- Are you a good dog?

Huh?

Yeah.

I had just a wonderful life as a veterinarian, but it was time to retire.

- What I really like about Larry is, he involved me in the diagnosis of my pets.

(laughing) - Roger had an allergic reaction to a bee sting, had Dr. Gerson not reacted so quickly, Roger would have died.

(toy squeaks) Oh, sit.

- As a person with a hearing loss, as well as being totally blind.

I rely on Dr. Gerson, I just trust him implicitly.

(calm music) - [Larry] I had a dream to start a little clinic, just a small little family practice.

(calm music) I was just a normal boy.

I kind of always felt that I was like Beaver, and my brother was Wally.

We had a very normal family.

We didn't have a lot of money, but we were happy.

(calm music) I remember I was about 10 years old, and the librarian came to school and told us about this wonderful new book called Born Free.

(calm music) We had to get on the list, just to take the book out, and take it home and read it.

I think that's when I got hooked.

How are you doing today?

- Good.

- Hey, Murph.

I started Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic in 1977, a friend of mine came to me and said that there's a place available.

There was a grooming shop on the second floor.

They said, they're looking for a veterinarian to demand the first floor.

We got an old used X-ray machine, and got an old human operating table, and put together a little operating clinic, and it wasn't fancy.

The early 80's, a client approached me about doing a pet talk show.

Have a daily routine, and exercise.

Life can become quite boring when you're kept in the house all the time .

I always felt that public education about veterinary medicine is extremely important.

(calm music) - Larry was the consulting veterinarian for Petland.

We called Larry and said, there's a very sick wheaten puppy there.

Larry's like, I know, I already have him at the clinic.

Later, Larry appeared at the door with a little cardboard carrier, took out this puppy, who had three shaven legs from all the IV's.

Larry was like, keep him tonight, see if you like him.

(laughing) We named him Gus.

(calm music) - Students said to me, there's blood on your dog's nose.

The nose cancer had come back.

Dr. Gerson said, she walked in here on her own accord.

You did not make her suffer.

(melancholy music) We really needed to hear that, we had done the best we could do by Ursula.

(melancholic music) (lighthearted music) - Yeah, (indistinct) (calm music) This is Mr. Roger's neighborhood.

He did live at the top of the street.

I did take care of his dog.

Then they were just the most warm and genuine people you'd ever wanted to meet.

And it was just a pleasure to get photographs in the office for Mr. Roger's book.

(calm music) One of the things my first employer taught me is that you have to give back to the profession.

(cat meowing) In 2001, we started an organization called AAARF, which is a funny name for an organization, but it's the Allegheny Abused Animal Relief Fund.

We ask people, when they get their county licenses, to chip in an extra buck, or two, or more, to help for abused and neglected animals.

(calm music) AAARF is a last chance for some of these animals to get rehabilitated.

Animals that otherwise might've been put to sleep because it just costs too much, or it was too complex.

(calm music) But now we can save those animals, and I'll tell you what, it's a good feeling.

- I was at work.

And one of our techs brought this tiny, tiny little squirrel looking thing around.

I saw her, and I just fell in love.

(lighthearted music) - [Larry] This was a puppy that was dumped.

- [Samantha] We found out that she had a pretty bad heart murmur.

- [Larry] The blood vessel that should close at birth, didn't.

And this animal needed open chest surgery.

The cost is thousands of dollars.

(dog barking) (laughing) We applied to AAARF, to pay for that surgery.

This dog without surgery, had a very poor chance of living.

With surgery, it's a normal, healthy, happy animal, and it'll be great for 15 years.

(lighthearted music) I've retired.

How are you doing today?

You good?

And I can't tell you how proud I am to see my daughter taking over my veterinary practice.

(calm music) - [Stephanie] I always remember being here.

I remember crawling, and making forts out of the dog food, having fun, being put in a cage, always learning, and listening, and doing.

(calm music) - She had this special knack for animals.

And I could see that she was the future veterinarian.

One of my proudest moments was when I was able to put the white coat on her.

And it was a moment that would bring tears to your eyes.

(calm music) - Stengle, the cat was the cat that was attacked by two dogs.

Just a neighborhood cat, kind of fed by everyone on the street.

Wednesday, when he came in, he was in really bad shape.

- [Larry] I looked at this cat and thought, there's just no way.

There wasn't enough skin to put this animal back together.

But my daughter decided she was going to try.

She somehow, was able to stitch this poor cat back together, and he was a little tight in the skin, but he did very, very well.

(calm music) - Stengle's still around, he's an old man now.

On my birthday, he sends me a happy birthday picture.

"Thanks for saving my life."

(calm music) I always loved working with my dad.

- And you need your nails trimmed.

- I'm most proud of just his dedication.

Every day, somebody will let me know how much of an impact he's made on their lives and their pet's lives.

- [Marci] Many times Larry has come through for us.

(calm music) - [Sally] That empathy that he showed us was something I'll never forget.

- Larry gave us the gift of Gus.

(calm music fades) - I have had honestly, the most wonderful life as a veterinarian.

(upbeat music) - The Council of the City of Pittsburgh, does here by declare June 7th, 2021, to be Lawrence Gerson, VMD, day in the city of Pittsburgh.

(crowd cheers) - My wife and I had a dream.

(lighthearted music)