Meet the veterinarians
About Dr. B Ankone
I was born and raised in South Africa, but with family in Germany, Holland, Argentina, and Australia, I developed a global perspective of the world. As a child, my best babysitter was a German shepherd dog who was only six months older than me. I spent much of my youth at the wildlife parks trying to satisfy my fascination with science, biology, and life.
I earned my undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. A decade later, I attended veterinary school at UC Davis in California. I love setting puppies and kittens up for a lifetime of health with early preventive care, and I also feel that a crucial part of my job as a veterinarian is delivering compassionate end-of-life care.
When a pet has experienced too many difficult days and suffers from a poor quality of life, it becomes essential to prevent further suffering. I have lost many pets myself, and although losing them is difficult, I find peace in knowing that they did not suffer and they passed in the home they have always known. My pets are my family, and I know the families I help feel the same way about their dogs and cats.
After 30 years in this profession, I have a deep understanding of the difficult yet selfless decision pet owners must make when animal family members become sick. Truly understanding this has influenced my decision to continue practicing end-of-life care in the twilight years of my career with Lap of Love. I have been there myself, I will be there again, and I want to help other families through this experience.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my dog and cats at home. There is always something to do, read, create, or play, or we simply relax in each other’s company. My current favorite hobby is digitizing film, home videos, and slides collected from my childhood and past generations of my family.
About Dr. Melia Pitney
I was born in Colorado before moving to Orange County, California to complete elementary through high school. I've loved animals for as long as I can remember, but that love was also matched with my desire to help people. For a long while, I thought I was meant to become a psychologist. It actually wasn’t until two years into college, when visiting the local zoo in Colorado Springs that it dawned on me that I could be helping both animals and people at the same time. The next day I was in my academic counselor's office changing my academic focus towards veterinary medicine. I still got my degree in psychology, but added on multiple biology/chemistry courses and completed an internship in wildlife rehabilitation.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. I then earned my veterinary degree and a master’s degree in public health from Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona.
I've been lucky enough to build experience in a variety of niches of the veterinary field, from non-profit medicine to private practice. I've worked with dogs, cats, exotics, horses, ruminants, zoo animals, and wildlife. Every aspect of this field has been rewarding but my favorite part has truly been the relationships I have built with pets and their families. It is an honor to advocate for those without voices.
Having grown up with dogs and cats, I've unfortunately experienced loss. Just a few months into vet school, on Christmas Eve, my family dog, Sammy, experienced a sudden splenic tumor rupture. I was grateful to be there with my family and our dog as he gently crossed the rainbow bridge. It was then that I realized how important it was for all family members to get the peaceful passing that they deserve. It's never easy to say goodbye to our beloved family members and it will always feel like it is too soon, but helping pets and families find peace and comfort through end-of-life care and euthanasia is truly an honor and a privilege.
When I'm not working, you can probably find me watching sports, obsessively taking pictures of my own pets, and spending time with my husband, family, and friends.
About Dr. Dave Leatherman
I was born in San Pedro, California, and grew up in nearby Manhattan Beach. The ocean and sunshine have been part of my life since I was a baby, and I love the water. I also love animals, particularly dogs, and seeing them in my younger years always brought a smile to my face, no matter how my day was going.
While attending junior college in my 20s, I excelled in science and math. I realized that, combined with my love of animals, this prepared me perfectly for a veterinary career. I transferred to UC Davis, where I earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry with a minor in animal science.
My passion for animals then took me to Perth, Western Australia, where I earned my veterinary degree from Murdoch University. During my time in vet school, I traveled to India to spay and neuter street dogs. I even adopted one of them and named her Sumitra, which means "good friend" in Hindi. I still love to travel and try to do so as often as I can.
I returned to California after graduation and held associate positions at several hospitals in Southern and Northern California, but I never found my dream job. Then I discovered relief work. I loved the variety of traveling to other hospitals and experiencing new things, including mobile vet care. I saw how helpful in-home care was for elderly clients and anxious animals.
This passion for in-home veterinary care led me to Lap of Love, which focuses on compassionate care surrounding difficult end-of-life decisions. I am humbled each time I am welcomed into another person's home to help their family cope with the aging and eventual loss of their beloved pet. This is the work I was meant to do, and I am grateful to be where I belong.
About Dr. B Ankone
I was born and raised in South Africa, but with family in Germany, Holland, Argentina, and Australia, I developed a global perspective of the world. As a child, my best babysitter was a German shepherd dog who was only six months older than me. I spent much of my youth at the wildlife parks trying to satisfy my fascination with science, biology, and life.
I earned my undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. A decade later, I attended veterinary school at UC Davis in California. I love setting puppies and kittens up for a lifetime of health with early preventive care, and I also feel that a crucial part of my job as a veterinarian is delivering compassionate end-of-life care.
