Christensen Animal Hospital is a Wilmette community staple and that part is not changing. We take seriously the human and animal bond and are very careful to help strengthen that bond when it is needed the very most. Our pets provide a source of comfort that is unmatched and we are all they’ve ever known. This is precisely why is it so very important to keep ourselves healthy for our families, including our pets. In light of COVID19, we have made some changes and will continue to make changes as the situation evolves. Please check back for the lastest Christensen Animal Hospital News and COVID19 response updates.
We have switched to curbside service and have been practicing curbside service successfully for over a week.
We have changed our cleaning protocols to be sure we’re sanitizing behind ourselves and the pets we treat.
We have begun offering transportation services for those who are ill and not able to transport their pets to us for treatment.
We have also started a delivery option for food and medication for the duration of the shelter-in-place order.
Our boarding facilities are available as usual and to welcome any pets whose owner is infected with COVID19 and/or hospitalized.
Jenn, our Client Service Manager, tells the story of how she and Charlie met and his introduction to the rest of the family. Charlie had a rough beginning, but from rough beginnings often comes the strongest bonds…
I met
this little man back in July of 2010. We had our beagle, Rocky, and were
looking to adopt a fellow pup. We came across “Stallone”, as he
had been named, at a local shelter. He was estimated to be about a year
and a half old. I initially went by myself to the shelter to visit.
And I brought my family back later. Rocky and he met and got along
great! We came to find out “Stallone” was diagnosed with kennel
cough, so after our adoption application was approved (we were 1 of 21 families
who applied!) he stayed the week for treatment. Once that was completed,
he was neutered and came home! He now goes by Charlie.
Charlie is such a
character! He is goofy, fun, smart, and bullheaded all in one little
body. He is my son’s very best dog, and the bond they share is
unbreakable. Charlie simply loves him. He also is very protective
of our family. He is not a huge fan of the mailman, the UPS man, or any
person who walks through our yard without permission! But if he’s with us
and we introduce them, he’s fine. He’s quite the guard dog for only being
20 pounds.
Every night, about
8pm, he goes through a crazy phase. He begins to roll like an alligator
while trying to “bite lick” my husband or me! He is totally
playing around and doesn’t bite anyone, but it’s his way to get our girls to
play with him and they immediately join! His favorite toy to play with is
Jewels, our whippet.
He has added a whole
lot of love and laughter to our lives. Our days wouldn’t be the same
without him and I’m SO glad the shelter chose us to be his furever family.
We love you, Charles
Barkley.
We
often hear about the bond between humans and animals. There is a certain connection we all share
with animals and especially our own pets.
I’ve heard some say, “We had an instant bond”, or “It was love at first
sight”. One of my own experiences involving
my now 10-year-old cat, Tom, was very similar.
I was working late at the clinic, and I looked up to see a team member
in my office telling me, “You absolutely have to meet this kitten”. Well, I wasn’t terribly fond of cats at the
time so I reluctantly followed her over to the front lobby. I watched as this very young kitten, probably
about 6 weeks old was being passed from team member to team member and back to
the officer who brought him to us.
This little
black disheveled kitten was screaming its little head off, all four legs and
paws stretched out in distress and seemingly shouting, “Leave me alone! Put me down!
Where is my mom!?”. He was pretty
cute I had to admit and suddenly the thing was passed to me! I’d never held something so little, and he
was already so angry and scared that I was sure he was going to bite me. So, what do I do? Of course, I accepted him into my hands and honestly
thought I was going to drop him. He ran
up my blouse and hid under my hair. He became
quiet, so quiet I thought something happened to him on the journey up my blouse. As we stood around listening to the officer
tell us how he found him, the kitten rested on my shoulder, under my hair. Our conversation with the officer and side
conversations distracted from the kitten for about five minutes. Then, one of
the gals on duty that night lifted my hair and saw he was fast asleep.
“Looks
like he found a mom”, one of them said.
…and so,
he had.
Thomas is no longer the desperate, distraught, and disheveled itty-bitty soul he was; in fact, he is an avid defender of all things tidy, very demanding, and right where he was meant to be. I was never a cat lover. “Was” is the operative word in that sentence. The bond Thomas and I share is unlike any bond I’ve experienced, and as pet owners, we know every pet is unique and the relationship, unique to us.
Over the next several months we’ll be exploring stories about the bond each of us shares with our pets and how each of those bonds is unique, compelling, and everlasting. In addition to our “The Bond” series, we’ll also be posting other series, articles, and snippets along the way.
