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I didn’t give much thought to the decision when I moved into the neighbourhood. The veterinary clinic was a five-minute walk from where I lived, and my neighbour took her dog there and liked it.

I first took Benjy there a few days after getting him from the SPCA. It was to be a checkup, but Benjy had developed an infection of some sort. Dr. Jack Brondwin, the veterinarian, estimated Benjy’s age to be about 14 weeks, commented on how beautiful he was, and prescribed some antibiotics for him. A few days later, Benjy was almost better again.

Until Benjy was about 12, the reasons for visits were mostly routine — vaccinations, allergies, occasional injuries. When his health problems developed, having a good veterinarian to consult with became a lot more important. What are the options and the new developments for treating each health condition? How can holistic and conventional treatments work together? What steps need to be taken when?

When your veterinarian is someone you can discuss all of the above with, the stress of taking care of a sick pet is more manageable. When the veterinarian shows how much he cares about animals and is someone you’ve gotten to know throughout your pet’s life, you and your pet are even more fortunate.

One day, I stopped at the clinic shortly before closing time to pick up some medication. Jack and I got into a long conversation about our personal views on health treatment. While we were talking, I realized that he was probably the person I’d be sharing the last moments of my cat’s life with.

He was. It was an awful time, but having a veterinarian that I knew and trusted provide the final advice for Benjy kept it from being even worse.

Thanks, Jack. And thanks also to all the other caring staff members at your clinic. I hope that other pet owners can be as fortunate as Benjy and I were.