to make tough decisions every day. When it comes to decisions about your future, you do not need to make them alone. Let us help to ensure you make the right decisions, no matter what stage of your career you are in. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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2,016 sq. ft. companionanimal hospital 3,361 sq. ft. companionanimal hospital and feeder clinic 6,000 sq. ft. companion animal practice
Jon WaltonSales RepresentativeROI Corporation, Brokerage(519) [email protected] 4 th
ANNIVERSARY1974 - 2014
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James Ruddy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Karen Henderson MANAGING ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Natalia Decius PROJECT MANAGER FULLCONTACTMARKETING.CA
Graham Ruddy TIGER ILLUSTRATIONS
1 | EDITOR’S PAGES Tigers, Content Notes And More JAMES RUDDY
3. | COMMENTARY
The TV Network Just For Dogs JACK SOMMARS
4. | FEATURE INTERVIEW
Dr. Chris Hickman MANAGING ASSOCIATE EDITOR
8. | PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Why I Hired A Professional TIMOTHY A. BROWN
9. | FEATURE INTERVIEW
Caroline Applebee MANAGING ASSOCIATE EDITOR
12. | PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Two Critical Concerns For Newly Graduated Veterinarians JON J. WALTON
13. | BOOK REVIEW
What The Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren AS REVIEWED BY KAREN HENDERSON
15. | AUTHOR INTERVIEW/PROFILE
Jon J. Walton EDITOR
17. | ANIMALS IN DANGER
Travels With Tigers In India DEV MANGAT
20. | COMMENTARY
If Only They Could Talk DICK MOODY
21. | Subscription Information And More
PROFITABLE PRACTICES U M M E R 2 0 1 4
profitablepracticemagazine.com
EDITOR’S PAGES
by James Ruddy
Tigers, Content Notes And More
This issue features insights into many
concerns of animal caregivers and the
general public alike. Poaching or the
illegal hunting of and profiting from
protected species have become serious
global problems.
Dev Mangat in his article entitled, Travels With Tigers In India, educates our readers about what is being done to protect the tigers of India. After reading Dev’s account of the plight of tigers you might be reminded of an earlier image you had of tigers from a poem by William Blake you studied in high school (see below). Blake’s portrayal in The Tyger is one of a fearsome animal that is the Creator’s counterpart to the gentle lamb. The poem was first published in 1794 when tigers were often referred to as man-eaters. How different is that image from the one we have of tigers today that are endangered and whose habitat is rapidly disappearing. The former hunter is now being hunted illegally for body parts.
The Tyger By William Blake
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies. Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp!
When the stars threw down their spears And water’d heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Facts about tigers
1. There are five species of tigers (Siberian, Bengal, Indonesian, South China and Su-matran) and all are endangered. In the past 60 years three species have disappeared (Caspian, Javan and Bali).
2. Tigers are very good swimmers and water does not limit their actions.
3. Tigers vary greatly in size and colouring according to their species. They can reach up to nine and half feet long and weigh between 220 and 660 pounds.
4. Tigers can mate all year long but the peak months are between November and April.
5. There are about 3,200 tigers in the wild and more than half live in the forests of India.
6. Tigers are carnivores that hunt mostly large prey like deer, cattle, wild pigs and young elephants.
7. Male tigers play no role in the raising of their cubs.
8. Modern day tigers first appeared about 10.8 million years ago and shared a com-mon ancestor with snow leopards.
Source: About.com Animals/Wildlife
Bali tiger
The Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica), native to the small island of Bali in Indonesia, is one of the three tiger subspecies which are not found on the planet anymore; others being the Javan tiger and Caspian tiger. Like many species from this region, even the Bali tiger succumbed to habitat fragmentation
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caused due to large scale deforestation. Other than the loss of habitat, extensive hunting of this species, especially during World War II, had a serious impact on its population. By the end of World War II, the Bali tiger was virtually extinct. The last documented sighting of this species came in September 1937, when an adult female was killed in West Bali. It was officially declared extinct by the IUCN only in 2008.
Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/extinct-animals-in-the-last-100-years.html Bali Tiger
An elder view
“But as a boy growing up through the long years of the Great Depression and the following years of the Second World War, even though I spent all my summer holidays in a small farming village I never encountered a veterinarian there, or in Saskatoon, my home town, for if I had, I might have become one.”~ Dick Moody
Dick Moody is a regular contributor to this magazine because of his insight, wit and wisdom. As many of today’s seniors did, he grew up with animals all around him and a major influence in his life. He saw first hand where his food came from. He understood clearly that animals and humans share a common environment. He knew the value of having pets. Pictured below is a young Dick Moody (on right) with his brother Hector and their pet owl. See his column that follows on page twenty.
Content notes
Our two feature interviews shed light on two key issues: dog trainer methodology and certification and home palliative care for pets. Caroline Applebee is a certified professional dog trainer who reveals much about the world she lives and works in. Dr Chris Hickman outlines how she sets her pa-rameters for home palliative pet care in Canada. Timothy A Brown gives us a personal perspective on why people should hire professionals even when they are quite capable of doing the task themselves. Jon J. Walton explains two important decisions recent veterinary graduates must face at some point. Jon is the subject of our author profile/interview for this issue as well (see page 15). Karen Henderson reviews Cat Warren’s interesting book, entitled What The Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs. Finally Jack Sommars offers an interesting account on dogs watching TV.
The value of pets
Professionally trained helper animals—like Gizmo, a leader dog, that aids his vision impaired owner, Rick Mares (featured in this Summer 2014 issue)—offer obvious benefits to humans. Veterinarians may want to remind their clients that a domestic pet, such as a dog or cat provides many therapeutic and health benefits. In family settings pets can be a binding agent and a reason to delegate various responsibilities to family members to ensure the proper care and nutrition of their pet. Pets can reduce loneliness and stress, promote social interaction, be a stimulus for play and exercise and provide unconditional love and affection. Studies suggest that caring for a pet may even help people to live longer.
Things to remember
Readers are reminded to go to the inside back cover of this magazine for subscriber information. We encourage you to become a subscriber if you are not one already and we hope you will pass the publication onto colleagues! As always we welcome your comments and suggestions; if you would like to write for the magazine or have a story to tell that would interest our veterinarian professional reading audience, please contact: [email protected].
James Ruddy James Ruddy is the Editor of Profitable Practice Magazine and can be reached at [email protected].
by Jack Sommars
The TV Network Just For Dogs
Many dog owners leave their televisions on when
they’re away from home. They believe this prevents
their pets from getting lonely and engaging in
destructive behaviour while alone.
But does watching TV reduce what veterinarians call “separation anxiety”? And, if so, does it matter whether dogs watch football games, network news, or reruns of Lassie?
According to Ron Levi, the answers to both questions are a resounding “Yes!” Levi created DogTV, the world’s first television network exclusively designed for dogs. DogTV was recently launched throughout the U.S. via DIRECTV. It is available on Channel 354, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a subscription.
“Dogs are not people” Levi, who has been involved in human television for 20 years, says, “They demand different ways to keep occupied. They need to stimulate their bodies and minds, but can’t do it when home alone. They are really dependent on their owners, so you need to think of ways to keep them busy so they won’t be bored and bark and eat your furniture.”
Levi’s team of animal experts, trainers, and researchers focuses on three kinds of programming:
• Relaxation – to help dogs relax, reduce their stress, and keep them calm through soothing music, sounds, and visuals.
• Stimulation – to stimulate dogs using scenes with and without other animals, animation sequences, and moving objects.
• Exposure – special sounds and visuals to help dogs feel more comfortable in their environment.
Unlike regular television networks, Levi can’t conduct focus groups or surveys with his four-legged audience. Also, there is no advertising.
So how does he know his programming is working? “We install security cameras in apartments and monitor dogs’ reactions to our content and that of other networks,” he explains.
Creating the “perfect babysitter” owners also send in thousands of videos and images of their dogs watching DogTV. “They tell us their dogs are calmer and their stress and separation anxiety have been reduced, which is the main idea of this channel. Our goal is to create the perfect babysitter for dogs and provide them with enrichment when they’re home alone,” says Levi.
“There has been a shift in technology,” adds dog trainer and author Victoria Stilwell. “And now, because TV is digital, dogs can see what is on the screen. This is so exciting because now we can use TV to give our dogs the sensory stimulation and the company they need, especially when they’re home alone.”
