Bear Hugs As ‘Dr. Daphne,’ Veterinarian Celebrates the Human-Animal Bond The motivational speaker and CALS alum wants everyone to know ‘how valuable pets can be to help support them in their lives’ “Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu! By Melissa Newcomb As a veterinarian, Daphne Mobley ’83 has long been aware of the bond between humans and their pets. But while working at a small-animal practice in NYC, she began noticing just how intense that connection can be—with some clients and their four-legged friends showing up to appointments in matching outfits, or owners wincing in pain as she gave their animal a vaccination. “People would tell me how much their pet meant to them,” she recalls, “and tell stories about the situations their pets had helped them through.” Those experiences motivated Mobley to write The Pet Effect: Healing and Learning Life Lessons from the Pets We Love, her self-published book of inspirational stories on the human-animal bond. They range from a military veteran whose dog helped alleviate her PTSD symptoms to a woman who barely left her bed for months after her son died suddenly—and whose recently adopted rescue pup stayed by her side to comfort her. It’s all part of Mobley’s second career as “Dr. Daphne”: a motivational speaker and coach who helps clients pursue their passions. With a non-furry patient. “I want to allow people to believe what’s possible despite the circumstances they’re confronted with,” says Mobley, “and let them know how valuable pets can be to help support them in their lives.” Released in February 2025, the book features nearly 40 inspirational anecdotes from owners of dogs, cats, birds, and even a horse. I want to allow people to believe what’s possible despite the circumstances they’re confronted with, and let them know how valuable pets can be to help support them in their lives. They include a tribute to a parakeet who not only provided companionship during COVID, but gave its owner the strength to leave a toxic 15-year relationship by showing her what unconditional love looks like. Another shares the story of a woman who reluctantly adopted a stray cat that a relative found in Central Park. At home, the animal would follow her everywhere—and for several months, it fixated on the same place on her chest. It proved to be the location of a breast tumor, from which she eventually recovered. In vet school at the University of Florida. Says Mobley: “Her furry friend knew something was wrong, long before she did.” In the book, Mobley also shares a story of her own: how her part-pug rescue dog, Molly, helped her cope with the difficult choice to move her mother into a nursing home as her health declined. In the book, Mobley shares how her part-pug rescue dog, Molly, helped her cope with the difficult choice to move her mother into a nursing home as her health declined. “I would be crying on my steps and having guilt about the decision,” she recalls. “And Molly would be licking the tears from my face or nuzzling up underneath me and helping me get through it.” An animal science major in CALS who has served on the President’s Council of Cornell Women, Mobley earned her DVM from the University of Florida in 1988. “I am not your typical vet,” she writes in her book’s intro. “I was raised in the South Bronx, and being African American made me a rarity in the field.” Mobley spent more than two decades with the pharma company Pfizer—rising to a vice presidency in corporate diversity—before segueing to small-animal practice and then launching her coaching business. “When I speak to audiences about the human-animal bond and coach people to create their best lives, I experience an incredible high,” she writes. “I will never get tired of doing this work. I’ve devoted my life to helping people live happier, more fulfilling lives and to caring for animals—and all of this experience made one thing abundantly clear: the bond between pets and their humans is spiritual and can revolutionize our lives.” Top: Mobley with her dog, Molly. (All photos provided.) Published August 28, 2025 Comments Gerilynn 29 Aug, 2025 Dr. Mobley is the best at everything she does. She is a Fabulous Human!!! Reply Emily Rothstein, Class of 1988 30 Aug, 2025 She is so wonderful!! Reply Julie Crotty, Class of 1996 30 Aug, 2025 Thanks for this inspirational story! So happy to see Daphne’s work and mission highlighted here. Reply Patty Shockency, Class of 1988 31 Aug, 2025 Congratulations on being a great inspiration. I enjoy your posts on our school page too. Reply John McDermott, Class of 1982 2 Sep, 2025 Hurrah for Dr. Daphne! We will get the book!! She was a vet school classmate with me at UF Reply Brenda (Wilkinson) Melvin, Class of 1987 23 Sep, 2025 Great story! Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni A Conversation with Life Trustee Ezra Cornell ’70, BS ’71 Cornelliana All Aboard! ‘Observation Trains’ Offered Mobile Views of Crew Races Quizzes & Puzzles Cornellian Crossword: ‘Holiday on Ice’