About me.
A lifelong devotion to animals became a lifelong mission to protect the people who serve them.
From the time I was three years old, I knew my life would revolve around animals. (And I was ready to move out to prove it — all I wanted was a cat.) By six, I could recite every AKC-recognized dog breed, and by nine, I had found a veterinarian who let me volunteer every week. He didn’t just have me clean cages — he taught me to draw blood, assist in surgery, and care for everything from hedgehogs to rescued squirrels and songbirds.
That early experience shaped everything. I went on to earn my B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Vermont, where I learned the business and biology of animal care — from dairy herd management to equine entrepreneurship. A research internship in Maui studying humpback whales deepened my curiosity and connection to animal behavior. Afterward, I worked for a non-profit on Maui as crew on an education-based, whale-watching and reef-touring vessel, educating guests about marine ecosystems, my beloved humpbacks, and Hawaiian culture (and spending every spare moment underwater as a free-diver).
After several years of working in veterinary hospitals, aquariums, barns and equine clinics, my mentor challenged me to ask how I would bring my love for animals into every part of my life. The answer, unexpectedly, turned out to be law. I earned my Juris Doctor from Penn State Law, focusing on environmental and natural resource law, interning with NOAA’s Office of General Counsel (International Section) and clerking for the U.S. Department of Justice, Natural Resources Division. My background in animal science became a bridge — helping me translate for others between the worlds of science, regulation, and advocacy.
But the entrepreneurial spirit never left me. During my eight years living abroad, I purchased and transformed a small, outdated pet shop into the country’s first true pet boutique — an award-winning retail business offering high quality pet goods, nutrition consultations, and top level customer service. I learned firsthand what it means to launch, grow, and protect a business — hiring staff, negotiating with vendors, designing branding, and navigating the same challenges my clients face today.
Today, as an attorney focused on animal and pet-based businesses, I bring that lifetime of experience to entrepreneurs who share my passion. I understand the language of veterinarians, groomers, trainers, and pet product makers — not just legally, but personally. I know the stakes, the heart, and the why behind their work.
Because for me, this isn’t just business law. This is the continuation of a lifelong calling.
My philosophy.
Animals don’t just fill our lives — they give them meaning. For those of us who build our livelihoods around that truth, our work becomes deeply personal. It’s not simply a career; it’s a calling. I believe that those who dedicate their lives to animals deserve legal guidance that honors both their passion and their professionalism.
My philosophy is simple: clarity creates confidence. When your business is protected, compliant, and structured with care, you gain the freedom to focus on the work that matters most. My goal is to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable steps — delivered with empathy, precision, and a genuine understanding of the world in which you operate. Because when your business is strong, your impact on the animals and people you serve only grows stronger.
How I Work with You
There can be a strange divide between the world of lawyers and the world of people who build businesses around animals. I have one foot in each.
I understand the language of the animal industry, the relationships at the heart of these businesses, and the fact that what you are building is rarely “just a business.” For many of my clients, it began with a skill, an idea, a particular animal, or simply the realization that they could create a life and a livelihood around work they genuinely cared about. That matters to me.
It also means you should not have to spend half of our conversation explaining why your grooming policies matter, how a training relationship works, why client trust is so important in a veterinary or pet-care business, or why selling the company you built can feel like much more than a financial transaction.
I want to understand your business as you understand your business first. Then we can talk about the law.
When you work with me, I am your primary attorney and the person getting to know the details: how the business started, how it operates now, what is changing, and where you hope to take it. My role is to make the legal side understandable and useful, so you can make informed decisions without feeling as though you have stepped into a different world simply because a lawyer is involved.
And when the issues become more sophisticated, there is additional depth behind that relationship. I practice through The Law Office of Joshua A. Lowenthal, PLLC, alongside Joshua A. Lowenthal, JD, LL.M. in Taxation. Josh brings substantial corporate, transactional, M&A, and tax experience to the firm, which gives us the ability to look at important business decisions from more than one angle.
This ability can matter when you are deciding how to structure ownership, add another entity, expand the business, reorganize, acquire another company, prepare for a sale, or make a decision where the legal answer and the tax implications should not be considered in separate rooms. The combination is intentional. You get a lawyer who understands why this business matters to you and knows the industry you are operating in, within a boutique firm that can also bring sophisticated corporate, transactional, and tax-informed thinking to the table when the business calls for it.
And because we are a virtual practice, the experience is designed to feel accessible rather than ceremonial. No intimidating law-office formality. No need to save every question until it feels “important enough” to ask. No expectation that you already know the name of the document or legal service you need.
Sometimes you come to us knowing exactly what you want. Sometimes you come to us saying, “Here’s what is happening in my business. I’m not sure what I need.” Both are perfectly good places to start. For some clients, that means working together on one focused project. For others, it develops into an ongoing Fractional Corporate Counsel relationship, where I already know the business when the next contract, hire, expansion opportunity, ownership question, or big idea comes along.
Either way, I want the relationship to feel the same: You bring the knowledge, vision, and passion behind the business. We bring legal judgment, business perspective, and the ability to help you see around the next corner. And somewhere in the middle, we ensure we all land on the same page.
Because your legal counsel should understand the business behind the passion, not just the paperwork.
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