Joel Pasco, DVM, founder of All Creatures Care Cottage in Costa Mesa, Calif., died Oct. 24 during a fishing trip to Convict Lake in the Sierras, the Daily Pilot reported. He was 62. Dr. Pasco, also founder of the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2006. Last year he was told that he had about 12 months to live. In a story published in July in Veterinary Practice News, Pasco said he decided to surround himself with family and friends upon hearing the news. He would continue to pursue hobbies that brought him joy, like painting, sculpting, fishing and bonsai gardening. And, as long as he could, he would continue to practice veterinary medicine, the profession he’d loved for more than 30 years. “People ask me, ‘Why are you working? You should be retired,’ ” Pasco told Veterinary Practice News. “But my answer is, ‘I love what I do. I love my animal patients and I love my human clients, and my life would be very empty if I could not continue to do this.’ ” A celebration of Pasco’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center, 21900 Pacific Coast Hwy., the Daily Pilot reported. Donations in Pasco's name can be made to the center. Read Dr. Joel Pasco's Profile » <HOME>