To hold viewers’ attention, video segments are usually only a few minutes long and change frequently. “We’ve learned dogs don’t really enjoy hearing barking,” says Levi. “So we changed our content and took out the barking sounds.”
As Levi and his team continue to improve their content and awareness among dog owners in the U.S., they are looking to expand to markets overseas. DogTV is already available in Israel and South Korea, and they expect to add more countries—and their dogs—soon.
Visit their website at dogtv.com to learn more.
Jack Sommars is a Denver-based freelancer who often writes about animal issues.
Source: American Animal Hospital Association
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by Managing Associate Editor
Feature Interview With Dr. Chris Hickman Part I
Pet owners know they will lose their beloved
companions at some point… and always too soon.
In recent years I have lost my dog Oreo and cats
Chardonnay and Jennie Jones. I would have given
almost anything to have been able to have them
die here with me in my/their home. But I did not
know a veterinarian who did palliative care house
calls until a recent visit to the dog park where on
the bulletin board I saw an ad about Dr. Hickman
and her specialization in at-home palliative care. I
immediately decided to call her for an interview
and am so happy I did.
Dr. Chris I am so pleased to meet you! Let’s start with the basics: Where did you go to school?
Guelph… of course! I graduated in 1988.
Why did you want to become a veterinarian?
I have wanted to care for animals since I was seven years old; that goal never waivered. So now when I speak at
a school and I hear young children express a wish to be a veterinarian, I never say, well time will tell… because that was me!
What happened after you graduated?
I worked in several different clinics; I kept moving around from small to big clinics, emergency clinics, doing lots of surgery… trying to find out where I be-longed. I got married, had some children and decided to work part-time as a locum before deciding on in-home palliative care. I think I really started doing this because of my experience with emergency clinics - they do a wonderful job but they just don’t have the time to devote to dying animals.
When I got accredited last year by the CVO, they said that there is no category for palliative care so I had to be accredited as a mobile veterinarian and equipped to provide all the usual services even though I had no intention of doing anything else except in-home palliative care. A mobile veterinarian in Ontario has to have a base clinic so they can refer for X-rays, blood work, surgery etc. So I do have a base clinic but I don’t use it because I don’t perform any of those services. I can do my own blood work and for X-rays and other tests I usually recommend that clients go to their own veterinarian.
So are you an accredited palliative care specialist?
There are no accredited palliative care specialists; I am a mobile veterinarian who only does in-home palliative care.
What are your professional affiliations?
I belong of course to the OVMA and CVO; I also belong to a new association called The International Association of Animal Hospice Palliative Care or the IAAHPC, an organization that began in the U.S. I attended their conference last September, which was wonderful for networking and learning about palliative care. Not only did veterinarians attend, there were also PhDs in ethics, who are all trying to work together to reach a consensus about this new discipline. At the moment there is no palliative care specialization here or in the U.S. so the IAAHPC is working towards the development of a recognized international specialization for animal palliative care.
There is another association in the U.S.—The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement or the APLB started by a physician after he lost his pet; what I find odd is that all these things are going on and we really don’t know about them. PR
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It sounds like Canada and the U.S are very different when it comes to hospice care for animals.
Absolutely! There is far less regulation in the U.S. In some states people who aren’t even veterinarians can set up a hospice for pets in their home if they want; up here you could only do this in an established clinic. The CVO is very rigid but I think this is a good thing.
Tell us about your company.
As I mentioned, I got accredited last year as a mobile veterinarian; essentially my van is my clinic, which of course must be accredited, as are all clinics. The CVO came and inspected my van and my inventory; the inspector had pages of requirements for a mobile veterinarian… a car, cages, vaccines, antibiotics, emergency drugs, online access, software, textbooks… the list goes on. They also inspected my home where I have an area where I keep my records, a fridge for certain medications etc. I also needed everything required to recessutate an animal, even though I would never have the occasion to do so.
What services do you offer?
My services fall into four categories: the first category is in-home palliative care which includes quality of life and comfort assessments, pain management, environmental assessment and pet-parent support; the second is in-home euthanasia, the third is aftercare services which include pet transport for cremation and suggestions for pet memorials, funerals and/or pet cemeteries; the fourth is grief counseling which can include referrals to services and counselors and email and phone support from me.
How do you charge for your services?
I charge an initial fee for a house call and assessment; there is a charge for a palliative care plan and of course there is a separate charge for the euthanasia. I don’t charge for phone or email support. I am quite honestly still trying to figure out a workable fee structure; I need to talk to other palliative veterinarians about what they are doing. Simply put, my fees are the same as standard veterinarian fees apart from the house call. I will also write up a palliative care consult for a regular clinic or emergency clinic; I bill the clinic, they bill the client and it’s a real time saver for everyone.
How do your clients approach the difficult pro-cess of palliative care?
Well, it’s like a human pre-planning a funeral. It’s an odd conversation to have; we sit down and the owners discuss in advance how they want the euthanasia to happen, where in the home it should happen… this preparation helps to ease the huge emotional stress that owners face.
Occasionally I get called out for euthanasia and realize that we can do palliative care. Sometimes all it takes to reduce suffering of a pet is pain relief or an adjustment in environ-ment. I had one little dog who was suffering from advanced dementia. So I drew up a care plan that discussed environ-
ment, medications, supplements and pain control, all meant to improve quality of life. She would wander aimlessly and the owner thought she needed more exercise so she let her walk everywhere. However what the dog really needed was a smaller, more confined space where she could feel secure and relax.
I had another client whose dog was diagnosed with lymphoma last November; the owner was really struggling about when he should put his dog down. I got called out on Family Day (February 17) when the family thought for sure that the time had come. After I assessed the dog I felt that what he needed at that moment was pain control. I gave him an injection… he got up and started to walk around. With the benefit of pain control the dog was able to live well until a few days ago.
I have another client, a cat, who has a squamous cell carcinoma of the jaw and will be put to sleep. The owner called me right away about palliative care. So we have maintained him on pain medications and anti-inflammatories for quite a while but of course as the tumour grew she had to go from oral meds to giving him pain
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injections every three days. It’s worked well for her—she has really enjoyed this time with him.
I know I have to put down this cat and I will be sad, as I have seen the cat every two weeks for months. But we have a plan; we will go out on the veranda, the cat will wander around and then he will die in his owner’s lap. I find that a lot of people have not properly grieved other losses in their lives—parents or friends, so when a beloved pet dies, this loss can be the last straw and a waterfall of emotion opens up. It can be so sad to see but this release is so good for the owner.
Not every owner can prepare in advance for the death of a pet, but those who can do it because they want to spend as much time as possible with their pet at the end of life. The end of life can be so abrupt; if we can give people even one or two days, it can make a world of difference. It can certainly help with the grieving process.
I always send poems, some comforting things both before and always after death, depending on the situation.
I imagine there is no typical day or week for you.
That’s true! I can only work part time now for health reasons, so I keep my phone with me because a lot of my work is last minute; I got an email and went out to put the dog to sleep. As I was coming home from there, I got another call from a client and I had to go there and do the same thing. So my schedule is reactive… I am there when I am needed, day or night. I don’t mind night work; I feel so good that I can go and help a family and keep them out of an emergency clinic at 3 in the morning. I usually see four or five patients a week, which is my goal. Each visit can take up to one and a half hours; I don’t want to have to rush, but rather be in the moment where this pet and this family are my only concerns. I have one client who texts me every day; I guess I often have a feeling when something is going to happen, so I just keep my phone with me. If I have to go away, I find someone to substitute for me and make sure my clients know how long I will be gone.
I found you because of a notice you put up at the dog park; how do most people find you?
Well, most people learn about me through their veterinarian. At one point I did deliver flyers to dog day cares and groomers but the results were not great. People will also get my name from emergency clinics. It’s really all about referrals from veterinarians who appreciate the in-home service.
Tell us about you! Do you have any animals?
Right now I have a Sheltie, and no cats because my son is allergic to them. Also my job is all-encompassing as I am trying to learn as much as I can.
Your job is to put animals down; have you ever suffered from compassion fatigue as a result?
