Do you feel what I feel?

At one point during the Western Veterinary Conference, a few members of our team gathered for an inordinately expensive dinner. (It's Vegas. The amount paid for food in Vegas stays in Vegas.) The conversation was light, until someone stumbled onto a sensitive topic.

Brendan Howard

Tired and red-eyed, she told us she'd had to make the decision to have her senior cat euthanized. The only consolation? We work in an industry surrounded by people who understand exactly how much that hurts, exactly how that works in practice, and exactly how the healing process happens.

She teared up. We grew quiet. There was a pause. She told us how it felt. In this wild, colorful city, she told us, it was the bright lights of veterinarians and team members that shone through for her and that made her feel accepted for feeling so strongly for her cat. We "got it." You do too. It's your job.

In this issue, you'll find inspiration in the form of the Hospital of the Year. We hope find an idea or two, or even see a new hospital in the cards when you're ready to take the leap.

We also give you a head start in evaluating pet health insurance so you can decide whether it's time to offer more than a wall of brochures to help clients pay for their pets' healthcare.

All that to say, we have new tools for you. But it always feels good for me to pause for a moment and reflect on how rewarding it is to be in a position to help veterinarians and team members with the hard work they do every day: Caring for beloved pets, working through tough decisions with pet owners, and consoling the team members, colleagues, and clients who face fear, grief, and anxiety in the face of the great medical unknown.

It is my hope that this magazine and our work on dvm360.com is an important part of your ability to fight for pets and the clients who love them.

From a grateful editor, thank you.