Frank was a beautiful Doberman who had been coming to us for daycare and boarding for a couple of years. Over time we noticed he had stopped coming, so I reached out to his dad, Stan, to check in.
Stan’s wife called me back. Stan was very ill with terminal cancer and was in palliative care at home. Could we help her with Frank? Of course we could. Over the next few months our team picked Frank up and dropped him back home, so he could keep his routine and his friends.
One day Stan’s wife called me, unsure what to do. She felt Stan was holding on because of his love for Frank, and his fear that Frank would be left behind. I told her I would come over that evening.
Stan was lying in bed, conscious but very ill. I held his hand for a while, just to be there with him. I told him he could rest, and I gave him my word that I would always take care of Frank, so he didn’t have to worry. Stan passed away peacefully that night.
We kept looking after Frank for several more months, until he stopped coming again. Stan’s wife called and said she was afraid something was wrong with him. When I arrived that evening, Frank was lying on the floor, very ill with liver failure. I let her know, as gently as I could, that it was time.
The next day I picked Frank up and took him to my own vet, where he was put peacefully to sleep as I held his paw.
In 25 years of caring for dogs, Frank and Stan are among the people I will never forget. They are a big part of why we do what we do.
Philip, founder