I recently read Jonah Goldberg’s article on losing his cat. If you haven’t read it, google Saying Goodbye to Gracie. It's a great read. It summarizes why we as a clinic exist and why you as our clients choose to spend time and resources on this relationship with animals we all cherish.
On the day that we said goodbye to our beloved Bouvier Beatrix, my mom entered hospice care. Mom lived another 4 months after that day with all of us close by doing everything we could to affect a recovery, hoping against hope that a miracle could happen. After a series of massive strokes, surgeries, and attempted recoveries it was all just too much. She passed peacefully with all of us near her; I held her hand as she passed. The day we got the phone call that mom would likely pass soon, our family was in the car headed to Omaha to pick up our new puppy Barnabas. Our histories as human beings are (and have always been) punctuated by our relationship to these creatures that make up such a dear and important piece of our lives.
What we want you-our clients-to know is that we understand the stakes. We get that when you bring these precious pieces of your life to us for care they matter…a lot. Everyone is different, budget typically has nothing to do with income, every pet is loved. An owner and veterinarian must partner to find not the highest level of care but the optimal level of care. That level of care that maximizes the wellbeing of the pet given the constraints and desires of the owner and the bond they share with their pet. We can find that together. It’s important that we do…because it isn’t just a dog (or cat).