Something Unexpected

Yesterday I received a letter from the University of Guelph. This University located about an hour west of Toronto has world renowned Agriculture and Veterinary programs. It houses the Ontario Veterinary College, a teaching hospital which offers medical care to large and small animals while training future veterinarians. I figured I had gotten onto some animal mailing list and this was a solicitation for fundraising. I was wrong.

The letter, from the Associate Dean, was a letter of condolences from the University on the loss of my “beloved pet Molly” and to tell me that the animal hospital where I take my cats had made a monetary donation to the Ontario Veterinary College in her memory. I cried at the kindness of this gesture and that my vet, who both Robert and I already admired, would do this.

There are several doctors at the animal hospital we go to, but I like Dr. D. the best. He has three cats and three dogs himself and his genuine love of animals shows through in his care. He is always behind schedule because he never rushes anybody and no question or concern is too silly for his patient and measured answer. So nobody minds waiting for him. He is the doctor who helped Molly to the bridge, one month ago today, with compassion and professionalism.

A cynic may say I’ll be contacted at a later date for a financial contribution to the University or its just good PR for the animal hospital, neither of those things matter. What does matter is that one man thought the passing of one cat was important enough to one person that he did something beautiful about it.

Lovely Molly