An hour in a pet ER - South Bay Pets

An hour in a pet ER

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By Donna Littlejohn on June 11, 2008 6:59 PM | | Comments (0) |

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While my dog Tess was hospitalized last week, I stoped by the Animal Emergency Referral Center in Torrance after work one day to see if I could visit her.

I never did get in to see her.
 
As I was waiting, a series of critically ill pets were rushed through the doors of the clinic on Pacific Coast Highway near Madison. Those of us in the waiting room -- some waiting to pick up or visit their animals, others bringing non-critical pets in for treatment -- could only watch, console and pray as the dramas played out before us.

Among them: A tearful young woman cradling in her arms an unconscious kitten who had reacted poorly to some medication.
 
Next came a family of four, the teen-aged daughter sobbing as they carried their frightened and whimpering dachshund dog in a large plastic bucket. The girl and her younger brother had come home from school to find that the dog could not move one of his hind legs.
 
As her parents filled out the paperwork, the young teen knelt down on the floor next to her dog, petting his head and trying to comfort him as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. A woman sitting nearby set aside the Bible she was reading and rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. And I'm sure I wasn't the only one offering up silent prayers on the family's behalf from across the room. 

Just another hour in a pet ER, probably nothing out of the ordinary for these 24-hour animal hospitals and trauma centers. 

But now, more than a week later, I find myself still wondering what happened to the little kitten and the dachshund.

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About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Donna Littlejohn published on June 11, 2008 6:59 PM.

Fundraiser for kitties was the previous entry in this blog.

Skunk season tips is the next entry in this blog.

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About the Bloggers

Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.

E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.

Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.

E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.

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