Silver Sands Veterinary Center
Celebrating Forty Years of the
Human-Animal Bond
Donald H. DeForge, VMD
"Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Four decades of animal care as a veterinarian have slid right by as though it was only a moment in time. As Silver Sands Veterinary Center begins its next decade of care, it is a time of great excitement!
I have had two questions asked of me over the years. The most common is: Why did I become a veterinarian? The second question always is: How do I balance the many hours that I spend in animal care with the rest of my life?
I became a veterinarian because I was blessed to be brought up by parents who loved their children and explained to them the importance of helping others. I was drawn between human medicine and veterinary medicine and chose the latter. A choice that I would never change after forty years of being privileged to meet and help animals in pain and suffering.
The second question is much harder to answer. I was blessed to meet Sister Rose Curtin in the late 80's. Sister Rose was the most humble person that I have ever met. She said to me once....."we must strive to help those in need to the point of great exhaustion because if we don't they may not find others who will do the same." She went on to say: " Don, you do that in your care of animals each and every day. You remove the suffering of the animal and you console the suffering pet owner; what an awesome responsibility!" Sister Rose took me to rooms of care and opened my mind to the importance of assisting all in need. She would call at night and say: "Don pack a bag we have a job to accomplish." I would answer: "Where are we going Sister?" She would always reply: "Not very far...... but I do want you to be prepared once more to help others as we have done together so many times in the past." Sister Rose will always be my personal saint. She may never be canonized but I will always consider her as part of the trilogy of St. Teresa the Little Flower and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Read the words of Mother Teresa below that Sister Rose followed in her life.
"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it."
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
That is my answer to the second question: How do I balance the many hours that I spend in animal care with the rest of my personal life?
Dr. George Whitney, my mentor as a freshman veterinarian over 40 years ago, said to me on a program I hosted on Talk Show Radio WICC the following: "Don, I do not envy you practicing in a time of great disrespect for the veterinarian and in a time of anxiety, distrust, and hate."
Doc Whitney went on: "I practiced in the golden years of veterinary medicine....starting in the 60's-it was a time when the veterinarian was as loved as a member of your family. Today, it is quite different."
There is a lot to be said about Doc Whitney's revelation about world change. It does not just encompass veterinary medicine but it encompasses our entire world. People cheat, lie, steal, defame, and seek ways to make money by hurting others. They use the court system to sue the innocent; they utilize the Internet to attempt to destroy reputation; and they use all their awake hours to spread venom in the form of prejudice, distortion, and falsehoods. They wear ugly masks and congregate with other disciples of evil. Their energy is not found in helping but in hurting. Their brains are fed by this hate. Doc Whitney saw this and it made him quite sad. Mother Teresa also saw it and it made her fight even harder to help those in need.
"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile." Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Look at the child in the picture of this blog building a sand castle. In each handful of sand there are a 1000 bright while shiny particles of sand and one distorted irregular particle. As the child sifts the sand through their fingers, the distorted irregular particle disappears. We must live our lives accordingly. Forget the negative people and concentrate on the 1000's that need our help.
This next decade at Silver Sands Veterinary will be even more exciting than the four decades that have passed. With new technology and Silver Sand's Veterinary affordable animal care, there will be further opportunities to remove pain and restore a quality of life as the decade of the Human-Animal Bond is created at Silver Sands Veterinary.
As Sister Rose would say if she were here with us today: "Pack a bag Don there is much work to be done!"
In honor of Sister Rose Curtin, I dedicate this new decade at Silver Sands Veterinary as "The Decade of the Human-Animal Bond." Silver Sands Veterinary is a designated Animal Hospice Center modeled after Pawspice. With the new emphasis on affordable animal care there will be more pets reunited with their owners that seek problem resolution and quality of life.
The Human-Animal Bond is not just a veterinary concept. It is a uniting force! Pet owner, veterinarian, and emergency rooms must act together as primary advocates of care and establish a vehicle that removes suffering and pain. It is a difficult road but a road that Mother Teresa of Calcultta walked every day.
"Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Questions: Call Dr. DeForge or E-Mail him at:
Phone: 1-800-838-3368
E-Mail DonDeForge@aol.com
Dr. DeForge is Animal Doc AM Multi-Media at Blogspot:
htttp://animaldocammultimedia.blogspot.com
Silver Sands Veterinary Center
17 Seemans Lane
Milford, CT 06460
22September2013
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