Sometimes I feel sad, but mostly I try to be in the moment for each family. It’s not about me and how I may feel; my clients are able to give a gift to their pet, which I enabled them to do. I feel rewarded; my work is important and I honestly have received more thank you cards this year
practicing in-home euthanasia than I have had in my entire career. Compassion fatigue may come but I do get my fix of regular veterinary medicine because I still fill in at clinics. So I go home to my kids and I talk about my job a lot. I do believe that veterinarians have to practice self-care because it is such a stressful job; veterinarians for the most part are so dedicated and they take everything so personally. They want to care for every pet; some veterinarians care more than the owner does and it gets to be exhausting.
How do you look after yourself outside of work?
Oh, I garden... I love flowers. My daughter rides horses so I spend a lot of time driving her to and fro; my son plays hockey and I drive him as needed. I also do a lot work with my church.
How many palliative care practitioners there here in Toronto?
It’s hard to say; we are a small and very unobtrusive group. Faith Banks has Mid Town Mobile; she set her company up for the same reasons I did. I have met some in the Ottawa area. There are a lot more mobile veterinarians doing palliative care but they are doing it quietly.
Why quietly?
I’m not sure; it’s a new service. Come to think of it, we need a mobile veterinary association because we are all working away on our own… I think we need to talk and share ideas about this different type of practice. Often I will go on VIN (Veterinary Information Network) and ask questions if I need some help.
In two weeks I am going on a pet loss companioning course; there is a woman in the U.S. named Colleen Ellis who is the president of the IAAHPC… she started the first pets-only funeral home in the U.S. and it’s flourishing. She speaks everywhere and she runs these pet loss-companioning courses. The purpose of the course is to help people through the loss of their pet and watch to make sure they do not slip into abnormal grief. If this starts to happen I will refer to one of several therapists in my network.
Dr. Chris Hickman Dr. Chris Hickman is a 1988 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College with a keen interest in the bond between people and their treasured pet companions; this has led to the opening of her mobile veterinary service so that she can provide palliative and end-of-life care, including the gift of euthanasia in an intimate home setting. You can reach Dr. Chris at 416.700.3293 or [email protected].
What Is My Pet’s Quality of Life?Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. Buddhist proverb
Quality of life can be a very subjective term. It depends on your pet’s disease process, your pet’s personality and your own personal beliefs. The way in which your pet responds to its disease is as individual as your furry companion is. Every pet experiences and reacts to changes in their body differently.
The following factors must be taken into consideration when determining an animal’s quality of life. It is our goal to prevent and mitigate suffering which is inevitable if a symptom becomes out of control or overwhelming.
Pain
There is a common misconception that our furry companions hide their pain as a protective mechanism. However, they do not mask their pain but they do lack an emotional attachment to it; they feel discomfort but they don’t care about it like we do. Thus, it’s vitally important to relieve any pain that a pet is outwardly displaying to us.
The most common signs of pain in cats and dogs include: pacing, excessive panting, hiding in unique areas, not seeking interaction with the family, growling, snarling, snapping, immobility, whining, not eating and flinching when touched.
Appetite
Pets can survive for many days without food and water. However, a lack of appetite or thirst can be a sign that the body has begun shutting down. Appetite stimulants can sometimes help to restore the appetite for a certain period of time. Some pets may never lose their desire to eat. An individual’s appetite can be a good indication of the internal function (or dysfunction) of the pet. Consider whether your pet eating enough. Does hand feeding help?
Incontinence
When a pet becomes incontinent, many pet-parents feel tremendous guilt over the annoyance that they experience. This is a normal feeling. Pets do not like to “soil their den”. As a result, they may experience anxiety evidenced by increased panting or not being able to settle down. If not carefully managed, incontinence can lead to bed sores and systemic infections in severe cases. Are you able to keep your pet clean and comfortable at all times? Can you groom them without causing discomfort? These are important factors in your companion’s quality of life.
Mobility
Arthritis and mobility issues are common as our pets age. Often, these signs first become noticeable at night when the pet begins to pace around the house. The symptoms may progress to falling, inability to stand, urinate or defecate, and heavy panting. During the later stages you may find your pet becoming very anxious. When anti-inflammatories and other medications cease to work, quality of life becomes a concern.
Happiness
You know your pet best and you will be the best judge of your pet’s happiness. Do they continue to enjoy food, toys, and their environment? Do they still enjoy and seek out contact with you and the rest of the family? Are the good days outnumbered by the bad days? Is a healthy human-pet bond still possible? Most pets are very easy to please. So, when it no longer becomes possible to raise a purr or the wag of a tail, you must begin to consider the quality of life your pet is experiencing.
It is extremely helpful to discuss these factors with others, especially your veterinarian. They can offer objective advice regarding your pet’s quality of life and aid you in any decision-making that is necessary.*
*As compiled and provided by Dr. Chris Hickman
Bottom Line: There is a growing demand for in-home palliative care for pets; Part I of this interview explains how one veterinarian has taken up the challenge and found her life’s work.
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Let me tell you a little about an experience I
just went through. I own a rental property that
is adjacent to my office and they merged on title
when I bought them a few years ago. I wanted
to sell the rental so I hired a local real estate
professional with whom I had worked in the past
for the sale of a previous home.
As I write this column, I am gazing out the window of the second story of my office watching the agent and the buyers as they are walking around the property. I’m so curious and I want to be there and I want to know what’s going on. I am feeling frustration because I am a broker who sells for a living and I have no control over the situation. I want to go over and I want to help the agent to sell the property, but it’s not my job. I have to stand down and stay away. It is very difficult for me...
It is also painful for me to watch as I see her talking to them and motioning with her hands pointing out the features of the lot–it is a fabulous property! She is no doubt addressing the possibilities for this young couple to raise their future family. The house is situated in a highly desirable location and it has considerable potential… but I can’t hear what anyone is saying. I speculate that the potential buyers are complaining about this feature or that feature or some perceived deficiency. I know there are deficiencies and things to be done. The house is a little bit older. It needs some repairs and renovations. It occurs to me that I am a vendor who has hired a broker and now I am spying on her, desperately trying not to interfere. It is very difficult for me…
I can only imagine what my clients go through when they hire me to sell their practice. I know that some of my clients have spied on me when I’m bringing buyers into their practice. This is a very challenging moment for a proud owner, for an emotional seller, for somebody who has time and money invested.
I completed a course in Consumer Behaviour this week. It was part of a designation I am seeking, a Fellowship in the Real Estate Institute of Canada (FRI). In this course we talked about personality types, behavioural issues and how to deal with people in certain business situations; in particular, the course was designed for business brokers and real estate agents to help them deal with people when they are buying or selling their homes.
Part of the course was also designed to help us better understand our own behaviour patterns. I have taken similar courses on numerous occasions in the past, but it is always good to be reminded of how we behave, how others perceive us and how in turn we perceive them. With regard to the house next to my office that we have owned for six years (and rented to numerous family members), it was very difficult for me to stand back and allow a professional real estate agent to do her job. I recognized that my desire to express my emotional interest in this property had to be suppressed to facilitate the work of a professional.
The lesson is that while I am an accomplished individual in the real estate and the business brokerage marketplace, I do have to know when to allow a professional to complete her assigned task without any attachments, emotional or otherwise. It is a very difficult lesson to learn but well worth the results.
To close, as I look down on the house outside my office, many fond, happy family-related memories return and will continue to do so as time passes.
Bottom Line: A personal account of why to delegate some things to the appropriate professionals, even if you feel you can do the job yourself!
by Timothy A. Brown by Managing Associate Editor
Why I Hired A Professional Feature Interview With Caroline Applebee
Timothy A. Brown Timothy A Brown is the CEO of ROI Corporation Brokerage. His company offers extensive services including ap-praisals and sales of veterinary profes-sional practices. He can be reached at 905.278.4145 or [email protected] - www.roicorp.comPR
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I first saw Caroline outside my apartment window
a woman walking her dog. Not a big deal in our
neighbourhood until I really spent time watching
and saw how incredibly patient Caroline was with
her dog. I did not know how old Kali was but
knew she was an older dog. In any case, Caroline
just waited… for as long as it took… as Kali
decided what she wanted to do and where she
wanted to go. It was and is beautiful to see.
Caroline, where did you go to school?
I grew up knowing I wanted to work with animals but didn’t know there were options beyond becoming a veterinarian, so I started on that route. In my first year of biology at McGill University, I took a course in animal behaviour and it excited me so much that I opted to take a specialization in Evolution and Animal Behaviour. During this time I worked with an interesting variety of species—birds, mosquitoes, fish, cows, but while I had always lived with dogs, they didn’t factor into the equation just yet.
