Category Archives: Uncategorized

Too many people snicker when they hear my name for the first time.  I think it needs to be understood that I had nothing to do with that name being hung on me.  Some human called a taxonomist, (how’s that for a silly name?) decided long ago that I should be called a Suwannee Cooter. So, go ahead and get it over with, enjoy your little giggle and get over it so I can tell you my story.

My Beautiful Colors

 About three weeks ago, I climbed out of my lovely home in a natural free flowing spring. The water there is as clear as fine crystal and flows at a near constant 67 degrees year around.  These placid waters, lush with aquatic vegetation have served as my home for over thirty years.  This place is special because no humans live there. And, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I know this because I have spent many lovely days there, sunning on a log and listening to visitors at my home utter heartfelt praises to that effect. Wakulla Springs State Park is a beautiful and natural place alright, but it is the only home I have ever known. I am sorry the rest of the world is not equally beautiful and I am certainly blessed to have been able to live there my entire life.

 But this day was to be different from all the other days this past year. You see, each of the past twenty years, in the late spring, I have dutifully answered the urging voices of my ancestors and left the safety of the water to find a warm sunny location to deposit my eggs in some sandy soil.  I must complete this task each year, and I do it at risk of great peril because, as I leave the safety of my watery home, I have no escape from danger because, well after all, I am a turtle for goodness sake.

As I pushed my way through the lush, emerald green vegetation of north Florida springtime, I began to hear the familiar sound of distant thunder. I have no concern about getting wet as I have my house on my back and carry it with me wherever I travel. So I pushed on and after a hard rain began to fall I walked into a large clearing.  I found nothing but grass, very short and even grass.  I was in need of a clearing like this but I needed some sandy soil to dig a hole for my eggs.

 I walked up a short hill and onto a very hard surface. It would be impossible to dig here so on I walked, in the rain.

 I know now that I had walked onto what humans call a “road” because of a conversation I overheard about an hour later. Just then, at a speed that I still cannot comprehend, because things in my life proceed in turtle time, a very large metallic beast suddenly appeared and squashed me like a bug.  I remember very little except the question “What the heck was that?” and the intense pain exploding throughout my body. Continue reading →

Because, as you may know, my furry little purr factory, Lucky, appears to be on a roll.  His great fortune has continued and he has landed himself in a new home where my wish for a happy life for him  has been so generously granted. This remarkable cat will spend the rest of his, hopefully, long life and know only love from humankind. 

Because, of my supportive friends at Wakulla County Animal Control and all of the chain of command above them with the wisdom to employ such caring and compassionate people. They perform such a difficult job, often in worst of circumstances, cleaning up the messes that people make of the lives of animals.

Because of the wonderful and deeply dedicated  folks at CHAT, our pet adoption group.  These extremely dedicated people work year-round, asking neither for recognition or thanks, to provide the best possible second chance for multitudes of needy animals.  Not only do they provide their care and comfort while in their custody, but serve as their advocates, ensuring that these animals are properly placed in the best homes possible.

Because of Janie, my friend and the most caring, compassionate and conscientious breeder of beautiful Maine Coon Cats on the planet. It is because of her concern, determination and desire that my wish for Lucky has been fulfilled.  I will always be in her debt.

Because of Susan, a kind-hearted ”cat person” whom I have never met but will always call a friend for opening her heart and home to my little buddy.  Susan, your plan to use the tragic story of his pain and misery at the hands of mean spirited people to heighten awareness of animal cruelty will give me warm closure to this ordeal.  I know that the two of you  will share a beautiful bond of warmth, respect, honor and love. Thank you.

Because, with the help and  concern of such fine friends , in the cause of animal welfare, I was able to keep the promise that I made to this creature.  I humbly thank you all, and I also know that, in doing so, each of you will feel that you deserve no special thanks.  I know that you do what you do because you care.  So please, just let me offer a thank you from Lucky, the one who says it best with his purrs.

It was seven days after Dusty, in part one of “A Tail of Two Kitties” allowed me to remove his sutures and assured me he was fine. As I walked to my lab Alison, my very understanding receptionist, snagged me like an arresting wire on an aircraft carrier to tell me that our county animal control officers were on the way over with a cat that was reportedly “shot”.  I paused and looked at her with the look that meant “more information please.”

Trust me, she knows that look, but seemed reluctant to offer more as I continued on my way to my microscope with a slide to study. I sat on my stool, inserted the slide onto the stage of the microscope, turned on the light and peered in, focusing the lens on the blood cells.

 Alison, still standing in the same spot behind me, started to speak but then paused.

“They said that it has an arrow sticking all the way through it,” not quite sure that she believed what she was saying. Continue reading →

In this first chapter of A Tale of Two Kitties, I would like to introduce my readers to Dusty the cat. Dusty is a fighter in every sense of the word. His story is one that I hope you will enjoy. It is a tale of the incredible resilience and downright tenacity of a common cat. I hope that Dusty becomes as memorable to you as he is to us at Shepherd Spring Animal Hospital.

This young kitty, Dusty, resides down the coast, in a quaint seaside town called Carabelle.  He is more than familiar with life on the streets and throughout his relatively short life of 3 years he has had to fend for himself, undoubtedly, on many occasions. 

