Our Team of Experts

At LovingEarth.com, we are committed to offering the best for our readers. No matter which pet you have; dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, guinea pigs, or aquarium fish, we have a team of licensed veterinarian experts from across the United States.

All our articles are vet-approved and curated by them profoundly. As one of the best emerging pet care organizations, we understand the importance of providing actionable, helpful, and right advice for you. Also, if you have any questions regarding your pet’s health and well-being, you can head over to our ‘Ask A Vet Page’.

Dr. Talon Cheeco (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Talon Cheeco (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Talon Cheeco got his undergraduate degree in the field of Computer Application from the University of Michigan. He then began his career as an Analyst at IKEA. After working for 5 years there, he decided to pursue his dream career of helping ill and needy animals and moved to Chicago to get his degree in veterinary medicine in 1983.

Dr. Talon then started his veterinary practice at Michigan county for free for two years and then joined Arbor Hills Animal Clinic as a doctor. Although he started practicing privately, he regularly visited Michigan county to provide his services non-profit.

He is happily married to a veterinary acupuncturist who serves at General Animal Hospital. Dr. Talon often foster dogs and cats until they found their ‘furever’ home. He is a parent to a greyhound, chocolate lab, and attack cat. He dreams to live in the Rocky Mountains with his husband after retirement.

He believes in educating their community about fostering, rescuing, and TNR programs. He can often be seen spreading awareness about population control measures and adoption in Ann Arbor and nearby cities.

Apart from his love for pets and animals, Dr. Talon has a hobby of collecting different seedlings from nature, nurturing them, and then donating them for tree plantation events.

Dr. Lura Haulina (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Lura Haulina (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

As the Chief Equine Veterinarian at Lake Dow Animal Hospital, GA, Dr. Lura provides medical treatment, guidance, and leadership for maintaining the well-being of all animals. She has over 8 years of experience working at vet hospitals across the United States. Dr. Lura is basically from Portugal and moved to the USA along with her parents when she was just 7.

She completed her undergraduate work at North Dakota State University and then pursued her DVM degree from the University of Georgia in Athens in 1983. Her career started as an intern at Pioneer Equine Veterinary Services, in San Fransisco, California. She worked there for 5 years as an associate equine veterinarian and move to McDonough, GA.

Dr. Lura is married to a small animal vet in McDonough and lives in an apartment with their two daughters. They have a big farmhouse countryside which is also home to their eight horses, four boxers, and nine pigs, and spend their weekends over there.

She also visits different colleges as a guest lecturer on Equine Biomechanics. When she is not working, she dances, does yoga, and practices her daughters’ cheerleading routine. Dr. Lura has a dream of building a ranch where she would raise pigs, ducks, horses, alpacas, dogs, goats, and cats someday.

Dr. Lora LaBranche (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Lora LaBranche (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Lora has been offering her services as a Vice President of Veterinary Operations at VBF. Her work mainly revolves around medical leadership and guiding vet teams working at the organization for the welfare and care of pets as well as animals.

Before joining the Vet’s Best Friend, Dr. Lora had more than 15 years of professional experience in working with numerous animal hospitals and leading as an operational head of complex and critical surgeries. She completed her graduation in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Lora is happily in Boston currently with her husband and 3 daughters. “I like how coworkers are approachable, supportive, and stay focused all the time at Vet’s Best Friend. They never cease to impress me,” she says.

When she is not engaged in work, she loves to socialize with family and friends over indoor games like board games, table tennis, and badminton. Moreover, she loves to travel to New England where a part of her family resides.

Fun Fact, Dr. Lora’s mother and mother-in-law are a part of huge families of 13 and 10 siblings respectively. She is a parent to Clover, a nutty Jack Russell Terrier, and a chocolate labrador, Gus. She also shares her home with her three guinea pigs; Tomato, Wreath, and Bubbles.

 Dr. Ashley Berthelot (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Ashley Berthelot, D.V.M.

Dr, Ashley Berthelot started her career as an equine veterinarian at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Littleton, Colorado. She completed her undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University and graduated with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in the year 2004 from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the same university.

After her first AAEP Avenues internship, Dr. Ashley shifted to the Folsom area to continue practicing equine medicine at a private clinic for years. During her work time, she often visited NGOs and provided her services pro bono. And also, she has offered guest lectures at equine events, workshops, and different colleges.

At a point in time, Dr. Ashley realized that she should expand her knowledge and services. She then transitioned to small animal medicine services. That’s when she met her now-husband, Matt Garver.

They happily live in a small house in the Folsom area with their four children, a tabby cat, five horses, and a mix-breed dog Scout. When not busy with treating and caring for animals, Dr. Ashley love to binge-watch on Netflix, bowl, and explore woods, and hike.

Dr. Ashley recently had to put one of her horses down and made a post about it on Facebook. She is pretty much active on social media and can catch up with her life events and peep into her day-in-life.

DR. KATE MCGOWAN (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

DR. KATE MCGOWAN (DVM, VETERINARIAN)

Dr. Kate’s story is quite inspiring. We all can relate to it. She completed her graduation in Business Administration from the University of Illinois and then joined as a business associate to a renowned hotel chain, Ritz Carlton.

But her life took a U-turn when she decided after several years of working in Atlanta to pursue her degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia in Athens. Although her work was providing for everything she could wish, she left the company with the best client service organizations from across the world. It’s never too late to start afresh, right?

After her graduation. Dr. Kate moved and worked in Henry County since the year of 2012. She offers her services in the non-profit arena and private practice as well. Currently, Dr. Kate is the founder and lead vet at The Healthy Pet and offers her services there full-time.

Dr. Kate’s skillset includes general surgery, animal welfare, pharmacy, and animal dentistry. When she is not working, she can be found volunteering at a leading position for TNR programs with nearby shelters. Dr. Kate also loves bird watching and growing bonsai trees from seeds at home.