Sharing stories of compassion on the West Coast

dvm360’s West Coast Fetch conference promises to be educational, informative, and inspiring. Attendees at the event—which will be held December 6 to 8, 2024, in Long Beach, California—will also find the 3 daily keynote sessions to be moving experiences.

Eric D. Garcia, founder of Simply Done Tech Solutions, will join Mary Gardner, DVM, cofounder and chief information officer of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice & In-Home Euthanasia, to deliver the keynote address on day 1 of the conference. Kwane Stewart, DVM, founder of Project Street Vet, will take the keynote stage on day 2. On day 3, the keynote speaker will be Kris Otteman, DVM, DABVP, CAVA, a shelter medicine and veterinary forensics expert.

Collectively, these speakers epitomize the compassion for which the veterinary profession is known. Their planned lectures are as follows:

Eric D. Garcia and Mary Gardner, DVM

Eric Garcia

Garcia and Gardner will deliver the talk “Evolving Together Through Friendship, Accountability, and the Ever- Present Learning Curve.” The keynote address will draw on their personal and professional experiences. They will talk about the “transformative power of friendship” and highlight how a strong bond can help individuals overcome professional challenges.

Mary Gardner, DVM

Kwane Stewart, DVM

Kwane Stewart, DVM

Named the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year, Stewart’s keynote address will be “Why We Don’t Stop: The Unique Animal That Is a Veterinarian.” According to Stewart, veterinarians are built like no other care professionals. Their gifts of empathy, compassion, and ambition help improve the lives of animals, he said. Stewart will focus on well-being and finding tools for self-preservation in a profession where talent can be a detriment to longevity.

Kris Otteman, DVM, DABVP, CAWA

Kris Otteman, DVM, ABVP, CAWA

The conference’s third keynote speaker will discuss the complexities of shelter medicine while confronting uncomfortable truths and challenging the status quo. In the talk “Seeking Truth & Unleashing Unpopular Perspectives in Shelter Medicine and Animal Cruelty,” Otteman will present ethical dilemmas about euthanasia, pet ownership, and quality of care. She also will explore answers to important questions.

Click here for additional information and registration instructions for Fetch Long Beach.

For ongoing coverage of industry events, visit www.dvm360.com/ latest-conference.