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May 19, 2010

On Monday, Lilly went for her wellness exam. She is fine (as far as I know right now), but the real-life dramas that played out in the lobby and general environs bruised my empathetic heart.

(I meant to post something Monday night when we got home, but I was too upset.)

I ran Lilly out to the car while I waited for our paperwork, prescriptions, and other details to come together so that I could pay our bill. So, I was just hanging out in the lobby (which is a construction zone from a massive remodeling project).

All of a sudden, a woman comes rushing in and says her small dog isn’t breathing. Two of the staff spring into action and run to the back with the dog. This leaves me and the woman alone in the lobby, and she is understandably flipping out.

I did my best to console her, without much luck.

After a couple minutes, a staff member brought her into an exam room so that she could have some privacy, but I could hear her sobbing down the hall.

It. Was. Terrible.

She found the dog not breathing when she got home from work. She drove straight to the veterinary hospital (I don’t know how far). I honestly don’t know how it turned out. She was still in the room when I left. Her dog was still in the back.

Maybe the dog hadn’t been breathing for a short time. Maybe they revived her.

But, I can only imagine (based on how the dog looked to me) that her dear, sweet pal was actually long gone, but in the shock and despair she did the only thing she could think to do and that was seek help.

Mere minutes later, another woman came in carrying her medium-sized spaniel and a baby. The mom was teary and explained the her dog wasn’t doing well, that her husband had called, that they’d been told to bring their dog in.

Again, the staff rushed the dog to the back, and there this mom sat — impossibly cute, smiling baby strapped to her chest — as she tried to blink her way past the emotion of what might transpire.

Granted, exhaustion, ongoing emotional strain, and serious dog love puts me at a disadvantage in such emotional situations. I could (and do) cry at the drop of a hat these days, but man … did this infusion of reality threw me for a loop.

On Twitter, the pet community does this thing called #PawCircle based on one blogger’s efforts, kind of like a prayer circle. So, even though I do not really know these women, let’s put them in our Paw Circle and keep them in our hearts because they had a very tough day on Monday.

P.S. While we were inside the hospital, a gas pump across the street caught fire, so as we were leaving, we had to navigate past all kinds of emergency response vehicles. Talk about being in some kind of vortex!

About the Author Roxanne Hawn

Trained as a traditional journalist and based in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, I'm a full-time freelance writer for magazines, websites, and private clients. My areas of specialty include everything in the lifestyles arena, including health and home, personal finance and other consumer interests, relationships and trends, people and business profiles ... and, of course, all things pet related.

I don't just love dogs. I need them in my life. Seriously.

  1. Oh my, what a trip to the vet. Terrible terrible and terrible. I hope that all of Lilly’s tests come back perfect – and I hope that both of those dogs are ok but I agree with your assessment.

  2. What a nice thought having these two women in a Paw Circle, Roxanne. Horrible. I’ve been on those emergency runs and have witnessed them too. It’s horrible to be a participant or an observer. Took 2 of mine in too for a wellness exam this week. Aside from one having a scratched cornea, all is well and it makes me more thankful after reading your post.

  3. I have to confess that I make hubby take the dogs to the vet now b/c I simply can’t handle things like that – and also get upset when I think about the fact that we have had dogs go there and not return. I get too emotional there. And yet I can take my kids on myriad medical appts. Go figure.

  4. I absolutely hate going to the vet and seeing the heartbreaking scenes you described in this post. I will NEVER forget how awful it was to take my cat to the Veterinary Specialist Hospital a few years ago.. I’ll be happy if I NEVER have to go back there.

    Been thinking of you, Roxanne..

  5. On days like you had, I try to remember that everything happens for a reason. We may not “get” the reason at the time, but in retrospect it will come to you.

    As far as the first emergency you encountered, I am trying to find a post that I believe was written by @DogSpelledFwd – the subject, canine CPR.

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