One of the most common comments I get when I tell people I work in #vetmed is “I could never do that. Putting animals to sleep would be too sad”.

There are so many happy parts of my job, euthanasia has never been a deterrent. Of course it’s hard, but in many ways ending their pain feels like a gift we can provide – so we choose to look at it that way. Ending their pain and suffering and allowing them to drift away peacefully.

A common question we get from clients is “how do you know it’s time”. There are QOL (quality of life) assessments and countless articles we can send you when it’s time. I wanted to provide some personal experience though.

I have had three dogs in my life that have needed end of life euthanasia. I liken their stories to the three bears. One was too long, one was too short and one was juuuuuuust right.

Stinky was my first love. My first dog. My first roommate. He experienced every college boyfriend and every up/down I had in my life. I got him as an adult dog from a rescue I volunteered at as a sophomore in college. He went everywhere with me. He met my last boyfriend, my now husband. He was here for all the important things in life. I knew it was time for him, but I wasn’t ready. I feel like I waited too long to make the decision. By the time I did, he was a walking skeleton in diapers who had to be hand fed and medicated numerous times per day.

My second dog who needed euthanasia was Bonnie. She was a mean 17 year old rat terrier with only enough teeth left in her mouth to bite you. She saved those just for that occasion. She was a dog I acquired when my aunt passed away from cancer. Who better than the vet employee to take over a dog? She was actually a great dog and she loved my husband. When she began to decline (and had gone blind and fallen in the pool a few times) I emailed my family and let them know they could come say their goodbyes. I quickly made the appointment and helped her cross the rainbow bridge. I probably could have waited a bit longer – she was comfortable with pain medications and she was happy. She was just really old and was starting to have “old dog issues” and I thought it was the right decision. I didn’t want her to suffer like Stinky did.

My last dog was Bo. Bo was a 90 lb coonhound golden mix and was sweet as pie. He let my toddler crawl all over him like a jungle gym until his last day. Bo was Stinky’s dog and was my last reminder of Stinky. Bo was starting to have some rough days. He had cancer and didn’t do well on chemo, so I stopped. I knew he was hanging on for us, but we knew it was time. I asked Dr. Hurley “how will I know? He still seems to have good days”. Her reply which has always stuck with me was “you don’t want to wait until he has no good days”. I started keeping a calendar and when the good days begun being outweighed by the bad days, we made an appointment.

We brought Bo in and he was still able to walk inside, unlike Stinky. Bo still took a few treats from our hand but he laid still and gazed into our eyes softly as if to say thank you. He has lived a good, long life with us and he knew he was as good boy. Bo’s euthanasia felt like the timing was juuuuust right.

Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we’d finally found the sweet spot. The perfect timing for an end of life visit. He left the earth with dignity and I know all three are waiting for me over rainbow bridge 🌈 🐾

-Christen Lynch, Hospital Administrator

One of the most common things we have been asked over the last few days is to board family pets because people have no heat.

We wanted to provide you a simple list of some things that you can do from home for your animals to try to keep everyone else safe and warm as possible.

We hate to state the obvious, but we will…Keep your pets inside with you and your family. Under no circumstances should pet cats be left outdoors, even if they roam outside during other seasons. 

One of the best ways to provide warmth is body heat. Snuggling together in bed or on the couch or holding your pet close. there are other therapeutic reasons to snuggle your pet, but keeping you both warm tops the list! Go into a center room of the home away from windows.

You can put small baby socks on your pets feet to try to prevent them from losing heat through their extremities. Watch your pet closely to be sure they do not eat the socks. You do not want an obstruction in the midst of a snow storm.

If you have access to warm water, you can heat water bottles and wrap them in towels and put them near your pet. Extra blankets can be used on their bedding.

Exposed skin on noses, ears and paw pads are at risk for frostbite and hypothermia during extreme cold snaps. For this reason, short-haired dogs often feel more comfortable wearing a sweater—even during short walks.

Rock salt and other chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate the pads of your pet’s feet. Wipe all paws with a damp towel before your pet licks them and irritates their mouth.

Keep in mind that cars are one of the many hazards to small animals—warm engines in parked cars attract cats and small wildlife, who may crawl up under the hood. To avoid injuring any hidden animals, bang on your car’s hood to scare them away before starting your engine. Antifreeze is also a serious risk during cold weather. It’s sweet tasting and attracts animals.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about your pets!



We were happy to be open today were very happy to have power. We were one of the only clinics in the area who was open which meant for a busy day.

When the doctor at her nurse arrived to the clinic, there was an emergency bit by a dog waiting to be seen. Amidst getting this patient sutured up and stable, We had our regularly scheduled appointments begin to arrive. Seizing dogs, vomiting patients, a pet who ate some thing they shouldn’t, another bit by dog, a feeding tube placement on a critically ill kitty…

Dr. Hurley an Dr. Clary came to the rescue along with Catie and Taylor and got right to work saving lives. We love what we do and our fantastic clients.

Please say a little prayer for the emergency vet clinics in the area. They are overwhelmed and understaffed and trying their best to take care of all of the patients who need help.

We will be back at 9 AM tomorrow to do it all over again! The area is overwhelmed with urgent care so please consider rescheduling wellness and vaccine appointments until a later date if possible. If your pet is ill but not critical, please text us to see if you need to come in to be seen 972-805-1491. Please remember that we can also do some telemedicine appointments depending on the case.have power.

Here are some cute boarder pictures from today 💜