A simple 'Thank you' is just not good enough.....
We are a family who love dogs and they are very much loved family members. Until yesterday we had 4, all of whom are registered with the practice. T... Read More
A simple 'Thank you' is just not good enough.....
We are a family who love dogs and they are very much loved family members. Until yesterday we had 4, all of whom are registered with the practice. The hardest part of choosing to bring a pet into the family is knowing that it is more than likely you will outlive them and there will be a point when you may have to make a difficult decision on their behalf. This we had to do yesterday.
We chose to stay with Harcourt-brown for the last 16 years because the staff are just so kind and they clearly love animals. The receptionists have always been really helpful and obliging, and especially kind and considerate when it came to supporting us at the worst possible time. We don't ever ask to see one particular vet because quite frankly they are all good, and I do mean that.
Yesterday the eldest of our brood, Patch, had reached his time to move on. It was one of the hardest decisions to make, but we knew following our conversation with Alison (Vet) it was the right one. Alison helped us after our first dog was in a car accident many years ago, and I've never forgotten how good she was then so I was very confident that she would help us get through this awful process.
We wanted Patch to move on at home because we wanted privacy to be able to grieve as we wanted to and for him to pass on in a calm and loving environment. We were clearly very distressed leading up the time but he was ready. A mark of how good Alison and the team of vets and nurses is that our brood never get stressed when we need to take them to the practice. And that is important for any pet owner.
I'd like to think that Patch knew it was his time and because of Alison's and Lisa's calm demeanour, Alison's explanation to us of what would or could happen, and more importantly their compassion towards us, he passed away very gently. They didn€t rush us to leave, they just gave us time to say goodbye which meant we could all hold him for one last time.
I received a call from Lisa an hour ago to see if we were okay and to explain when Patch would be returned to us. There was no mention of money, and I suspect they would have waited a respectful length of time before doing. However, based on the fact that I now have a better appreciation of how difficult their job is and what a fantastic service they provide, I raised it myself.
Which is why, even though it is only slightly over 24 hours since we said good bye to Patch, I€m writing this now as I want to thank them and recognise their good work.
Those of us who love our pets need to know that they are in safe hands throughout and at the end of their lives, and I can only assure anyone who is considering Harcourt-brown as a Veterinary Practice that they are people you can trust. Read Less