Rudy - July 26, 2007

I Came.

I Purred.

I conquered and l left a trail of beautiful memories.

Dear friends and family of Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital,

It is with heavy hearts today that we share with you the news of the passing of our beloved Rudy.  We had noticed recently that he was having a little trouble swallowing and
that his breath was bad.  We anesthetized him this morning,
thinking that we would need to clean his teeth or that he
had an abscessed tooth. What we discovered shocked and
saddened us all. Rudy had cancer of the mouth and throat.
With Dr. Goodrich and Dr. Mortimer’s guidance, we as a team
made the same decision that so many of you ultimately have
to make.

As you all know, Rudy was a fixture of our hospital.  Staff
members came and went over the years, but Rudy was the one
constant of our team.  His was the face that greeted
clients, pets, and staff members every day.  Rudy had many
jobs to do daily.  He dusted the tops of the cabinets. He
made sure that the bank deposits were done correctly. He
helped with weekly bill paying. Rudy often put clients who
were calling the clinic on hold (and sometimes hung up on
them!) He helped in the lab area by starting the analyzing
equipment in the mornings and he often pre-tasted the coffee
of the staff to make sure it was OK for them to drink it.
But his most important job, one that he took very seriously,
was to care for you and for your pets.  Animals have a
gift--they know what we are thinking and what we are
feeling. When Rudy would jump over the counter into to the
lobby, it wasn't always because he was curious to see who
was there.  It was as if he could tell that you were nervous
to be here or that your pet was hurting and scared.  He knew
it was his job to make you feel better, to somehow let you
know that your pets were in the best possible place.

Rudy left Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital surrounded by his
co-workers. His best friend, Chuck was also with him and
seemed to understand what was happening.  We will all miss
him terribly.  There will never be another like him--We love
you, Rudy.  See you at the Rainbow Bridge.