Portia Stewart, Editor, Team Channel Director

We had one wild storm a few weeks ago. It was a Friday, and my dog, Sebastian, was scheduled for a regular exam. We were running late, so I was scrambling as I loaded my 2-year-old son, Donovan, in the back seat and coaxed the dog in behind him. Did I mention it was raining? The torrential kind. Sebastian hates thunderstorms, so I could see him trembling during the whole frantic drive.

We talk about the bond between people and their pets every day, but the waves of phone calls your practice has fielded about the pet food recall are just one more demonstration of how much your clients really love their pets. The news about the recall seems to change with alarming regularity. Even now, your calls may have trickled down to nothing or another recall bombshell could be set to explode.

Practices across the country are fielding waves of calls from scared pet owners as news about the pet food recall continues to break. Use these tips to answer clients' questions.

Or is it? You don't need to own something to love it like your own. I love Degas, and yet I don't own a single painting. My husband and I have "our song," but we don't own the rights to it. It's simply something that we connect with and made our own. I don't own this magazine, but I'm passionate about every word, every piece of art, and every picture on the page.

In the words of Freddie Mercury, "This is what you wanted. This is what you're gonna get!" If it seems like this issue came a little sooner than you expected, you're right. You asked for more issues of Firstline, so this year we're boosting our frequency from six to nine issues.

Does dingy, drab, or dungeon-like describe your practice? It might be time for a makeover. Use these quick and thrifty ideas to take your practice from blah to beautiful.

Little irritations can cause bigger flare-ups if you don't swat them early. Use these tips to manage six stressful situations.

Believe it or not, I read this gem on the back of a beer bottle recently. (I've heard of reading tea leaves for wisdom, but this is the first time I've ever found insight in the brew of the grain.) This brewer says he tastes a sample from every batch of beer he makes to ensure it meets his high standards. What a job! This brewer is a pretty bright guy. He found a job he loves and he stands behind his work.

Want to get more done in less time? Plan for efficiency with these one-step-at-a-time solutions.

A few weeks ago my son was sick. After a few days of high fever, he stopped taking his bottle.

My husband's cat, Chelsea, is a gorgeous creature. She has long, silky fur you'd just love to sink your fingers into. She's also got a look in her round, yellow eyes that says, "Don't even try it buster." Like a Venus fly trap, she lures in our defenseless friends who can't resist the idea of sneaking in just one pet. She's eager to respond with a warning growl and a quick swipe that clearly says, "back off!"

Drive down the dead-end road to Donna Rivers' house and you might get the feeling Hurricane Rita happened yesterday, not nearly a year ago.

Are you ready to rekindle your love affair with your job? Do you need tips to work more effectively as a team, offer out-of-this world client service, or deal with your biggest frustrations in practice? We'd love to help. And that's why we're jazzed about Firstline Live, a team training event designed to give you the same kind of high-energy advice and inspiration we deliver in Firstline—except in person.

It's hard to find the right words when you're broaching a topic that could spark tempers. Here's help to head off eruptions with co-workers, clients, or the boss.

Here's a quick snapshot of what we've learned about your career, pay, responsibilities, and feelings about veterinary practice.

Anyone who's managed inventory knows it's tough to find the right balance of products without storing too much-or too little. These tips take the ache out of tracking, ordering, and stocking.

Five years ago Dr. Neil Shaw and his 14 associates worked from a 1,500-square-foot facility. They had so little exam space they were forced to consult with clients over a picnic table or across the seat of a client's car. Dr. Shaw knew he needed more room, so he built an 11,575-square-foot facility to house 75 staff members in 1999-a facility that won a 2000 Merit Award from Veterinary Economics.

Not many people find the opportunity to purchase an area landmark. But when a restaurant went on the market in Salem, Ore., Dr. Tom Van Meter snatched it up; the 1-acre lot featured a 40-foot fir known locally as the holiday tree. "I fell in love with the site," says Dr. Van Meter. "The location offered lots of parking, space to expand, and 30 mature trees, which give the area a park-like feel." In a little more than a year, Dr. Van Meter turned Chelsea's Restaurant into a high-tech veterinary facility that won a merit award in the 2002 Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition.