Many of you will have met and no doubt fell in love with, my beautiful, faithful friend and companion Lola. Lola is a 10 year old Labrador/Huntaway and was one of the best things that came into my life. After my first dog Tobias was put to sleep by me due to cancer, I was without a canine friend for 6.5 years. Way too long but no puppy seemed right. My clients often tell me their pets choose them; well she did me. I knew from the moment we looked at each other, she was mine. She couldn’t be loved, cared for or enjoyed more and my boys (including Steve), just adore her. Our lives are so enhanced because Lola is a part of our family.
Lola is never far from my side, at home or at work. She never misses out on coming to work with me, in fact aside from getting treats on demand and piggy ears for doing tricks, I do believe Lola feels she has a job to do at work – meet and greet pets and their owners and work the reception area! A tummy rub also doesn’t go astray. She is gentle and kind and wouldn’t know how to be cross. I trust her completely and she trusts me to care for her.
She has had her share of medical issues – luckily her mum and dad are her vets! The best I tell her. Recently she has overcome kidney cancer and four rounds of chemotherapy. She now only has one kidney so we carefully monitor her blood enzyme levels to make sure all is well. I realised how loved and special she was to many of our clients as when she was sick, so many people followed my posts on Facebook of her treatments and sent lovely comments for 100% recovery.
My one regret is that I took away her right to be a mother, and she would have been exceptional in every sense of the word. Although in light of her congenital “Split Pad” disease and recent cancer scare, breeding her wouldn’t have been a safe, wise option.
When you call in to McMaster & Heap, be sure to say hello to Lola and introduce your dogs to her. Only 1 dog in her lifetime has ever growled at her. Dogs seem to know she can be trusted and are not afraid or nervous around her. She also instinctively knows when a dog is really sick and she will often be seen lying next to that animal.
Where would we be without “pets” in our lives? Lola definitely makes me a better person and a better vet. May she live a very long, superb quality life with us all, at home and at work.
