Granny's Tails. Pam Bell

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      Blue Boy – Finds the fountain of youth.

      Dixie – The Wrong Dog

      (a lesson in forgiveness)

      The surgery board – all daily surgery patients were written down, weighed, checked, and scheduled for the day.

      Dixie – a 52 lb. black and white Lab mix in for a spay.

      Time for Dixie’s sedation. It was her first visit. The technician went to the large kennel, found her, and brought her to the doctor. He checked her over, gave her shots, and sedated her in preparation for surgery in an hour. She had been a stray picked up and adopted by a nice new family.

      Her surgery went great! In fact, Dixie had already been spayed. After putting her under anesthesia and exploring her abdominal area inside, the doctor realized that a previous owner had already spayed her. She recovered quickly from anesthesia, woke up, and had lunch. The owner was called and told the great news that Dixie had already been spayed and would have minimal recovery from this procedure. She would be ready to go home about 3:00 PM.

      Then came the crisis. At 2:00 PM the kennel staff came to the busy technician and said: “There’s a big problem.”

      A bit annoyed, the technician went to the kennel and annoyance turned to panic. Dixie was fine and eating lunch but in the next kennel was another Dixie – that looked exactly the same – that was the actual surgery patient. The wrong dog had been surgically opened up. The wrong Dixie was just boarding for a few days and now she had had major surgery! This is a crisis! Disaster! Time for someone to quit or be fired from their job.

      Dixie – the wrong dog.

      The doctor had to be informed. Same reaction. Annoyance at having to stop his busy schedule to come to the kennel, and then panic. He was faint and white and angry beyond imagination. He had been presented the wrong dog to spay by the staff he trusted.

      Dixie was fine and eating well. No one else was fine. Panic mode was in full swing! This is the type of thing that can result in legal action and worse. Everyone had bad feelings. Dixie’s owner had to be called and she was on vacation for another week. The staff didn’t know her. This was Dixie’s second visit to the clinic to board. It was Friday. The doctor had to be the one to call her.

      He tried – voice mail. Can’t leave a message like that! Tried again. Same thing. Tried multiple times Saturday – no answer. The responsible technician was contemplating resigning after 20 years of work there. Finally on Sunday, Dixie’s mom called the doctor back. First there was silence. Then the question: “Is she okay?” No other comment from her – more of shock and questionable reaction.

      Dixie continued to be fine and as the week approached for her mom to come back the staff became more and more anxious. It was what seemed to be an unforgivable mistake.

      Dixie – Resting Comfortably.

      One week after the wrong surgery took place, Dixie’s mom came to get her and the receptionist put her in an exam room for the doctor to talk to her. The technician was basically in a fit of fear, avoiding the situation at all cost. At the last minute she realized that it was her responsibility, and she had to be the one to talk to the mom. She went into that room shaking inside.

      “I’m sorry ... There were two Dixies that looked exactly the same ... and I’m so sorry.”

      Jennifer, Dixie’s mom, was pretty and calm and again said, “Is she okay?” There was no sign or hint of any comment – certainly deserved – of malice.

      “Can some good come from this?” she asked.

      The answer was yes. Name bands had already been ordered and put on every animal as they came into the hospital for any stay. (Cage cards were already in place but with a name band each pet could be checked before any treatment was done. The owners were to apply the band – five years later this is still in place and no other error has been made.)

      Jennifer hugged the technician and said that mistakes happen. Wow! The ultimate lesson in forgiveness! Not a harsh word, tone, or bad feeling.

      Dixie and her new Boxer brother continue to come to the hospital on a regular basis.

      Freckles

      Found on the side of the road limping. A red and white Terrier mix. Had he been hit by a car?

      No, unfortunately not hit by a car. Worse. About two years old with degenerative joint disease, which would only worsen and someday soon he would not be able to walk.

      So the little guy named Freckles, by the clinic staff, was put on pain medicine. His fate was unknown. Difficult to adopt. Unable to give a problem like this to someone.

      Freckles didn’t know he had a problem. His pain medicine worked and, though he ran like a bunny with a hop in the back legs, he had a lot of life in him.

      He stayed at the animal hospital for about a year. They were not sure what to do with him until the right family showed up and adopted him. They would give him a life, his medicine, and a chance.

      When he showed up later for a refill of his medicine he wore a smile and a red and white sweater.

      Freckles – unaware of any problem.