Tuesday, March 10, 2009

For the Love of Animals


Kara took her kitty, Cali, to the vet's last Monday, to have an infected claw removed. She had to go back to work, so Romie picked Cali up at the end of the day and brought her back to our house. Kara and Adam came to pick her up that evening and stayed for supper.

Dr. Paul Kleman has been our veterinarian since the beginning of pets at Our Little Acre and has given wonderful and affordable care. Kara and Adam had taken their cats to a local vet in Defiance, but prefer the care that Dr. Kleman's office gives, so they drive the extra mileage for it.


Last Thursday was Simon's day for his annual shave session, and Chris (from Dr. Kleman's office) did an awesome job, as usual. I picked him up late Thursday afternoon and saw Dr. Kleman of course, and his associate, Dr. DuVall, while I was there.



Sunday, I got a phone call from my mom with some sad news. Dr. Kleman had suffered a fatal heart attack that morning. I couldn't believe it. I had not given it a thought that this wonderful man would leave us so soon. He has taken care of every single one of our pets when they required a veterinarian's care.

First Smokey, the long-haired gray cat we had when we first were married, then Misha, the long-haired black/brown cat we had when we moved to our present house.


Mimi knew Dr. Kleman for 16 years and his face was one of the last she saw when she left this world. I will never forget the kindness and empathy he showed while having to do what he was trained to do to end her suffering.





And so it was when we were faced with the same situation with our dog, Simba.

Though extremely professional, Dr. Kleman had a way of showing his love of animals - a love for our pets - that shone through his quiet exterior. You just knew he wanted what was best for both pets and their owners.


Last year, when we took a stray in for neutering, we had a change in heart due to the myriad of problems the cat had and we questioned the wisdom of the surgery. Dr. Kleman said he couldn't make that decision for us, yet let us know that he would understand if we chose to euthanize Barney. As I sat in his office, crying over a cat I barely knew, you could see the empathy in his eyes, as no doubt he'd been in that position many times before.


With a family of nine cats (presently), you can imagine that Dr. Kleman (and more recently, Dr. DuVall) has been a very important person in our lives and the lives of our cats. We're very sad to hear about his passing and he will be extremely missed by so many.


We mourn the loss of Dr. Kleman and pray that God will give comfort to his grieving family, especially his grandchildren that he talked about and enjoyed so much. May they find peace in knowing that he was loved by those whose lives he touched, through their pets.




24 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What a sweet tribute to your vet Kylee. I am sure his family will be touched by your praises of him.

JulenaJo said...

Your post brought tears to my eyes. Obviously, your veterinarian was a special person in your and your pets' lives. You have my sympathy.

Bren Haas said...

I am very sadden to hear about your Vet. Prayers go out to their family.
Wonderful blog entry you have added with your beautiful pets.

Kylee Baumle said...

Lisa ~ I don't know if they'll ever see this. I've thought about printing it out and including it with their card. Would that be appropriate, or not?

JulenaJo ~ Thank you. I still can't believe he's gone.

Bren ~ Thank you. He always took great care of our furbabies.

Cathy S. said...

Sorry to hear about your Vet, he must have been a really great person as well as a vet. A really nice tribute in his honor.

Dave said...

I'm sorry to hear about his passing. It's hard to say goodbye to a trusted vet.

Unknown said...

A very touching and moving tribute to a man who loved animals and was a big part of your extended family. Thank you.

Kylee Baumle said...

Cathy, Dave, and Rick ~ Thank you.

Anonymous said...

how sad Kylee. He sounds like a exactly the kind of person you would want to entrust the care of beloved pets to. What a great loss. My sympathies to you and his family.

Katie said...

I wish we were all as lucky as you when it came to having a wonderful vet. It sounds like he will be missed dearly.

Anonymous said...

My suggestion per the card would not to be to print out the post and send it to them, but to write down the sentiments you shared in the blog (along with pics I'm sure would be appreciated) and send them to the vet office or the family. Printing out the blog might seem impersonal, but if you share your thoughts with them (to them) in a card, you might also say "I also shared my sentiments on my blog at ..." I'm sure they'll be delighted to know how much he meant. As I'm typing this post on the couch with a cat beside me now, I know how much a caring vet means to a pet owner. We're lucky to go to the same vet that the Clintons' Socks the cat went to!

garden girl said...

I'm so sorry Kylee. He sounds like a wonderful vet and an outstanding human being. Condolences to Dr. Kleman's family and to you.

Anonymous said...

You have done his family proud by writing such a wonderful piece about him. My heart goes out to you.

Rose said...

I am so sorry, Kylee; I am sure Dr. Kleman will be missed by many. Caring veterinarians like him touch so many lives. I remember when we had to put down our dog Roco when he developed a fast-growing tumor. Our vet came to our house so that he could be at home and with the ones he loved. She understood my tears and was so sympathetic. People like this mean so much to all of us who love animals.

Diana said...

Kylee -- I am so sorry for your loss. Our vets become like family when they take such wonderful care of our furry family members. I feel the same way about my vet. What a wonderful tribute you've written here -- you've certainly honored him today.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

That was a beautiful tribute. I'm sure the sudden loss was a shock to everyone touched by the life of this caring man.

Gardeness said...

Very sweet of you to post this. It sounds like your vet had become a dear friend to the family.

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

So sorry for you loss Kylee. My dad is a vet and people tell me all the time how much he has ment to their families. This was a very touching tribute to someone who kept care of your furriest family members. Take care.

kate smudges said...

I'm sorry to hear that your vet has died. For those of us with animals, they become our friends ~ your vet would have appreciated your beautiful words about him.

Kerri said...

How very sad for you and especially for Dr. Kleman's family to lose him so suddenly.
You were blessed to have such a wonderful, compassionate vet for all those years.
My sympathy and prayers go out to you and his family.

Roses and Lilacs said...

How very sad. I know what it's like to lose a trusted veterinarian.
Marnie

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Great tribute to a wonderful pet lover. He will indeed be sorely missed by you all. A good vet is soooooooooo important, you know it, I know it.

It's very sad to lose a kind man like that, it must be hard on his family, friends, clients and patients.

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

What a wonderful and beautiful tribute to an obviously great man!

Hugs,
Cindy

Kylee Baumle said...

Thank you all for your kind comments and expressions of sympathy.

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