The promise of an early spring has passed. Here in the Northeast, and in the Midwest as well, we are still struggling to get to the weather that we were enjoying one month earlier last year. In the New York-Connecticut area where I live, we had eight days over 80 degrees in March 2012; so far, we have experienced only a handful of days just reaching 70 degrees. I am hopeful that a burst of spring will arrive shortly, and that this warmer weather will bring animals into our hospitals in preparation for spending more time outside. We’ll get there eventually, but we all know the winter has been longer than we would like so we’re more than ready.

Pet Partners is more than proud of the Medical Advisory Board that was formalized this January 1, 2013. Dr. Tom Butera, assisted by Dr. Brian Bretz, has developed a strong group with medical visions and goals that are to the benefit of every person working in the Pet Partners community. The standards of care that every practice has developed must have the consensus of doctors from throughout the demographic variances of our practices.

As we surge into the New Year, I want to reflect on the Annual Leadership Conference in Baltimore that was attended by over 90 people this year. The enthusiasm and ongoing passion for the medicine discussed at this meeting is carrying into 2013.

Pet Partners prepares for the New Year with some excitement and with some sadness. We have together weathered a major hurricane that hit some of our practices very hard and hit my home town in Fairfield, CT with a vengeance. In fact weeks later, there are still homes without power in my town but in all, the effect was short lived and we are all back to some semblance of normal at all our veterinary locations. The practices affected found ways to keep services for the pets in need open and operational even without power. We all pay tribute to that effort and that concern. It was greatly noticed and appreciated. It speaks to leadership at all those locations.

The activity level at Pet Partners continues to grow and it is hard to believe the summer has passed and we are headed into the fall of the year. As we have expanded our practice base, fall takes on new meanings in different areas of the country. The northeast fall is likely the brightest colors anywhere but it is also the sign that a possible harsh winter is around the corner. We are all hopeful that the weather will cooperate as it did last year.