Leah Birch Postman, D.V.M. Like a vine growing on a strong branch, I grew up with my life wound around our animals. My heart has always been entwined with the animals who share my home. My undergraduate work was focused on a different aspect of our world: botany and ecology. In these precarious environmental times, I feel a deep commitment to restoring balance to Earth. But I chose a different professional path, one which would allow me to serve the connection between animals and the people who care for them. I studied veterinary medicine at Tufts, and completed post-doctoral training in herbal medicine and acupuncture. I have practiced in community-based practices and large referral centers. I have mentored veterinary students and taught veterinary technicians in college. I have been honored to be entrusted with the care of countless beloved animals – each one exquisite and unique. Always, the connection between people and animals has been at the core of my work. Whether caring for a rabbit with lead poisoning, a self-mutilating macaw, or a dog hit by a car, I have found that each story, and therefor each outcome, hinges on the bond between that animal and the people who care for her. Whether treating a cat with kidney disease with intravenous fluids or acupuncture, I have found that the outcome for that cat is rooted in the family context. Arguably, it has been my work towards the end of an animal’s life, and the ensuing grief work with people, where I have seen the connection between animals and people most clearly, and felt most privileged to serve. Even when working with sheltered animals, it is the absence of human tending that has brought them into the shelter environment – needing transitional care, the very possibility of life pivoting on a new human connection and a “forever home”. I have been fortunate to live my life attuned to animals and the people who share their lives. This has brought me continuity and completeness; animals have made my life whole. My commitment to Nellie’s Web is rooted in the belief that all animals and people deserve the opportunity to live their lives sharing this joy. Having spent my career supporting the connection between humans and non-human animals, I am excited by the challenges ahead. Nellie’s Web is spun around investing my experience where this connection is most broken so that both animals and people can live safely, with shared joy.