“I got you!”
The world can be a sad place sometimes, and it’s times like this that we learn to fully appreciate the people we choose to hold close. For many of us, tragedy comes when we are least expecting it. When faced with challenges, we can choose to hold to our values of love, integrity, and goodness, or we can choose to look away or take the easier road. As we process pain and discomfort, we can again choose to look away and ignore it (spoiler alert: it doesn’t work), or turn to those same people who help in turbulant times. At AUC we are so lucky to be a whole group of humans who lean into the phrase, “I got you!” with all of our hearts.
We recently lost one of our teammates unexpectedly and suddenly, and to say it rocked us would be an understatement. However, together we have been processing, hugging, and working through our loss in a way a family typically does - with stories, extra support, and a little excessive eating. We will be ok, it will just take some time. We have actually been through a loss previously. And when we faced that mountain of grief together, we developed this language of support with each other. In fact, that is when “I got you” became one of our most cherished expressions. There is a reason I am telling you all of this…
A few months back, we received a call from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) with a request for help. They had a puppy and two owners in a bit of a pickle. As they talked on the phone, it became clear that this was not your average pickle. The young couple had a three-month old border collie, named Max. Mom had let him out to go potty and when she checked on him about 10 minutes later, she found him chomping (with delight) on a dead bat. Mom, a dog trainer, knows quite a bit about dogs and animals in general. So, she collected the bat and contacted Animal Management. Max was too young to have had any vaccines, and actually was scheduled for his first vaccine appointment the following week. The timing was unfortnate, to say the least.
Animal Management contacted CDPHE, who followed their rabies protocols, and sent the bat for testing. But what to do with Max? He was not allowed to stay at home, and he would require housing for an extended period of time if the bat was positive for rabies. This was not a short amount of time, it could be months. There were also strict rules about quarantining him away from other animals and unvaccinated people, as well as regular neurologic examinations he would need.
When the bat tested positive for rabies, we started our journey with Max’s family at AUC Park Hill. CDPHE could not find any accomodations for him at other veterinary hospitals or shelters, and euthanasia was on the table as the only other option. We did not hesitate. The words came out before we could stop them.
“We got you.”
The AUC team created a whole kennel room for Max, moved schedules around so a vaccinated person was available, came in on days off to feed him, walk him, and play with him. We did our best to keep him sane, comfortable, and happy in an animal hospital for three months. THREE MONTHS! Some of us even got vaccinated so we could help. In the end, Max’s Mom and Dad also got vaccinated so they could visit and Max could go home at the 90-day mark instead of 120 days. We absolutely count them among the team that made all of this possible.
I checked in with Max’s Mom recently, and she sent me some updated photos (our little fluffball velociraptor has turned into a majestic tuxedo-wearing gentleman!) and the kindest words:
“Our family cannot thank AUC enough for saving Max’s life. Today at 10 months old he is thriving despite the setbacks of low socialization during puppyhood. Thanks to the lovely staff our dude gets to chase squirrels, go on adventures, and romp in the dog park with his friends. Not only did AUC save Max, they saved our family from a broken heart. Thank you will never be enough for the wonderful work all of you do.”
It’s a great story - one we will likely tell for a long time. When I think about it now, though, it gets all wrapped up with memories of our friend, Holly, who taught us to have eachothers’ backs in happy times and hard ones. One of the greatest blessings of the work we get to do every day is being able to share the “I got you” ethos with our clients and patients, whether we are climbing into a kennel to cuddle someone’s pet or holding a client’s hand as they struggle through a difficult decision. All of it, the beauty and the pain and the genuine contribution to making the world a better place is why we do it.
For your viewing pleasure, I give you Max. Maximum Cuteness. Fluffzilla. Hurricane.
To us he will always be known simply and accurately as
