Hello, my name is Dr. Mark Beerenstrauch, and I am a veterinarian, pet-talk radio-show host and, most importantly, a pet parent. I thought the best way to start this column was by blogging about the most influential person to come into my life. The only catch— she was not a …

Picture this scenario: you’ve just adopted an active, exuberant dog, but then your veterinarian diagnoses him with a malignant tumor and only one year to live. Now imagine that, just three years later, you are faced with your own diagnosis of breast cancer! Incredibly, this is just what happened to …