What led you to becoming a dog trainer?
When I graduated the economy was in a slump, especially in Quebec and I wasn’t sure of what to do
with my degree. Because I had put myself through university working at a foreign exchange booth and I had bills to pay, I went to work for the bank and soon thereafter became a financial adviser. It took a couple of years before the light bulb went on and I realized that what I really wanted to do was work with dogs. At that point I signed on with a very senior trainer here in Toronto and did a two-year mentorship with her; under her guidance there was a lot of self study as well – I gobbled up everything ever written on canine behaviour and attended as many courses and seminars as I could. I continue to do so—it’s a never-ending educational process!
What are your professional affiliations?
I have a membership with the Association of Professional Dog Trainers out of the U.S. I am accredited by the Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), also U.S. based. They are one of the few internationally recognized independent boards providing accreditation for dog trainers. To become certified, you need referrals from other trainers, clients and veterinarians and must pass an intensive exam. To maintain the certification you have to prove you have studied for ongoing CE credits. I also network and brainstorm with other professionals both locally and around the world online. PR
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So you were a financial adviser, then the light bulb went on and you decided to become a trainer?
Yes, being an adviser paid the bills in the beginning and I continued to work on Bay Street for another seven or eight years while I educated myself and honed my training skills. I worked nights and weekends with dogs to build up my business; I taught classes and did private training until I felt I had enough to offer and then made the switch to full-time dog training. I wanted to be sure that I could cope with any challenge a client presented me before leaving financial services full-time.
Tell us about your company Raising Rover and what makes you special.
I offer a unique combination of qualifications and experience since I was the first trainer in Toronto to become accredited through the CCPDT and the only one to also hold a degree in animal behaviour. But just as importantly, I am absolutely dedi-cated to my clients. Working in the very competitive financial industry taught me a lot about client service and I strive to offer the best service possible. I keep in touch with as many people and their dogs as I can over the years and consider it a great privilege to be invited into their homes and their lives.
So do all trainers have the CCPDT certification?
No. The industry unfortunately remains unregulated, which is really a big problem. Anybody can hang up a sign and call himself/herself a dog trainer. There are just under 40 trainers in Ontario who are now accredited through the CCPDT, only ten of whom are based in Toronto. I realize that going through the certification is not the only way to become a good trainer but it helps consumers to be able to differentiate who has standardized formal training and who does not.
What does a typical day/week in your world?
I usually start the day at 8 a.m. by spending some time with Kali, my own dog and then I deal with paperwork! This includes preparing class notes—I teach classes almost every weeknight—I return phone calls and emails, and for every client that I work with privately I do a full report. By then it’s time to go out with Kali again and if she’s up to it we go to the park; if not we putter around close to home, playing ball in the backyard or just greeting passing dogs. I see private clients from noon until six p.m. and then I teach group classes from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s a full day but if I decide I want a Thursday afternoon off I can make it happen… but of course I never do.
What’s the most common training problem you run into?
I don’t know that there is one most common problem… I work with a lot of new puppies but other than that I would say walking on leash without pulling or lunging at other dogs is a pretty popular request; jumping up on people and coming when called come up often and I also work with aggression, possessive behaviour around toys and food and fear-based behaviour problems.
How do people find you?
I decided early on that I wanted to build a referral-based business and so I don’t advertise much. These days a lot of
small businesses rely on Google rankings and on-line reviews and while I make some effort in these areas it’s not a big priority for me, so I am always surprised when people find me through online searches. I prefer to work closely with other professionals— veterinarians, dog walkers, store owners… and cultivate good relationships that generate referrals. Most of my business these days comes from client referrals, which makes me very proud.
How do you get referrals from veterinarians… do you go around and drop off material at their offices?
Yes. I have done this but establishing relationships with busy veterinarians takes time and patience to build their trust. I partly blame the lack of trainer regulation for this—veterinarians have trouble knowing who is qualified and who isn’t when it comes to dog training. At the beginning I worked very hard on just a few relationships; these veterinarians started giving me some of their ‘simple’ problems such as house training and gradually they came to trust me for more. It’s also a question of efficiency; when someone finds me through an Internet search they will have a lot of questions to qualify me and this can take a lot of time. It’s simpler to have people coming to you who already trust you.
What do you think are the major challenges that trainers face today?
Without question it’s the alpha/pack theory myth that some-how refuses to go away.
Is this because of Cesar Millan?
Well, I don’t like to disparage other trainers but he has had a lot to do with this thinking. He certainly has done some good in the area of bringing training into the main stream but he
has done a great disservice to both dogs and their people in convincing owners that they have to dominate their dogs and that their dogs must submit to them. This line of thinking is decades behind what we now know about how dogs think and learn.
How do you think the image of dog trainers has changed over the years in the eyes of the public? Has having a trainer become a more integral part of owning a dog?
I like to think so but it might depend on the demographic; puppy socialization classes certainly have become more popular as an affordable way to get a pup off to a good start. Good breeders often have this built into their contracts as a requirement for adoption. It’s not uncommon for owners to have a veterinarian, a groomer, a walker and a trainer. But where TV training shows have helped make training a more popular choice for many, they have also set up some pretty unrealistic expectations about what we do. It is not actually possible to ‘fix’ most behaviour problems within the space of a 30-minute segment. Real life trainers like me often have to start by setting realistic expectations.
If Cesar Millan is old hat, what new training methods are coming on the market?
The shift has been towards using science-based approaches to training, such as operant and classical conditioning. This started back in the early 1980s and has steadily gained momentum as people learned that you don’t have to use intimidation, fear or pain to get an animal to change behaviour. Prior to that was compulsion-based training, using more force and punishment to get an animal to submit. In simple terms, we now use carrots not sticks. We still have a long way to go… one carrot at a time…
Tell us about your dog Kali.
Ah my Kali, the love of my life (see lab photos). I loved her from the minute I met her but she was a real challenge. I made the classic mistake—I let a dog pick me instead of picking the dog I felt was right for me, but there was something special about her. She was just under a year when I adopted her from the SPCA in Barrie, Ontario. I had been looking for a rescue—in fact I spent weekends for a month driving from one shelter to another trying to find that dog. It was so hard; I would be driving with tears streaming down my face because so many dogs needed homes. But finally I met Kali and for whatever reason I fell in love with her. I knew that she would not be an easy dog and so at first I didn’t take her. I went home but all I could do was think about her so I went back the next day to get her. The first year was very hard; she had separation anxiety and chronic ear infections. She picked fights with big dogs. She pulled so hard on leash I need physiotherapy for my shoulder. She lunged after everything in sight, which resulted in a snapped tendon in my ankle. Colleagues at the time abandoned us saying it was hopeless. But for all her challenges she was also my greatest joy, so I persevered. It took two to three years before things really started to come together for both of us. Kali is proof that positive reinforcement works—she is now retired but she eventually went on to help me work with fearful dogs. No one who knew us in those first few years would have thought it was possible! But she isn’t perfect just because she is a ‘trainers dog’; she doesn’t always do what I want her to but I have to respect her for who she is and I allow her to make her own choices—I just try to make sure she is always safe. Kali is turning 14 this year and I’ve never lived with such a senior dog—there are a lot of new challenges that go along with this stage of life. I am trying to write a piece for my website about it; all I need is the emotional strength to write it. I have tried several times but so far can’t face it.
Tell us about your hobbies and what’s on your bucket list?
I like to be active—it’s harder now with a geriatric, arthritic dog. I run to stay fit and box to save on therapy! I’ve travelled a lot and I’d like to do more but as Kali has gotten older I have not wanted to be away. I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf—I don’t know why—but I’ve had it in my head since I was young... I’m sure it could not be anywhere near as much fun as I have imagined but I want to do it anyway! I want to go on safari and I’d love to do some kind of volunteer work with an animal sanctuary.
What advice do you have for those just start-ing out who think they want to become a dog trainer?
That’s a good question. I think the biggest thing is that peo-ple get into this business because they love dogs. Of course this is important but you have to love people as well. The dogs are not the ones signing your pay cheque at the end of the day. I think it’s necessary to work at both ends of the leash and you need good people skills to be able to do that effectively. You also have to be a self-starter—the best trainers I know devote much of their free time to furthering their skills and education through courses, books and seminars.
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Caroline as a child with her grandmother’s dog Brutus. An earlier photo of Caroline with Kali.
