This week, the Veterinary Viewfinder keeps a beloved tradition alive with a festive gift for the profession. Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, share a brand-new veterinary rendition of T’was the Night Before Christmas, written for every veterinarian, technician, assistant, CSR, kennel team member, and manager working through the holidays. The poem walks listeners through a Christmas Eve shift full of familiar chaos, unexpected cases, and the kind of humor that only happens in a clinic on a busy night.

You’ll hear nods to the species you treat, the equipment that never seems to cooperate, and the teamwork that holds the whole place together. Most importantly, the episode offers a moment of gratitude for everyone who shows up for patients and families during a season that can be joyful and exhausting at the same time.

If your clinic is open this week, or if you’ve ever spent a holiday in scrubs, this episode is meant to bring a smile, a sense of recognition, and a little warmth at the end of a long year. Merry Christmas from the Viewfinder family to yours.

This week on The Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, ask a timely question many teams are quietly wondering: Are veterinary clients meaner this year? 

As the 2025 holiday rush collides with rising costs, canceled insurance policies, and shifting social norms, many clinics are experiencing increased client frustration and emotional volatility. From Dr. Ward fielding complaints about the weather-soaked Calabash Christmas Parade to everyday price-related outbursts in vet clinics, across the country, Ernie and Beckie explore why tensions feel higher and what veterinary teams can do to stay grounded.

The hosts break down the layered pressures behind client behavior: inflation hitting veterinary services harder than many other sectors, pet owners stretched thin by holiday-season spending, and a rise in sticker-shock rage. They discuss how front-desk teams absorb the brunt of accumulated hostility, why “just apologize” may be an outdated client service model, and how social media culture has made some clients eager to catch veterinary teams “messing up” on camera.

Most importantly, Ernie and Beckie outline practical strategies clinics can use now, before the holiday surge peaks, to reduce conflict, empower staff, and protect well-being. From setting boundaries to validating emotions without absorbing them, this episode helps veterinary professionals enter the season with clarity, confidence, and compassion.

This week on The Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, slow down the holiday rush to talk about something deceptively simple and surprisingly powerful: gratitude. 

As Thanksgiving arrives, many practice owners and managers are asking the same question: What do I do for my staff this year? Yet the podcast reveals a deeper conversation about why traditional gestures, pizza parties, gift cards, and generic thank-yous often fall flat. Beckie shares that “pizza parties are cliché these days.”

Ernie and Beckie break down why authentic appreciation requires more than convenience. They explore the concept of “gratitude love languages,” encouraging leaders to notice how individual team members naturally give and receive appreciation. 

Through real examples, from celebrating a shy kennel assistant in a way that made her light up, to publicly acknowledging an associate veterinarian’s hard-won case success on social media, the hosts show how personalized recognition creates lasting impact.

Mistakes happen in veterinary practice, but what defines a great team is how they respond. This week on The Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, tackle one of the toughest and most universal realities in veterinary medicine: what to do when something goes wrong.

From small slip-ups to serious medical errors, Ernie and Beckie explore the importance of mindset, communication, and compassion when addressing mistakes. They outline how leaders can create a clinic culture where errors are discussed openly rather than hidden, and where accountability doesn’t come at the cost of psychological safety.

Listeners will learn how to recognize when an error stems from system failure, training gaps, or human fallibility, and how to approach each one with fairness and consistency. The hosts also address how to rebuild trust, both within the team and with clients, after something goes wrong, and when a private conversation versus a public learning moment is appropriate.

This episode challenges veterinary professionals to replace shame with systems thinking, silence with coaching, and fear with empathy. Whether you’re a practice owner, manager, or team member, this conversation will change the way you handle, learn, and grow from mistakes in veterinary medicine.

This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor sit down with Elizabeth Watson and Jane Allen Wilson from the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network for one of the most important conversations in veterinary medicine. Domestic violence affects far more veterinary professionals than most realize, yet it remains one of the least discussed workplace safety issues.

Research shows that an estimated 1 in 5 women will experience some form of violence by a partner in their lifetime; chances are, someone listening is facing it right now. 

Through candid discussion, the guests explain how to recognize warning signs in colleagues, clients, and even animal patients. They describe how abusers often isolate victims and use pets as tools of control, why victims hesitate to seek help, and what veterinarians and managers can do when they suspect abuse. The episode explores the practical and legal steps clinics can take, from safety planning to protective orders, to safeguard team members and their clients.

This episode challenges the profession to view domestic violence as both a personal and a workplace concern, urging listeners to foster safer and more supportive veterinary environments.