Inspiration
This is Brandan. He was named, of course, after Punky Brewster's dog. He was my family's first Golden Retriever and he was quite a dog. When he got older all the hair around his face turned white and he became a very talkative dog. He would ask for dinner with a long drawn out howling noise, and if you talked back to him he would get all riled up and howl some more. For a dog who had never made much noise it was quite a display. Brandan had this great habit of walking an exact route around our house in Connecticut such that it wore away all the plants leaving a little trail around the perimeter. He did a few laps every day. Brandan also had the softest hair just behind his ears and feet that smelled like love - a comforting mix of warmth, dirt, grass and dog. He was a great listener, a loyal friend, and I guess you could say he's the reason I decided to become a vet. A college counselor once told me that when he was in high school he thought he wanted to be a vet, but then he realized that he actually just loved his dog. Sometimes I think that I too have confused these feelings, but either way, Brandan was a great dog and I sure have learned a lot because of him.
posted by Anne @ 6:05 PM
3 Comments:
That's the cutest old dog picture I think I've ever seen. Reading your description did confirm that I definitely missed out by having only cats around as a child! I hope my family from now on will always have a dog.
Anne, there is no possible way that you have chosen the wrong career. Its clear that you love your dog (s), so do we all. But you so clearly understand the medicine, how could this not be the right place for you? I know that you will find your niche in the veterinary world. Maybe you should open up a practice that caters only to puppies and old golden retrievers with white faces!
He was definitely a good dog, even if he did get a little funny in his old age. I remember that when you went with me to be with him in his last minutes, I was worried about you and asked if you really wanted to do this. You said, "Mom, if I really want to be a vet, I need to know how to handle this and it will never be any harder than with Brandan." You were gentle and caring with him, but also brave, all qualities I would want in a vet. Mom
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