Even if you stare at this photo for ten minutes it’s still not enough. And if you want to be a veterinarian or a vet tech, stare even longer. Because what you’re looking at you’ve likely never seen before. I know I haven’t. And I was there. Dr. Alayson, medical director of one of the area’s largest veterinary clinics, and Marie, her lead CVT, doing their veterinary work in the patient room of a human hospital. Honestly, I don’t know how to tell you what I saw today. We were there for 90 minutes, scrunched into the corner, with homeless Jack watching from his bed, hooked up to tubes and lines and observing every detail as 11 year-old Oliver got the royal treatment head to tail.
Right there on the spot we did the full exam and administered treatment. And in the next few days we’ll have the groomer onsite for a big bubbly Oliver bath and we’ll get a masseuse there too, to massage Oliver’s achy bones like never before. Oliver is the best friend in the world to this man who has little and cares for even less. But Oliver is Jack’s everything. And by helping one, we know we’re helping both. Because even the homeless deserve the best care ever.
We left behind medications and hand written instructions, bags of food and treats, and all sorts of stuff for Jack. Because when you have more than you need, you must share with those who do not. And that’s what we did today. We shared the love. And it felt great!
Breaking boundaries to do what no one else does, these are the rare moments that The Pongo Fund is making common, by asking veterinary professionals to donate their time to provide the kind of care that goes beyond words. I’m struggling to write this now, I don’t know why but I am. I was there, I watched it all, and I’m still not sure how to describe it.
But what I can tell you is this, that I cannot be more proud than I am right now to be part of The Pongo Fund. We have become the Little Engine That Could. And we are rewriting the book on what it means to do something special.
As for Jack, unable to leave his bed he watched with pride, the Proud Papa who knew what was happening was something deeply meaningful. As for Oliver, he soaked up the attention like the love bug he is, splaying flat out on the floor every chance he could for belly rubs and treats. Even cuddling us while Marie gave him the best mani/pedi ever. And when he wasn’t doing that he was tossing his little baby to and fro, squeaking with delight that he had new friends to play with. And when we were done, Dr. Alayson, Marie and I took Oliver on the biggest walk he’s had in ages.
Seriously, when’s the last time your veterinarian took your dog for a walk?
There is a lot more to tell, but my words are locked up right now. I know what to say, but I don’t know how to say it. My heart hurts. Two TV stations asked for info on this story, but out of respect we declined. Because what happened today was personal and private and is to be shared only with those of you who are part of us.
To Dr. Alayson and CVT Marie, part of the magnificent team at VCA East Mill Plain Animal Hospital, I bow down to you with the utmost of respect and appreciation. What you did today is the stuff of legend and has set the bar higher than ever before.
This post deserves to be shared, so please share near and far, because people need to know that business as usual is not enough anymore. That breaking boundaries will make the biggest difference, and that’s what we did today. To nurses everywhere, thank you for letting The Pongo Fund be part of your heart. Because two legs or four, we are all in this together.
“One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much I had in the bank nor what my clothes looked like, but the world will be different because I was important in the life of the animals and the creatures on this earth.” ― Unknown
Being there for Jack and Oliver.
And this is why we Pongo.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
#thepongofund #petfoodbank #freeveterinarycare #VCA#vcaeastmillplainanimalhospital #savinglives #CVT