Our Family
| Dr. Donald Earl | ||
Dr Earl started his career in veterinary medicine in 1989. His wife, Andrea, brought home a very sick puppy named Booboo. Over the next 2 weeks she was diagnosed with distemper and Donny and Andrea were told by an emergency doctor to put her to sleep. They loved her too much to let her go that quick and took her to another doctor for a second opinion. A fantastic vet named John Symes told them not to give up yet, he still had a little fighting room left. Over the next few months her bill went into the thousands and Dr. Symes let Donny start helping at the hospital to defray some of the bill. He worked part time at the hospital for the next 7 years until he left for Veterinary School. While he was working as a technician he also volunteered 2 days a week at The Friends of the Sea Lion in Laguna Beach. On his birthday in 1991 his greatest supporter, his wife of 25 years Andrea, told him he should go back to school to follow his lifelong dream of being a veterinarian. Dr. Earl graduated with his D.V.M. from the |
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University of Florida in 2000. Since then he has enjoyed practicing small animal medicine in both Irvine and Rancho Santa Margarita. Especially dear to him is his rescue work with German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County, Guide dogs for the Blind, and The Pup squad Rescue... Dr Earl is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, California Veterinary Medical Association, Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, and Feline Practitioners of America. He has lectured on “Technology in the fully Integrated Veterinary Practice” in Chicago, Honolulu, and Southern California. He is an Eagle Scout, Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 636, and an avid supporter of The Boy Scouts of America. |
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Daniel Linn | |
Dan and Dr Earl met when Donny was a technician and Dan was an R.O.P. student that began working at the animal hospital. Donny was assigned to “ show Dan the Ropes” and their friendship began. Dan and Dr. Earl’s paths parted for the next 5 years as Dan continued his career as a veterinary technician and Dr Earl left for veterinary school. They met up again in 2001 and the family was reunited. Dan has worked as a technician for 16 years progressing to Head Technician in 1999. |
| Suzann Linn, aka Suzy Q | ||
The third member of the family joined us in 2002. Suzy started working as a bather in 2001 part time while she was earning her bachelors degree in kinesiology from UCLA. In 2002 her family dog “Cinco” had a severe stroke and was comatose. Suzy drove him to the hospital at light speed and spent the next 48 hours by his side. He did recover with her TLC, and was thereafter known lovingly as “Tres y Media”(three and a half as there was always a little damage.) Suzy was embraced as the third member of our family, which seemed only natural, as she and Dan are really brother and sister. In 2005 our trio headed off to an adventure that would forever bond them as a true family. After Hurricane Katrina, Dan learned of a rescue center that was in need of medications. After spending the |
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| next 2 hours on-line, he learned that the center not only needed.medicine, but also had no doctors. Within 24 hours the three were on a plane headed for the Mississippi-Louisiana border. They expected to actually go on boats into the heart of New Orleans, but after the first night the center asked them to stay and build and run an emergency ICU. Over the next 4 days they slept a total of 5 hours and worked in conditions that were far below what they were used too. With no diagnostic equipment other than penlights, a stethoscope, and all their years of training, they ran the emergency hospital and oversaw all of the 150 critical patients and over 200 small and toy dogs. They are very proud that in their 5 days in the center, they were responsible for the care of over 450 animals, and only lost 1 patient, a very stressed out pet bird. The experience showed them what they could really do, and changed them forever. One experience really pointed out what they already knew. Dr Earl was asked to examine a large rottweiler that had been injured, and Suzy and Dan went to check it out first. They felt that the animal was extremely aggressive and that it would need to be restrained, most likely with rabies poles, for Dr. Earl’s safety. The camp staff said no, and asked Dr. Earl to see the patient with their “professional handlers.” Suzy and Dan let them know that would not happen as they “protect his life, and he protects ours’.” 30 minutes later Dr. Earl was sewing up the wounds on the handler they had sent in to deal with the dog | ||
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Erin Dunlap | |
| Erin joined our family in 2005 after deciding that she would like to try the field of Veterinary Medicine. She had previously been in nursing school, but decided that her lifelong love of animals was leading her in a different direction. She started in the industry working as a receptionist and after 3 years began working with patients. At present she is only working with us part time, as she has become an integral part of Pup Squad Rescue. |