I grew up in a small town in southeast Kansas as well as in Overland Park, which is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As a Kansas City native, I have to say it has the best barbecue on the planet. The city has more than 200 fountains, earning it the nickname “City of Fountains.”

My father was a family physician, so medicine runs in the family, but I was always crazy about critters, especially dogs, horses, and other farm animals. I owned and showed quarter horses, and this experience is what drove my pursuit of veterinary medicine.

I finished my undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at Kansas State University. During more than four decades in the field, I have held various positions, including in general practice, regulatory veterinary medicine, and equine reproductive services.

I feel privileged and blessed to help families and their pets as they say goodbye. It’s important to allow our pets to proceed on their journey while keeping them in our hearts. I like that I can help provide dignity in a pet’s final moments.

My life outside of work tends to revolve around dogs and horses. My wife, Cathy, and I share a love of horses, and she is a retired American Quarter Horse Association/American Paint Horse Association (APHA) professional horseman who has trained and shown many APHA World Champions and continues to show amateur hunters. I also enjoy collecting Pueblo and Diné Native American art and silversmith jewelry.