Overly Honest

One of the fun things in life is when other people notice and appreciate the great things in your life, the things that bring you joy and make you smile. My pup is one of those, and I’m grateful that my new neighbors have gone out of their way to tell me how beautiful and lovely he is. (naturally I wholeheartedly agree!) Nearly every day for the last week I’ve had someone new tell me what a great and beautiful dog he is, and I get to preen and puff up with pride because it’s true. He’s such a lovey fella, so full of life and energy that he makes friends with absolutely anyone who crosses his path and doesn’t turn him down outright. Even then, it’s all I can do to hold him back from invading their space anyway and making up for their distant behavior with his exuberance.

So grateful too for the recommendation of a new vet (AAHA accredited, of course) that seems on our first visit to be a good fit for us. Staff so caring and considerate, so helpful and kind, and genuinely love the animals they care for – not much more one could ask! Bonus too is that they already use the same food he eats every day for their kennels. Seriously great vibe at this place, so while I wish I wasn’t so rushed into boarding him on his first visit there, work is what it is, and off I go. At least it’s only for a couple of quick nights, less than 48 hrs total, so not too crazy. Love ya, my lil’ redhead, and miss ya already!

Having moved a couple of times in the last 5 years and gone through the process of finding a new vet, I thought I would share some tips about what has been successful for me:

• first, find the people at work who are pet lovers and find out where they take their pets (you can gauge their responses by how much they gush about their pets to see if it matches your own personal style)
• second, if you rent, ask your manager/office staff who they recommend – they may know of a local option for in-home visits that is bonded & inexpensive and avoid boarding off-site
• third, check the website of the suggested options; any reputable vets I’ve found these days has a website with features like e-reminders and pet checkups, staff & vet profiles, and pictures of their facilities – you can sometimes whittle down a big list from less than a couple of minutes’ online research (it’s important too that they be AAHA accredited!)
• finally, if at all possible, visit without your pet and take a tour of the facilities. This allows you to avoid distractions of caring for your pet while trying to use a discriminating eye on the place. Watch for how they handle other guests, and identify if they service everyone professionally and to your standards. If you have to wait when you arrive, strike up a conversation with someone else in the lobby area to let them know you just moved here and get their input – maybe they’ve taken their last 3 pets here because the vet is so beloved!

For us, of course, we also have to make sure that special care capabilities are present in case the dreaded cancer returns (and yes, we’re covered there too!).

There’s simply no substitute for a personal recommendation from someone you trust. Or, at a minimum, someone who you think has the same approach to pets as you do. Good luck & happy vet hunting!