This is what life is all about.
We came together from different backgrounds. A dean of veterinary medicine, a pet business expert, and a couple of hungry entrepreneurs. We traveled across the world on a mission.
Turns out, when you have a shared mission around how important pets are to humanity, remarkable connections form.
That's how powerful the human-animal bond is.
The instant connections were not limited to our group of American travelers. Nor were they restricted by language barriers, locations, or social status.
Because the moment we talked about pets, there was instant, mutual understanding. The human-animal bond is truly the unspoken language.
In Korea, I watched young veterinary students light up when talking about their work. I shared meals with brilliant veterinarians and communicators who are at the forefront of the medical field.
I toured innovative pet care facilities and educational institutions where everybody understands what pets mean to us. There was even a woman who managed to share a smile of acknowledgment as she cradled her sick Maltese in her arms.
I shared drinks and stories with the future of veterinary care in Korea (it's in excellent hands). I also had the opportunity to look into the eyes of many global veterinary leaders and engage in meaningful interactions.
The string that ties all of these unique experiences together is the belief in the power of the human-animal bond.
No competition. Only collaboration.
Knowing that my words won't adequately convey the feeling of this special trip, I wanted to create a video as a thank-you note to everybody who contributed to this incredible experience.
As you'll see, Dr Shi Zhensheng from Beijing created a beautiful piece of ancient Chinese calligraphy that I'm literally looking at in my office right now. It seemed like the perfect foundation to share the story of this trip.
(I still can't believe I captured that moment π)
The pet artwork shown at the end of the video was created by people with special needs who express happiness best through art.
Pet Portal AI serves the human-animal bond. We are in service to that entity because of the power it has to heal and enrich our lives.
That's the mission. That's what brought us together across continents and languages.
And that's what's going to change everything.
Thank you to everybody who played a role in making this an experience of a lifetime.
What was your favorite part?
By the way, many people are not tagged but deserve to be. Please help me share this with them and add their name to the list in the comments.
Harold Lee, MBA
Rustin Moore, Dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Bruce L. Truman, MBA
Henry Yoo, DVM MSc MBA
Jisun Choi
Gene O'Neill, North American Veterinary Community (NAVC)
Young Rak Lee
Ronald Li (ζ)
Joshua Stern
Vanessa Barrs
Link to the original LinkedIn post:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7347913530207047680/