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by Jon J. Walton
Two Critical Concerns For NewlyGraduated Veterinarians
1. The retiring veterinarian and the non-compete agreement
Congratulations! You have finally graduated from uni-versity, you have worked hard to perfect your clinical expertise and you are now ready to take that next big step in your career and begin a new chapter in your life—practice ownership and being your own boss.
After selecting the general location where you would ideally like to practice, you the prudent investigator that you are, examine your options.
• Should you open a practice from scratch? • Should you partner into an existing practice? • Or should you buy an existing practice?
Knowing today’s market and after speaking with indus-try professionals, you have come to the conclusion that you are going to buy an existing practice, be your boss from day one of ownership and have an immediate cash flow and systems in place… all realities you are very happy to live with.
You follow the market, speak with industry professionals and find a practice you can see yourself owning. You do your homework, develop a business plan that works for you and now it’s time for you to put in an offer. You know that you do not want the vendor to be able to continue to practice in your new territory and therefore are wisely planning on placing non-compete and non-solicit clauses in the purchase and sale agreement. But for how long should these clauses be in effect?
Typically our first thought is to insist on the strongest non-compete and non-solicit agreements that we can negotiate; however, our first thought is not always our best. Wisely, you look to your advisers for advice. You
realize that in an urban area, the larger you expand the area (in most situations) the less weight the condition holds. Typically five years and ten kilometers are standard.
2. Should I keep the selling veterinarian on staff for the transition?
Your agreement is now in place, the conditions are almost satisfied and the practice is almost yours. You have one more concern on your mind that you have been mulling over. Do you keep the selling veterinarian on for a transition period?
This is most definitely a tricky one. In a one-veterinary practice, keeping the selling veterinarian on board can negatively affect your cash flow. Remember, you have to pay this professional to be there and quite often, this experienced veterinarian will command a high hourly wage. Who will the clients prefer to see if both of you are present in the practice? Many old clients will be happy to say hello to the new veterinarian; however, they would also like to say “goodbye” to the selling veterinarian. This could mean the exam time lengthens and the veterinarian is not as productive as you may like. Remember: although we cannot buy people, the patients and clients belong to the practice, not to the veterinarian. You are a competent, knowledgeable veterinarian who has taken stock of yourself and become a business owner. You are fully capable of servicing the clients’ every need and may be better-suited not having the selling veterinarian on board to transition the practice.
Your career will be full of many difficult decisions, beginning directly out of school. Use those around you, ask for mentorship and build a team of industry professionals to help guide you through your journey. Remember, you are not alone.
Bottom Line: This article presents advice on two important decisions recent veterinary grads will have to make in their early career.
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Jon J. Walton Jon J. Walton is a national sales representative at ROI Corporation Brokerage and is one of the directors of the Hamilton Academy of Veteri-nary Medicine. He can be reached at 519.829.5953 or [email protected]
As Reviewed by Karen Henderson
What The Dog Knows:The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs
I am always on the lookout for dog books that
take a different approach or have a unique angle
to the story. I spotted What The Dog Knows
and when I saw it was about working dogs, I
immediately picked it up. Ever since 9/11 I have
been fascinated by how humans use dogs in very
unusual, even dangerous situations and I was eager
to learn more.
Cat Warren’s journey with her dog Solo began in 2004; she had just received tenure at a big university so decided it was time for a new puppy as a reward and found Solo, a German Shepherd, in North Carolina. Cat fell in love with Solo from the moment she saw “the little prince of darkness”. However, Solo was a singleton… in other words, an only puppy. These puppies, as it turns out, are a piece of work. Because they do not have any littermates to compete with or learn from, they are not as well prepared for the real world as they should be. They live in a “universe of yes”; they tend to lack “bite inhibition”, “are unable to get out of trouble calmly and graciously” and have
an “inability to handle frustration.” In other words, Solo was a real handful. He was brash, confident and full of himself; as a result he did not play well with others. He even flunked out of puppy classes. So Cat took him to an older trainer she had known for years; the trainer’s assessment—he’s just a jackass so what do you want to do with him? Solo clearly was a talented, reckless misfit—and a loner. So Cat decided she wanted to find something for Solo to do that capitalized on his ‘differences’ and that did not require team-work. The trainer then suggested that Solo train to become a cadaver dog, a dog trained to find the missing or the dead. Cat felt Solo could do that and so began the journey.
Of course Cat knew nothing about cadaver dogs, but the more she learned, the more enthusiastic she became. Cadaver dogs and their handlers work mostly by them-selves; the dog’s job is both simple and complex—to go to where the scent of a body is the strongest and indicate the location to the handler. It is necessary work because law enforcement mostly wants bodies found. Cat was hooked.
She was instructed to read Bill Syrotuck’s Scent and the Scenting Dog and Andy Rebmann’s Cadaver Dog Handbook. She learned about the long religious connection between death and dogs; even today there are stories of dogs in nursing homes, for example, which were able to identify residents close to death. But no matter how graphic her research got, Cat never got grossed out by the notion of cadaver dogs. The work was straightforward; why not take a dog’s “love of the putrid” and use it to create order out of chaos?
Cat Warren’s research also led her to conclude that hu-mans don’t know as much about a dog’s sense of smell as we may think. The scientific literature was all over the map; the dog’s nose was either ten times or a hun-dred times or a thousand times or tens of thousands of times better than the human nose. So she set out to find how much better dogs’ noses really are. She learned that grizzly bears can out smell dogs. The jury is still out on this but Cat made an important conclusion; training has a huge amount to do with successful odour detection.
In today’s world filled with the use of gases and explosives for all manner of nefarious deeds, the sniffer dog has come into his own. The first handful of U.S. police-dog programs began at the turn of the twentieth century in New York City and New Jersey. Things escalated as a result of the Vietnam War, when it was learned that dogs could find pits and trip wires and illicit
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drugs among soldiers’ property. Military-research scientists pushed the envelope further and determined that dogs might be used to find bombs and weapons since hijackings, bombings and assassinations were on the rise in the 60s.
Since then working dogs have been used to track a lost child or a rapist, help suppress civil unrest, find pythons in the Everglades or locate stolen property or contraband.
Other animals have been considered and tested to be working creatures; pigs, coyotes, deer, javelinas, raccoons, foxes, a badger, coatis, timber wolves, a civet cat and three kinds of skunks. They were ultimately rejected as sniffer animals. These animals were wild—too wild—but the dog was just right; “it is intelligent, has a good nose, can go a lot of places, is the right size for most tasks, can walk at one’s side and lives long enough to make the training worthwhile. Above all, the dog wants to please.”
One of the earliest efforts at using a ‘body dog’ happened in Lancashire, England in 1970; its training program used pig meat as a substitute for human tissue. It worked by all accounts; within two years the first U.S. body-recovery dog study occurred. Next, the leap from speculative research to ‘paws-on-the-ground’ cadaver-dog work happened because of the brutal murder of a New York woman who was killed, mutilated and dragged more than nine miles. The body was located by a cadaver dog and was the first fully recorded occasion when body dogs were used in the United States.
Meanwhile Solo was becoming ever more skilled at his job and Cat was continually challenged by his boredom as he grew more adept. They upped the ante; a two inch PVC pipe was drilled full of holes and filled with ‘a little bit of death’…a twist of cloth with dried body fluids which came to be known as “fish’. The command was: “Go find your fish!” Solo, accord-ing to Cat, continued to be a jackass but he was a talented one!
Cat goes on to describe the searches she and Solo went on - how important it was to be able to work both together and separately, bonded and independent. Humans need to trust their dogs and set them up for success by putting them in the right spot and then stepping aside and allowing the dog to do its job, no matter long it takes. Allow the dog to do the job… especially if that job is saving the life of its handler, which has happened frequently.
Cat writes: “I’ve grown more comfortable working with the dead. With parts of them, really. A few teeth, a vertebra, a piece of carpet that lay underneath a body for awhile. One of my German Shepherd’s standard training materials is dirt harvested from sites where decomposing bodies rested. Crack open a Mason jar filled with that dirt, and all I smell is North Carolina woods—musky darkness with a hint of mildewed alder leaves. Solo smells the departed.”
A sad reality is that these wonderfully trained animals cannot go on forever. Sometimes handlers wait too long and the dog’s legs shake when they should be solid; but sometimes retirement comes tragically fast, when a dog is diagnosed with a degenerative disease and cannot cope with the work-load. No matter how keen the nose, a working dog depends on fitness and strength.