When a pet has experienced too many difficult days and suffers from a poor quality of life, it becomes essential to prevent further suffering. I have lost many pets myself, and although losing them is difficult, I find peace in knowing that they did not suffer and they passed in the home they have always known. My pets are my family, and I know the families I help feel the same way about their dogs and cats.
After 30 years in this profession, I have a deep understanding of the difficult yet selfless decision pet owners must make when animal family members become sick. Truly understanding this has influenced my decision to continue practicing end-of-life care in the twilight years of my career with Lap of Love. I have been there myself, I will be there again, and I want to help other families through this experience.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my dog and cats at home. There is always something to do, read, create, or play, or we simply relax in each other’s company. My current favorite hobby is digitizing film, home videos, and slides collected from my childhood and past generations of my family.
About Dr. Melia Pitney
I was born in Colorado before moving to Orange County, California to complete elementary through high school. I've loved animals for as long as I can remember, but that love was also matched with my desire to help people. For a long while, I thought I was meant to become a psychologist. It actually wasn’t until two years into college, when visiting the local zoo in Colorado Springs that it dawned on me that I could be helping both animals and people at the same time. The next day I was in my academic counselor's office changing my academic focus towards veterinary medicine. I still got my degree in psychology, but added on multiple biology/chemistry courses and completed an internship in wildlife rehabilitation.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. I then earned my veterinary degree and a master’s degree in public health from Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona.
I've been lucky enough to build experience in a variety of niches of the veterinary field, from non-profit medicine to private practice. I've worked with dogs, cats, exotics, horses, ruminants, zoo animals, and wildlife. Every aspect of this field has been rewarding but my favorite part has truly been the relationships I have built with pets and their families. It is an honor to advocate for those without voices.
Having grown up with dogs and cats, I've unfortunately experienced loss. Just a few months into vet school, on Christmas Eve, my family dog, Sammy, experienced a sudden splenic tumor rupture. I was grateful to be there with my family and our dog as he gently crossed the rainbow bridge. It was then that I realized how important it was for all family members to get the peaceful passing that they deserve. It's never easy to say goodbye to our beloved family members and it will always feel like it is too soon, but helping pets and families find peace and comfort through end-of-life care and euthanasia is truly an honor and a privilege.
When I'm not working, you can probably find me watching sports, obsessively taking pictures of my own pets, and spending time with my husband, family, and friends.
About Dr. Dave Leatherman
I was born in San Pedro, California, and grew up in nearby Manhattan Beach. The ocean and sunshine have been part of my life since I was a baby, and I love the water. I also love animals, particularly dogs, and seeing them in my younger years always brought a smile to my face, no matter how my day was going.
While attending junior college in my 20s, I excelled in science and math. I realized that, combined with my love of animals, this prepared me perfectly for a veterinary career. I transferred to UC Davis, where I earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry with a minor in animal science.
My passion for animals then took me to Perth, Western Australia, where I earned my veterinary degree from Murdoch University. During my time in vet school, I traveled to India to spay and neuter street dogs. I even adopted one of them and named her Sumitra, which means "good friend" in Hindi. I still love to travel and try to do so as often as I can.
I returned to California after graduation and held associate positions at several hospitals in Southern and Northern California, but I never found my dream job. Then I discovered relief work. I loved the variety of traveling to other hospitals and experiencing new things, including mobile vet care. I saw how helpful in-home care was for elderly clients and anxious animals.
This passion for in-home veterinary care led me to Lap of Love, which focuses on compassionate care surrounding difficult end-of-life decisions. I am humbled each time I am welcomed into another person's home to help their family cope with the aging and eventual loss of their beloved pet. This is the work I was meant to do, and I am grateful to be where I belong.
About Dr. B Ankone
I was born and raised in South Africa, but with family in Germany, Holland, Argentina, and Australia, I developed a global perspective of the world. As a child, my best babysitter was a German shepherd dog who was only six months older than me. I spent much of my youth at the wildlife parks trying to satisfy my fascination with science, biology, and life.
I earned my undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. A decade later, I attended veterinary school at UC Davis in California. I love setting puppies and kittens up for a lifetime of health with early preventive care, and I also feel that a crucial part of my job as a veterinarian is delivering compassionate end-of-life care.
When a pet has experienced too many difficult days and suffers from a poor quality of life, it becomes essential to prevent further suffering. I have lost many pets myself, and although losing them is difficult, I find peace in knowing that they did not suffer and they passed in the home they have always known. My pets are my family, and I know the families I help feel the same way about their dogs and cats.
After 30 years in this profession, I have a deep understanding of the difficult yet selfless decision pet owners must make when animal family members become sick. Truly understanding this has influenced my decision to continue practicing end-of-life care in the twilight years of my career with Lap of Love. I have been there myself, I will be there again, and I want to help other families through this experience.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my dog and cats at home. There is always something to do, read, create, or play, or we simply relax in each other’s company. My current favorite hobby is digitizing film, home videos, and slides collected from my childhood and past generations of my family.