Our philanthropic mission
is to support programs and initiatives
that improve the mental health of
veterinary healthcare workers and
the people they serve.

Molly Moo was a gentle, herding breed mutt who saved my life.  Molly, who was later nicknamed Molly Moo, was the first family member my husband and I adopted.  When we first met her at the shelter she was distracted or scared and didn’t really want anything to do with us.  But the shelter worker who cared for her said she was very sweet and had been there a long time because she was older and less desirable to humans.  So, we decided she was the dog for us.  Her first few days were tentative, and her first meal was lemon pound cake because she was too scared to eat anything else.  Over time she warmed to us and started herding us when we walked her.  I was in love from day one and I felt very protective of her.  Molly first came to live with us when I was in vet school in California.  She moved with us to NJ for internship, then to NY for residency and finally to Washington where she helped us settle into our new, permanent home.  With every move, she was calm and never seemed to complain.   It was in residency that I first started to experience depression, only I didn’t know that’s what was happening to me. I thought this was just what you had to go through to be a specialty veterinarian.   And I thought it would magically get better when I was no longer a resident.  Low and behold it did not. When I moved to Washington the depression got worse but I still found joy in spending time with Molly.  I loved watching her run and play and I felt comforted in her presence.  However, this did not prevent the suicidal thoughts I had one day.  I even had a plan.  But before I could follow through on that plan, I looked over at Molly Moo laying in her bed.  By then, she was old, gray and living with nasal cancer so I figured she still needed me.  I had to take care of her.  I wouldn’t follow through until she was gone.    Sadly, 1 in 6 veterinarians have considered suicide according the CDC and veterinarians are more likely to die by suicide than those in the in the general population.  In addition, 70% of know a colleague who has died by suicide. Fortunately for me Molly hung around for quite some time and I got help.  Also, luckily, it turns out, suicidal thoughts are not permanent and dying by suicide is preventable. If you or someone you know is in crisis please reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline here or call 988.  Molly enriched my life more than words can say.  She's been gone since 2017.  I still miss her, I still think about her and I still wish I could have just one more day with her.    ​ Rest in peace dear friend.