The book ends as Solo turns eight, the age at which things
can start to go wrong. Cat realized she needed to be honest with herself regarding his abilities but a small lump on his leg drove the aging message home. Was it cancer? Over the years he had been exposed to “all sorts of crap”—swamps filled with pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals, houses filled with chemicals and lead paint, wrecking yards filled with heavy oils and antifreeze and fields sprayed with sludge—human waste treated with heavy doses of chlorine. But the news from the veterinarian was good: Solo had a benign cyst.
Cat’s trainer felt it was time to start training another cadaver dog, to fill the gap when their other aged dog Megan died. This time, however, Cat wanted to add disaster training to the mix. She knew what she wanted: Another German Shepherd pup but this time from the mountains of West Virginia where they were raised experiencing huge adventure in the woods, learning to swim in creeks and walking across balance beams… ‘working dog heaven.’ A puppy would take lots of effort and time away from Solo; getting a new dog up and running could take two years. After much research about the merits of choosing a male versus female, the breeder made the choice for Cat… she selected the smallest female in the litter for Cat because “she hunted longer and harder for her toys than the others.” Her name was Little Bit but became Coda. As Cat described her: “A pain in the butt and a joy to train; a plush toy with razor-sharp teeth and a brain.” When they arrived home after picking Coda up, exhausted from the drive and filled with apprehension about how Solo would react to a new family member, Solo sniffed her, opened his mouth and grinned.
This is a wonderful book, full of humour and love for these wonderful animals. Cat describes in great detail the history of working dogs and the rigorous training and handling skills required to showcase these amazing dogs that work with their noses. Warren teaches science journalism at North Carolina State University and has strong investigative and storytelling skills, which make the book all the more enthralling and engaging.
In addition, “Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, forensic anthropologists—as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these remarkable and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, Warren discovers story after story that proves the remarkable capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with working dogs is woven into the fabric of society, and why we keep finding new uses for the working dog’s wonderful nose.” It’s easy to see why Cat fell in love with the work and has not been able to give it up.
Bottom Line: This review is for dog lovers who want to explore the background of working ‘cadaver’ dogs - how they are trained and used in real world situations.
by Editor
Feature Author/Profile: Jon J. Walton
Jon J. Walton is a highly valued regular contributor
to this magazine. He travels across Canada to ap-
praise and sell veterinary practices. We asked Jon to
share some of his knowledge about the veterinary
industry and about himself as a featured author of
this magazine and observer of all aspects of veteri-
nary practice.
Jon answered the following.
What was it like growing up the son of a veterinarian?
Growing up as the son of a veterinarian made for an interesting and exciting childhood. As my father spent much of his time at the clinic, so did I. It certainly felt like I lived in a zoo at times and I had countless number of part-time pets. When I was very young, a typical “work day” for me involved cleaning the worktable after watching my Dad perform an office procedure. When he was finished and started to write his notes, I would sneak away to the back of the practice where the animals were boarded. There I would go into the cages and play with the dogs and cats. As I grew, so did my responsibilities at the practice. I was a jack-of-all-trades doing many different tasks, especially the jobs that others did not like to do. I think my father took some pleasure in delegating to me the less-than-rewarding tasks. In the end, I would not trade my childhood for any other. Now, looking back, even when I was a teenager and I was not always thrilled to be at the clinic, I am glad I stuck it out and gained the knowledge that is invaluable to me now.
Given your background in the veterinarian industry, it is not surprising that you are an appraiser and sales agent of veterinary prac-tices. What does your job entail?
Honestly, my original plan was to become a veterinarian. Toward the end of my undergrad, I had a change of heart. Although I knew I wanted to be involved in the veterinary industry, I felt as though I had already had a career in veterinary medicine. I felt I needed a change. Fortunately, I found a profession that allows me to take all I have learned from my father’s full career and the knowledge I gathered from all the other veterinary staff from other practices and pass it on to others. This job entails exactly that, sharing my father’s knowledge with others. This is very rewarding for me. I was fortunate to learn the business of veterinary
medicine first hand and in depth. Through years of observing and helping along with many long talks at the dinner table after work and of course MANY mistakes, my experience was shaped. I enjoy sharing my experiences with a practice owner while I am valuating, consulting and brokering his/her practice.
What trends (if any) have you witnessed in the operations and sales of veterinary prac-tices here in Ontario and in your travels across Canada?
The veterinary market has changed noticeably over the last few years. One development is that veterinary medicine has shifted from being a male dominated industry to a female dominated industry here in Canada. Currently, I see a saturation of veterinarians in the major markets like Toronto and Vancouver. It is very difficult to open a new practice from scratch in a major urban area and be successful quickly, in one or two years. There is far more competition now in these major urban centres. In Ontario, where fees are allowed to be advertised, I have noticed a greater level of market saturation or even a super-saturation of veterinary practices. Practices that charge less than the fee guide or “discount practices” as some people term them are opening their doors more frequently. Marketing is more important than ever for a veterinary practice to grow and/or to remain successful. PR
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Jon with Robert MacDonald at a recent Veterinarian Convention.
Karen HendersonKaren Henderson is the Managing Associate Editor of Profitable Practice and can be reached at [email protected]
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What are some of the common mistakes that veterinarians make when it comes to selling their practices?
• Emotions—It is an emotional time when an owner chooses to sell the business he/she has spent much of his/her career building. Emotions can cause transactions to fall apart or prevent the disclosure of important information. An owner has to remember that he/she is selling a business and emotions must be set aside.
• Landlords—It is important to deal with landlords properly, whether you are transferring a lease at the time of sale or creating a lease and becoming a landlord. Know what to ask, when to ask, and how to ask to get the optimal transfer or creation for you.
How can a veterinarian prepare to sell his/her practice?
There are many different things a veterinarian can do to prepare his/her practice for sale. With respect to the business and systems, I could speak for days on very practice specific items; however, other simpler things should also be done. Every veterinarian can easily…
• De-clutter their practice and clean.
• Make sure the burned out light bulbs are replaced so the practice is bright.
• De-personalize the practice. Sometimes a veterinarian has many personal photos and items around the practice that are very specific to him/her.
What gives you satisfaction both professionally and personally?
Professionally
I enjoy helping veterinarians achieve their retirement goals and transitioning a great practice to an eager and ready pur-chaser, which will change that person’s life.
Personally
Traveling and wildlife. Although I have not had much time to get away, I do enjoy traveling and observing all kinds of animals in their natural habitats.
What is your personal pet of choice and why?
I am an animal lover. If I could, I would have many different kinds; however, at this time given my lifestyle I only have a house cat. I do not think she knows she is “adopted” and actually thinks she is a person and my equal.
You are an oenophile as well. What are your favourite wines?
You have found out one of my passions! Yes—in my free time I educated myself in the cool climate oenology and viticulture field. Currently I am really enjoying the California zins. This is not to say I cannot easily be swayed should someone offer one of his/her favourites!
What currently available wines would you rec-ommend to our readers?
That’s a hard one! We are lucky here in Ontario that the LCBO carries a wide variety of wines from all over the world. I personally have signed up for the free subscription to Vintages magazine, which describes the wines being released and helps me choose the ones with flavour characteristics that I love. I recommend that the readers get out there and experiment to find those wines that make them smile.
What do you do to unwind?
To unwind I enjoy exercising, especially playing basketball. I also enjoy going to new and different restaurants and experimenting with cuisines and dishes that are new to me.
What are some final thoughts or advice you can offer to veterinarians at all stages of their careers with regard to the management of their practices and to the eventual sale of their practices?
The advice I would give to veterinarians today is to recognize that the market and the industry are changing. Marketing is more important then ever and competition, especially in urban areas, is at an all time high. It is very important to evolve with the changing market and not be stagnant.
Favourite animal
The tiger.
Favourite movie
I can’t pick a favourite, but just watched The Book Thief and really enjoyed it.
Favourite food
Sushi and shawarma at the moment but, in general, I am a foodie.
Major passions
Traveling, cooking, water sports.
Favourite Book
Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants—I just re-read it and I really enjoyed it.
Favourite quote/expression
“I believe the world is plotting to do me good today, I can’t wait to see what it is.” ~ Jack Canfield
Thanks Jon for providing our readers with a window into your world.
