My client had a debilitating disease. When I met her she was a paraplegic; eventually she became a quadriplegic. Butter was her service dog. I finished my exam, and she commanded Butter to bring her pocketbook. The dog had a vocabulary of over 100 words, and was able to be her sole caregiver for several hours during the day so she could maintain her independence.
How did Joan Rivers help build your practice?
I was working in an animal hospital, and Joan was a V.I.P. client. One day she came in to get her dog vaccinated and my boss said, “Ms. Rivers, please don’t wait. I can see you right now.” And she said, “That’s OK, I’d rather wait for Amy.” The receptionist saw smoke coming out of my boss’s ears.
When he eventually fired me, Joan called and said, “What is going on?” I asked if she wanted me to tell her quickly or give her the longer story and she said, “I want every detail and I’m going to make sure that everybody else on the Upper East Side of Manhattan knows every detail.”
What should a client look for in a rescue animal?
First, I advise patience. When people say, “I think I’d like to have a baby,” they don’t get a baby the next day. Second, what do you want in a pet? Is it a running partner or a couch companion? Third, how much time and money do you want to spend? Do you want a longhaired breed you’re going to have to groom every day? These are things people don’t think about when they see a cute puppy. Finally, you need to connect with this pet. If that doesn’t happen, it’s OK to move on.
You see some of the biggest heartbreaks up close. How do you navigate that personally?
As a young veterinarian, I was called upon to put to sleep a pet I’d never met before. The family told him how much they loved him, how important he’d been, how much they were going to miss him. They moved me to tears because they said exactly what I would say to my own pet. When I finished, a senior clinician said, “I promise you’re going to get over this.” I vowed to myself, “The day I get over this, I should no longer be in this profession.”
Why are our relationships with animals so important?
Pets have this amazing ability to calm us. Coming home at the end of a stressful day and being greeted by a little creature who loves you no matter what — it makes you feel better. Animals accept us for who we are.
