Sami The Vet on the House Of Peregrine Podcast!
On Finding Purpose & Reinvention, Pets Abroad, and Connection & Community in Animal Care
What is it like to have a pet abroad? 🌎🐾
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify 🎧
Episode Breakdown:
Dr. Sami Morici is an American veterinarian living in the heart of Amsterdam and is the founder of The Good Boys Club in Amsterdam.
Her story of leaving everything she thought she ever wanted behind and choosing reinvention is a powerful one. Dr. Sami’s journey begins in New York. After years of veterinary training to specialize in animal oncology, Sami had a pivotal moment that led her to question the traditional career trajectory.
Despite being on the path she always dreamed of, she instead withdrew from her residency and packed her bags, and, together with her dog Luca, moved to Amsterdam to seek a different kind of life.
Navigating a new culture and language while working in an emergency veterinary clinic during the pandemic, Sami quickly adapted to the Dutch approach to life, medicine, and community, where work-life balance and quality of relationships are highly valued.
She shares her observations on how Amsterdam’s unique values, such as the importance of animal welfare and community care, have influenced her veterinary philosophy. Sami’s practice and membership community, combines house calls with telemedicine, making her an accessible part of each pet’s life. Her vision is to reimagine the veterinary experience, creating a supportive partnership for pet owners, with an emphasis on the pet’s quality of life.
Sami also shares some of the things to consider logistically when bringing or adopting pets abroad and offers valuable insights on choosing the right animal for your lifestyle.
She also discusses the essential support network needed for international pet ownership. Her dedication to understanding pets on a deeper level and helping owners nurture their pets’ emotional well-being aligns perfectly with her practice’s mission.
Key Moments:
1. Finding Purpose and Reinvention - Sami recounts her decision to leave the veterinary oncology path, following an intuition that eventually led her to Amsterdam.
2. Pets in Amsterdam - Sami describes how Amsterdam’s community-centered approach, emphasis on life balance, and unique values toward animals contrast with those in the U.S.
3. Starting The Good Boys Club - Sami shares how her practice combines traditional care with digital accessibility, aiming to be a consistent, supportive presence in her patients' lives.
4. International Pet Adoption Tips - Practical advice is shared on choosing pets that align with your lifestyle, particularly important for expats adjusting to new surroundings.
5. The Value of Connection in Animal Care - Sami has learned how deeply intertwined human and pet mental health can be, underscoring the impact of our well-being on our pets' lives.
🎧 Listen on Spotify 🎧
Sami the Vet is a proud member of the House of Peregrine community, a place where expats come to create and connect about living abroad with others doing the same!
For anyone out there who is looking to take the leap and leave the United States for something new, leave a comment or shoot me a message. I’d be glad to chat with you about life abroad, pets abroad, or just about anything else!
Be brave! 💪🏽
Dr. Sami