I recently had the opportunity to talk to Shane Daigle, DVM a well-respected veterinarian in Taylor, Texas and owner of Graef Veterinary Hospital about the power of second chances. Shane Daigle has been practicing Veterinary Medicine since graduating from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. His goal has been to always practice the highest quality of medicine he could and to observe every veterinarian he ever worked with that was new to the profession as well as learn from experienced senior clinicians.
Learning from others afforded Daigle a broad spectrum of practice techniques and a better understanding of how many treatments and services can be offered in a variety of ways to achieve the same goal. Daigle gained vast knowledge of how a practice should be managed based on the nine practices he worked in prior to opening his own veterinary practice in 2005.
As the owner of Graef Veterinary HospitaI, Daigle hopes to continue to gain knowledge from those who practice within his hospital and continue to provide a place where young veterinarians can grow in confidence, knowledge, and abilities.
Shane Daigle recently shared with me an inspiring story about knowledge he acquired of a slightly different sort, a lesson in forgiveness and that can only come from someone who has seen for himself the power of second chances.
“I once had a young kennel staff member who’s parents called me one night to say that their daughter was ‘raped in the parking lot’ at our office,” explains Daigle. “Upon review of the camera system we learned that she was never raped. She actually had passed out from ingesting narcotics from one of the seizure patients who was boarding with us. She stumbled to her car, fell asleep and hours after everyone left work she remained in her car.”
“She eventually woke up and tried to get out of the car where she fell down repeatedly scratching her face, arms, legs, hands and knees. She tried to get her keys which fell under her car, in that attempt her jeans were pulled down. She then passed out again there under the car until a policeman found her they assumed she was sexually assaulted until they reviewed the video tape.”
“In an exchange not to press charges on her for taking narcotics from the hospital I asked her to go to rehab. She agreed and every year she calls, texts or emails me on the anniversary of the day the events occurred to thank me for turning her life around and giving her one more chance.”
Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and a world-famous anti=apartheid activist described the act of forgiveness with the following memorable quote:
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.”
Dr. Shane Daigle is reminded every year, with the phone call, text or email, that one more chance is sometimes all we really need.