By NICOLE SHELDON
Growing up on a small hobby farm in the Midwest with a
plethora of different animals ignited Mandi Beckmann’s interest in animal
medicine at a young age. Her desire to be a veterinarian never wavered, and
after earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and honors from the University of
North Dakota in 2014, she went right on to the University of Minnesota for vet
school.
In 2018, Beckmann earned her doctorate of veterinary
medicine. Originally hailing from Minnesota just outside of the Twin Cities, she
landed in Rochester for an internship in equine, or horse, medicine. Beckmann
loves working with horses, but after her internship she felt tugged to explore
her other passion, end-of-life and geriatric care.
While in vet school, Beckmann worked part-time at an animal
practice specializing in end-of-life services for pets. She spent a lot of time
counseling pet owners through the process of saying goodbye to their pet, and
she fell in love with the work.
At a veterinary conference in Tampa Bay, Fla., in January,
Beckmann discovered Lap of Love, a network of veterinarians in cities around
the United States who aid pet owners with exclusively in-home end-of-life care
and euthanasia for pets. Founded by veterinarians Mary Gardner and Dani McVety,
the company’s goal is to empower pet owners in caring for their older pets, and
its philosophy revolves around keeping the human-animal bond as undisturbed as
possible during the difficult experience of putting a pet down.
“I was blown away by
Dr. Mary and Dr. Dani’s talks,” says Beckmann, 26. “I visited the Lap of Love
booth and, lo and behold, they had a map of pushpins of places where they were
looking to start new service areas and Rochester was right there. The rest is
sort of history.”
Founded in 2009, Lap of Love has over 70 service areas in 32
states. Beckmann is the first vet to introduce Lap of Love to Rochester.
“Bringing Lap of Love here has been very similar to starting
a practice,” says Beckmann. “I'm
marketing myself, I'm visiting clinics, I'm getting the word out about the
services that we offer, but I'm also supported by this larger franchise.”
Forty percent of Lap of Love’s appointments come from
referrals from pets’ primary veterinarians; another 40 percent comes from word
of mouth; and the remaining 20 percent comes from pet owners’ independent
research, notes Beckmann. She has been spreading the word about Lap of Love
throughout Rochester through visits with primary clinics.
“What I do is complementary
to what a pet's normal veterinarian provides,” she says. “We don't see it as
competition; we see it as working together to benefit pets.”
Lap of Love’s support center handles all of the scheduling and
coordination with families before Beckmann meets with pet owners to help them
say goodbye to their beloved pets. Beckmann credits the kindness and compassion
of the vet care coordinators with making it a smooth experience for both her
and families.
Being raised on a farm surrounded by cats, dogs, chickens,
goats, horses—you name it—Beckmann is amazed by all that animals give humans.
Pets, in particular, provide unconditional love and relationships unencumbered
by drama that hinders human relationships. Being a veterinarian is Beckmann’s
way of giving back to animals.
“We spend so much
time, effort and energy making our pet’s lives as great as we possibly can, and
they deserve the end of their lives to also be as great as possible,” says
Beckmann. “That means at home, where they're comfortable and feel safe,
surrounded by everybody who loves them.”
Her job isn’t easy, Beckmann admits. She’s helping people on
one of the worst days of their lives. But coupled with the sense of loss is
fulfillment for Beckmann as she gently guides families through their pet’s
dying process.
“The way I see it is
that pet loss is universal. Anyone who owns a pet is going to experience that
loss at some point in their lives, myself included,” she says. “I've had to say
goodbye to so many pets over the years, and I know how heartbreaking that is. If
I can make it a little bit better and a more peaceful memory for the owners and
a better experience for the pet, then that's incredible.”
Beckmann affirms that one of the most important traits of
end-of-life care is recognizing and honoring that every pet owner comes from a
different place. Some owners spend heaps of money on their pet because they can
afford it without batting an eye. Others face financial limits, and Beckmann is adamant about keeping every
appointment judgment-free.
“We're accepting and
don't pass judgments on families regardless, as long as we're working together
to do what's best for the pet to make sure they're not suffering,” she says.
Lap of Love and
hospice care for pets is a journey that Beckmann sees herself on long-term. She
and her fiancée are building a life far from home, and Beckmann admits she had
some preconceived notions about the East Coast before coming here, but she says
everyone has been welcoming and that Rochester feels familiar and comfortable. Rochester
may not be quite as relaxed or low-key as the Midwest, but Beckmann happily calls
it home.
Though she hasn’t been in the business for long, Beckmann
has already been able to see the difference she can make in a person’s life
through caring for their pet.
“The nuts and bolts
of veterinary medicine is caring for the animals, and I absolutely adore that
and that's why I went into it, but early on I hadn't thought about how much of
an impact you can have on peoples' lives through caring for their animals,” she
says. “Seeing that play out and being a part of that is incredible and
humbling.”
Nsheldon@bridgetowermedia.com / (585)
363-7031
#Team PXY with Corey James on
98PXY is a partner with Fast Start. Listen on Monday from 5:30 to 10 a.m. for
his interview with Mandi Beckmann.
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