Bottom Line: This interview/profile features the career and lifestyle of a regular columnist for this magazine who sells and appraises veterinarian practices.
by Dev Mangat
Travels With Tigers In India
I was first introduced to the rich and colourful
array of Indian wildlife recently in winter on a trip
to Corbett National Park. It is situated just several
hundred kilometres from Delhi amidst the Siwalik
Hills that adjoin the Mighty Himalayas, the world’s
tallest mountain chain. Corbett National Park is
the namesake of Jim Corbett who lived in this
region a century ago and who is credited with the
slaying of many a man-eating tiger or leopard in
the vicinity.
My brother, an avid naturalist who has been chasing Big Game in India for years arranged all the permits at the National Park Headquarters in Ramnagar, the town closest to all the main entries to the park. None of the main gates to the Park are more than 10-25 kilometres from Ramnagar.
We headed to the main tourist zone in Dhikala. The landscape consists of tropical moist deciduous forests with the predominant species being sal, large open grasslands and a long and wide river, the Ramganga, along with its tributaries. Wildlife is plentiful in Dhikala and in all the other tourist zones such as Bijrani-Malani and Jhirna. The species to be encountered include Asian elephant, spotted deer, sambar deer, hog deer, wild boar, tiger, leopard, sloth bear and in the hillier areas even Himalayan black bear. Reptiles that are found here are the giant prehistoric-looking slender-snouted gharial crocodile, the marsh crocodile, python and king cobra. The park is home to over 200 bird species and it is one of the few parks where as many as six species of vulture (white-rumped, slender-billed, Himalayan griffon, cinereous, scavenger and king) can be viewed. For biodiversity, Corbett ranks as one of the most important wildlife habitats in Asia if not in the world.
When I visited Corbett now as well as other National Parks in India in the past with my brother, the usual mode of transport into the parks was by Jeep. The routes leading in and out of the protected areas are no more than dirt tracks often made inaccessible because of flooding or erosion. Conventional vehicles would struggle to navigate through such terrain where on occasion one is compelled to take a detour and go off road so to speak. Safaris are best conducted either early morning just after dawn at around 6-7 a.m. while the animals are still active and feeding or else just before dusk at 5-6 p.m. Safaris normally last between 2-3 hours and are now carried out in a small section, normally 20 per cent of the core area within each park.
Having a fascination for the big cats, most of the safaris on which I have accompanied my brother have been, besides Corbett, certain National Parks in central India such as Kanha, once the hunting grounds for the Viceroy of India during the Raj, or Pench that provided the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Each time I have sighted tiger in these places my sense of excitement has known no bounds. Usually the best time for sighting tiger is between the months of December and February (especially in north and central India) which is the mating season. The tigers when passing through the jungle call one another with a deep baritone “Aa-oom” and all the other denizens of the jungle such as peacocks with their loud wailing, langur and macaque monkeys with their chattering, and spotted deer with their high-pitched shrill cry, warn one of the tiger’s approach.
Traveling to National Parks in India is now very simple. Ramnagar near Corbett is accessible daily by train from Delhi and the journey that may be arranged in comfortable second-class air-conditioned compartments takes 5-6 hours leaving from Old Delhi railway station. Kanha and Pench in Central India can be reached from Jabalpur or Nagpur cities by road and there are plenty of private taxis that can be hired to traverse the routes to these destinations, although travelling by road in India can be long and arduous because most of the roads excepting the National Highway are in a deplorable state. Between Delhi and Jabalpur or Nagpur there are daily flights. There is plenty of accommodation to be had near to all the National Parks; it caters to every budget from the equivalent of $10 to that of $400
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Jon J. Walton Jon J. Walton is a national sales repre-sentative at ROI Corporation Brokerage and is one of the directors of the Hamil-ton Academy of Veterinary Medicine. He can be reached at 519.829.5953 or [email protected]
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per day or thereabouts. Tourists entering the National Parks must pay entrance fees, guide fees and also additional fees for still and movie cameras; one can only enter the parks in a licensed Jeep for which the charge for a 2-hour safari is around $50. Each Jeep can seat 6-7 people comfortably. Red-tapeism is still a problem in India and no less so when venturing into a National Park. The number of vehicles entering each gate to each park is now strictly regulated and so all permits, ID and entrance fees must be secured in advance. If you wish to visit a park start making your arrangements at least one month before through a trusted agent.
What is important to remember is that the best period for visiting India is during the winter months of December to February; I discovered on my first trip my t-shirt and Bermudas were wholly insufficient for venturing out into the jungle and were for me a deadly concoction for hypothermia. One must wear warm clothes and head coverings as the temperatures especially in the morning can dip below zero. Mosquito sprays and repellents are not essential as insects are less of a problem during the cold season. Taking some form of anti-malarial medication is advised or at the very least a daily sundowner of gin and quinine-containing tonic as one is relaxing in one’s luxury jungle surroundings. Do not expect all the creature comforts of the west when staying in India, especially in or near wildlife habitats. Not all accommodation provides well-stocked bars with Jack Daniels or Drambuie and instead of tender sirloin you may be best advised to settle for buffalo steak a la frite.
In India today there are as many as 600 National Parks, Sanctuaries and Reserves and of these 41 are tiger reserves set up under the aegis of Project Tiger (see maps attached, courtesy of WWF-India and WPSI). This may seem a lot but in fact all together the protected areas of India cover just 1 per cent of the total landmass of the subcontinent. The threats to even the minuscule fragments of protected areas are manifold; India’s increasing population edging closer to 2 billion people has resulted in encroachment on wildlife habitats through forest burning for agriculture, livestock grazing, poaching for bush meat, illegal logging and mining, construction of roads as well as the expansion of urban and industrial areas. Some photos taken by me on my travels of logging in a wildlife area (Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in northern India to be precise) can be seen in this article. The tiger is India’s flagship species in wildlife conservation but sadly today the tiger’s numbers in Asia are around just 3,000 individuals with India supporting more than half that number.
Furthermore, of the 1500-2000 tigers estimated to be found in India today as many as 60 per cent occur outside protected areas. This startling fact was brought to my attention when visiting Corbett I met a WWF-India acquaintance of my brother who explained that within Uttarakhand State in which Corbett is found there may be as many as 285 tigers; most of these occur in forests not encompassed in the National Park such as around Kaladhungi, Sitabani and Pahalgarh forests.
One major problem confronted by tiger conservationists is the scientific methodology for calculating tiger numbers. Pugmark census techniques have been proved defective and today camera trapping is proving more successful. However,
not all forests in India have been provided with camera traps, especially those forests that are very hilly and inaccessible or situated in border areas with China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan or Burma. In addition, the Forest Department in India suffers from an acute shortage of manpower and what staff are employed are ill-equipped and suffer from low morale brought on by low wages often paid in arrears. DNA sequencing has also been proposed for determining tiger numbers but the technology and expertise is sadly deficient in India; also tiger scat can be difficult to detect and is quickly degraded in humid jungle environments. Tiger mortality rates are also extremely difficult to estimate because tiger carcasses are not found so easily within jungle areas. Tigers also succumb to mortality due to many unnatural factors such as poisoning by villagers, electrocution, collision with vehicles on roads running near parks and poaching for TCMs (Traditional Chinese Medicines). Within this article are photos of a tigress dead from undetermined causes (viewer discretion advised). It was taken by my brother at Kohora in the famous Kaziranga National Park in northeast India some years back.
Finally, it needs to be emphasized here that there is no shortage of funds allocated for tiger conservation in India. What India needs most to protect is not only its remaining tigers but all its other wildlife species are trained scientists on the ground. For example, in India the level of veterinary care for wildlife is pitiful; in states such as Maharashtra in the South and Uttar Pradesh in the North wildlife officials and their staff do not have available tranquillizers to dart problem tigers or leopards which are thus often shot and killed when they stray out of protected areas into villages. Tigers or leopards when discovered live in traps and snares are frequently administered excessive and fatal dosages of tranquillizer. When tigers or leopards are caught by wildlife officials and transported out of problem areas, they end up suffering enormous stress and injuring themselves in confinement – usually cramped and rusty iron cages – and finally succumb to disease from infections. Domestic cattle need to be inoculated against such diseases as rinderpest, foot and mouth and brucellosis to prevent these diseases from spreading to wild ungulates. Stray dogs wander from villages into forested areas spreading such diseases as rabies and canine distemper to wild carnivores; the Indian population of the Asiatic wild dog, the dhole, has dipped significantly through disease contracted by village pariah dogs. Sterilization programs need to be implemented more effectively to prevent such epidemics. Veterinarians from the U.S., Canada and the West can provide enormous technical and scientific backup and training to wildlife officials in India in all the areas described above.
