Podcast: What Animals Large and Small Taught Me with Dr. Mark Goldstein – It’s a Dog’s Life
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For many people, myself included, working with animals is a dream career. Dr Mark Goldstein is a great example of someone who is living that dream.
Dr. Goldstein has a passion for working with animals and people and has recently authored the book “Lions and Tigers and Hamsters: What Animals Large and Small Taught Me About Life, Love, and Humanity”.
Shortly after graduating Cornell Veterinary School, Dr. Goldstein had an encounter with an elephant, Donia, that changed his life.
“I didn’t follow the rules with Donia,” says Dr. Goldstein. “I approached her recklessly and I nearly lost my life. She threw me 30 feet and 20 feet in the air. If you have ever seen circus elephants do a headstand, that is actually a natural defense and is what they do to kill wildcats who attack them in the wild. She started to do that to me, started to come down on me and something told me to hit her in the eye. She lifted her head and I was able to roll away from her. Why do I use that example? Because there was nothing wrong with Donia. I was the one who broke the rules. I came out of that realizing it was my first life lesson, so I wrote my book to share those life lessons. With Donia, the lesson was: Follow the rules, animal behavior is predictable you just need to learn the language.”
Since his encounter with Donia, Dr. Goldstein has worked at Angel Memorial in Boston and has worked as the director of the Boston area zoos. His work as a veterinarian with a specialty in oncology has given him experience with both domestic animals and wildlife, and he has developed a deep respect for all animals that he hopes to share with others through his book and hopes to educate as many people as possible on how to help animals.
“At the end of the day, animal welfare’s strongest suit to advance itself is education,” says Dr. Goldstein. “Educating the public about wildlife and how to preserve it, and domestic animals and how to care for them and respect them.”
Dr. Goldstein also hopes that his book sheds light on the human-animal bond.
“Domestic animals bring beauty and unconditional love into our life,” says Dr. Goldstein. “Wildlife or agricultural animals bring utilitarian uses, or they protect our environment. We have found that with domestic, utilitarian, and wildlife animals, when we treat them with respect the results are always so much better. Domestic or farm – respect them.”
To learn more about Dr. Goldstein’s book, click here.
To learn more about holistic pet care, visit www.angelaardolino.com.
Angela Ardolino is a holistic pet expert who has been caring for animals for over 20 years, and operates a rescue farm in Lutz, Florida. She is also the owner of Beautify the Beast, a natural pet salon and shop. After getting her certificate in Medical Cannabis Biology and Therapeutic use from the University of Vermont School of Medicine, she founded CBD Dog Health to provide high quality, all-natural medical cannabis products designed specifically for pets. Angela has five dogs, plus 4-10 at any time that she is fostering or boarding; visit www.angelaardolino.com for more information.
About Dr. Mark Goldstein
What Animals Large and Small Taught Me About Life, Love, and Humanity with Dr. Mark Goldstein. From the time Dr. Mark Goldstein was a little boy, even before he had his first dog, he was fascinated by creatures both domestic and wild. After graduating veterinary school at Cornell University, he became a veterinarian in clinical practice, then director of zoos in Boston and Los Angeles, then head of a progressive humane society where he advocated for animal welfare. During his extraordinary 30-year career, Dr. Mark has accrued a lifetime of experiences working with all sorts of animals and the people who care for them. Dr. Mark’s life with animals taught him more than how to be a great doctor, it taught him how to live life. The stories in this book reflect those lessons; they will make you laugh and cry as they entertain and amaze you. Each real-life experience sheds light on the challenges and hard work of the talented individuals who work in the world of animal welfare. These are stories that illustrate the tremendous impact animals have on our daily lives—they are hallmarks of the sacred importance of the human-animal bond. On your journey through the exhilarating life of Dr. Mark, you’ll meet some of the finned, furred, and feathered animals who offered him invaluable insights—Harold the hamster, Sasha the Siberian tiger, St. Francis the German Shepherd, Ralph the buffalo, Gus the stallion, Frank the goldfish, and many more fascinating creatures!