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Veterinary scholarship honors Tallahassee veterinarian who died by suicide

Veterinary scholarship honors Tallahassee veterinarian who died by suicide

The suicide rate among U.S. veterinarians is four times that of the general population. Tom Flanigan reports that the mother of a Tallahassee veterinarian who died by suicide is honoring his memory through a veterinary scholarship foundation.

Veterinarians love animals, so it’s no surprise that Tallahassee veterinarian Jeff Godbey was reluctant to take the lives of his four-legged patients.

“He often had owners ask for their animals to be euthanized, he would ask them to resign the animals to him, and he would rehome them or take them home.”

Godbey’s mother, Cyndi, founded the Jeffrey Bear Foundation in honor of her son, who died by suicide in 2019. Each year, the foundation provides $1,000 scholarships to FSU and FAMU veterinary students. He says next week’s sale of animal portrait calendars will support these efforts.

“He was always telling jokes, making people laugh about things. He would walk into a room and just take over. I think they managed to capture that spirit with this calendar.”

The big reveal about which local animals make it to the calendar takes place on the evening of November 7 at The Wilbury on Gaines Street.