Therefore in conclusion the problems confronting tigers and other wildlife in India today may be summarized as follows:
• Poaching, deforestation and livestock grazing;
• Ill-equipped, under-staffed personnel allocated to protect-ing forest areas;
• Estrangement of local peoples, mostly tribals, who live in the vicinity of protected areas by not involving them in eco-tourism and eco-development initiatives;
• Lack of forest corridors linking wildlife habitats to ensure genetic pool diversity of wild animals. Foreign visitors to India can help protect India’s wildlife by first visiting a select number of wildlife areas, noting their observations and then on returning home involving organizations there to work with NGOs in India by way of providing volunteers to:
1. Assist forest staff in conducting census studies of wild ani-mals for which large areas need to be covered on foot, or in installing camera traps in large inaccessible forest areas still to be studied for tiger numbers;
2. Provide professional assistance to wildlife officials by way of veterinary care, in GPS satellite imaging for keeping records of animal densities, genetic sequencing of animal DNA for determining health and population data for wild animals, implementing RFID biometrics for record-ing individual radio-collared tigers;
3. Work with local communities to provide incentives to them to protect wildlife through sustainable forest harvesting (e.g., lantana is a noxious weed growing in forested areas which when cut can be made into furniture and sold profitably).
When I visited Corbett, Kanha and Pench National Parks I was encouraged to see that wildlife populations in these areas were thriving because ecotourism and eco-development have been harmonized here; I would strongly suggest to any avid wildlife enthusiast coming to India that they first check out these destinations.
For more information on wildlife tours within India especially in wild and unexploited areas or off the beaten track please contact Navtej Mangat of Gauri Travels on +91 (0)7692898193 or by email at [email protected].
Bottom Line: This article chronicles travels in India today and the work of volunteers and professionals in the preservation of wildlife; it also provides suggestions for tourists and others which can help.
Dr. Dev Mangat Dr. Dev Mangat was appointed in 2006 as clinical lead and clinical cluster director for Oasis Dental Care, a Corporate Body in England. In 2009, he moved to Canada and is now an associate for ROI Corpora-tion Brokerage situated in Calgary. He regularly attends courses worldwide and has a particular interest in esthetic and restorative dentistry. He can be reached at 403.607.1314 or at [email protected].
Deforestation of tiger habitat
Photos of a poached tiger.
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Long before Alf Wight—better known by his pen
name James Herriot—began to write stories about
his wonderful experiences as a young country
veterinarian, my mother had caringly taught us to
love all creatures great and small. Sadly she passed
away before Herriot’s delightful books about
his hectic and usually hilarious life in England’s
Yorkshire dales were available for her to read.
And she would have so very much enjoyed the
television programs that were developed from these
books and were to become the most beloved and
enduring shows ever produced about animals and
their owners.
In James Herriot’s stories veterinarians are ever present in the daily life of a small Yorkshire community. But as a boy growing up through the long years of the Great Depression and the following years of the Second World War, even though I spent all my summer holidays in a small farming village I never encountered a veterinarian there, or in Saskatoon, my home town, for if I had, I might have become one.
I think the “Handsaws,” an imaginary cat family, originated in the fertile mind of my Uncle George. However he was invented, my two brothers and I grew up with daily offerings of sage advice from Rupert of Handsaw. In a lispy voice that my mother imagined was catlike, she would present us with a variety of proverbs mixed in with helpful advice such as: “Rupe says: The early bird gets the worm—so don’t be late for school.” These ‘Rupisms’ were not often welcomed but if we accused my mother of creating these annoying bon mots she would innocently say—“that wasn’t my suggestion, it was Rupe’s!”
Lists I know are boring but it may be enlightening to enumerate the various animals that my mother persuaded us to give shelter to over the years.
To begin with, in the 1920s my mother and father raised St. Bernard dogs. Bruce was a docile giant that whimpered to be freed if he was tied to my mother’s sewing machine with a bit of thread. His wife Lady, petulantly trashed the house if she wasn’t taken with the family for car rides. Because there wasn’t room in the car for two huge dogs, Bruce stayed at home with their pups whose appetites emptied the pantry and my dad’s pocketbook. My mother had a canary that wouldn’t sing; two mute love birds (one of whom began to merrily chirp when the other one died). And
I had my best pal Joe, a gentle Airedale dog that moved with our family from Detroit to Saskatoon after my father passed away in an accident in 1931.
In Saskatoon, we could have opened our own zoo. Over time we had pets that included a turtle named Leonard; a pigeon called Feathers that bullied George, our bad tempered cat; pop-eyed goldfish in an outdoor pond; a pair of chinchillas that were supposed to produce children and make us rich but didn’t; three chattering and nasty baby owls that ate hamburger while briefly imprisoned in a screened piano box; a clever crow called Joe; various hamsters and chipmunks that were forever escaping from their cages and hiding in a spring filled couch and dozens of nervous tropical fish that were constantly found floating belly-up in a big tank generously populated with snails that failed miserably in keeping a clean house.
I had thought to mention “Hank”, the hawk that my brother raised from infancy, and perhaps a few words about his parrot and cockatiel (which he insisted could talk) and his pet owl “Nasty”—but that would make this story too long.
When our son earned school credits by working in an Endangered Animal Shelter, home to aged lions and tigers without teeth and pythons without muscles, we asked him to cut lawns instead and learn landscaping skills.
Our zoo keeping days are over. A remaining pet, a cat named “Terrible Ted” that attacks shoes (with or without feet in them) is developing traits that could earn him an early home in an Endangered Cat Shelter.
For some time humans have known animals communicate with each other but we don’t know what they say. But from what animals know about our mistreatment of our shared home—planet earth—it shouldn’t surprise us to learn that when they do speak, birds, bees, and beasts are telling each other that humans are the dumbest animals in our polluted universe! And if he were still with us to say so, Rupert of Handsaw would heartily agree.
Bottom Line: This column reminisces about an earlier time when animals and pets were looked on differently than now and ends with a stark reminder and commentary on human behaviour.
Lastly, it’s not all one big puppy party. There are a lot of very difficult things to deal with—from people who don’t treat their dogs well to dogs who just can’t be saved. Burn out is a very common problem amongst trainers.
This may be a weird question; if you’re in a bar and somebody asks what you do, what do you say?
Usually I don’t like to say what I do because then I get inundated with a million questions about their particular dog for the rest of the night! So l just say I work with dogs and leave it at that.
Do you have any final thoughts about the status and well-being of dog training in Canada today? Is the business moving in the right direction or are we getting too many people popping up claiming to be trainers?
I think the industry needs more accountability and regulation. There was a recent expose about veterinarians who elicited a lot of concern regarding some of the allegations made. It must be a tough thing to go through but I wish trainers underwent similar scrutiny. I would also like to see tools such as choke chains, prong collars and electronic shock devices banned as they have been in many other countries. I think it takes a lot of nerve to charge people a lot of money to just put a shock collar on someone’s dog and call it ‘training’. I’m not sure where the skill lies in that. In the eyes of the law dogs are merely property so it’s hard to get legislators to pay attention to this stuff.
That being said, there are changes brewing—The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness signed in 2012 declared that animals are conscious and aware in much the same way humans are and that they do experience emotions. This has always been a taboo notion in scientific circles but I think with that and the growing number of canine cognition labs at universities around the world, we are at the beginning of an exciting new era of knowledge where our dogs are concerned.
Bottom Line: This interview features a certified dog trainer who tells her story about being a dog trainer and offers insights to those who may wish to pursue the same career.
Caroline Applebee Caroline Applebee holds a B.Sc. in Biology from McGill University with a specialization in Animal Behaviour and has been Board Certified since 2004 through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She offers private training, puppy socialization classes and group manners classes using positive reinforcement; she can be reached at raisingrover.com
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by Dick Moody
If Only They Could Talk
Dick Moody Dick Moody is a retired broadcast advertising salesman who now writes for his local newspaper as well as Profitable Practice . He can be reached through the editor of this magazine.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
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