Dr. Ted Shope, Jr.

Dr. Ted Shope, 62, of Longville, LA died unexpectedly Thursday, October 1, 2015 at a local Lake Charles Hospital. He was owner of Bayou South Animal Hospital, the largest veterinary practice in Lake Charles, and specialized in treating horses, cattle and other large animals. He leaves behind a staff of four veterinarians and ten employees who are continuing his legacy through his mixed animal practice that he developed over the past 18 years. Dr. Shope also was owner, along with his wife, Brenda Trahan Shope, of Shope Land and Cattle, a Longville cattle ranch they established in 1994. He prided himself in caring for his herd of over 300 cattle. He was a member of the Louisiana Cattlemen's Association and was a frequent public speaker on issues related to animal health and care. He assisted with numerous research projects including his current participation with The Meniscal Research Group. Dr. Shope was a native of Baton Rouge and as a youth moved with his family throughout the United States during his father's career as a U.S. Navy officer. The family then settled in Lake Charles where Dr. Shope graduated from LaGrange High School. He earned degrees in math and chemistry from McNeese State University and graduated from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. He began practicing veterinary medicine in Lake Charles in 1982. Dr. Shope is survived by his wife of 26 years, Brenda Trahan Shope; two daughters, Klancy Shope Leonard and Darby Ruth Shope; a son-in-law, Kelby Shane Leonard; and his stepmother, Patricia Ann Shope. He is the son of the late Theodore Lloyd Shope Sr. and the late Helen Ruth Thompson Shope. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the LSU Foundation and designated for the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in memory of Dr. Ted Shope, class of '82. Gifts will support the Equine Department in its mission of education, research and service and may be made online at www.lsu.edu/vetmed/giving. Funeral services for Dr. Theodore Lloyd Shope, 62, of Longville, who spent more than three decades as a veterinarian in Lake Charles, and over two decades as a loving husband and father, will be at 10:00 AM Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at Johnson Funeral Home. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM Monday, October 5, 2015. Visitation will resume Tuesday from 8:00 AM until the time of service at Johnson Funeral Home.