In one of his more recent brushes with the law of natural selection, Dusty found it necessary to mix it up with an equally savvy creature of the street that, unfortunately, bested his own weight by about forty pounds.  Indeed, Dusty made a miscalculation in allowing his mouth to write a check that his scrawny little butt could never cover. He called out a street wise dog over some silly territorial issue that both should have left alone. Continue reading →

I was behind on my afternoon appointments but not by much.  I hate to make people wait beyond their appointment times but, because of the nature of my business, it is sometimes unavoidable for me, as a solo practitioner, to stay on schedule. 

This particular day was was going well but about to get turned upside down.  An appointment made the previous day by a new client for me to see a terrier who seemed “weak” to her owner was about to change my day and for that matter, my week.

Gia, a sweet eleven year old Jack Russell Terrier stood on my exam table and listlessly hung her head as her mom, Rita explained her situation. 

It was immediately obvious to me that Rita knew a good bit about dogs and was a down right expert on this one.  As the story unfolded, it was obvious that this little dog was seriously ill before I started my exam.  Continue reading →

     I guess it would make me feel better if I started this entry with another apology.  I realize that when you folks tune into my blog you would appreciate a new story now and then.  There have been a number of things that consume so much of my time but one of the most important to me happens to be the subject of this entry. 

      You may recall that at the end of my previous entry I made mention of something new in the works that I was really excited about.  It is precisely this “something” that I wish to share with my readers today.

Cecil following me 4th of July Sopchoppy, FL

      I have the privilege of driving one of my great friend Cecil’s beautifully restored antique tractors in the parades that we have around here several times a year.  As I drive and toss candy to the kids I enjoy the excitement of the children so much.  Of course they enjoy the candy but I also love the way they look at that old tractor. It is that wonder and excitement that we lose as we grow old and jaded to things around us. As I slept the night after the parade, I couldn’t help but remember how touching it was to see those children enjoying, not a video game, but a parade.

       About that same time we were struggling mightily with an outbreak of canine distemper virus at our local animal shelter.  The more I became involved in the tragedy of all those hopelessly sick dogs the more frustrated I became. Continue reading →

   I suppose that is a legitimate question that deserves some sort of a quasi-reasonable response.  If I were to offer excuses for my lack of posting these past few weeks I would blame the long days of summer as reason number one for my literary silence.  As you may know, Melody and I bought a 36 acre farm upon which we now reside and are building a new home.   We both spend a lot of hours on maintenance and care of our property in an effort to eventually live in the middle of the vision that we both share for our new found paradise.  With daylight until about 9:00 p.m. each evening we are making a good deal of progress toward that end.  After dinner there has been little time left for sharing my days with my readers but I’m going to make an effort to get everyone caught up.  I keep a camera on my desk at the clinic in order to photograph some of my patients and those photos will serve nicely for a quick view at my world these past few weeks. Continue reading →

     Every Thursday night, rain or shine, a party mob of friends and strangers gather at Hammaknockers Oasis under the pretense of playing Bingo.  We started this custom last fall as a benefit to the FWMA (Florida Wild Mammal Association) and although it enjoyed a rather tenuous existence at first, we have evolved into a Thursday night throwdown.

     Several months ago I started doing a large part of the calling and, in so doing, bore the brunt of the heckles and other nonsense that a drinking crowd inflicts upon it’s friends.  Rather than taking a grin and bear it approach, I just encouraged it.  The atmosphere has evolved into a big party every week with Bingo being the excuse to gather.

     When most people hear someone say something about playing Bingo they immediately conjure up an image of 30 seniors quietly staring at their cards searching for the appropriate numbers.  I get that look all the time but when I talk someone into joining us on Thursday, they nearly always thank me before they go home and bring a friend back the next week. 

    The banter gets a little rough around the edges at times but only naughty – never nasty.  Our crowd is truly all age.  Folks bring kids (I wish they wouldn’t as you must be 18 to play) and we have some in their seventies.  Everything in between. The only requirement is to enjoy yourself and spend a few bucks on the cause. If you care to join us you will have a good time, I will see to it.  If you can’t come, don’t say I didn’t invite you.

     I often hear people who deeply love their companion animals recall the deep pain at the loss of a pet.  Many times, that pain is compounded by having to make  the decision to end the suffering of a terminally ill animal or to close the book on unending pain of a dear friend.  Most of the time those decisions are supported by a veterinarian even though most of us suffer quietly along with our clients.

     Euthanasia is a topic that we rarely discuss.  Earlier in my career I just considered it part of my job and survived behind some of those “walls” that I wrote about in the story of  “Buddy”.  But the seasoning that comes with all the gray hair tends to peel all the shucks back and leave me as emotionally naked as an ear of corn when it comes to euthanasia of my patients. It can become such an emotional burden that veterinarians actually require support groups to deal with it. 

     I have watched countless precotious little pups grow into adulthood, often side by side with children in my client’s families.  Then, after the years whistled by, I had to stand there and try to be strong and supportive to my clients when the final decision had to be carried out.  I wish I could say how tough it is to be professional and supportive when, inside, another dagger is placed in my heart.  Even now, as I struggle to broach this very dark subject, I hear the names and see the faces of so many, many great patients, companions and trusted friends.  I hurt, but I do find some peace in the fact that I know the last thing that I had to do to them was truly, in my heart,  for them.

    I am not treading on this difficult terrain to seek sympathy or understanding but, instead, to set the stage for my next little installment in this blog.  Indeed, this very preface has taken me to an emotional place I would rather not be, so it is past time to move to the story.

    A couple of months ago it was my pleasure to meet “Bear”.  “Bear” is a wonderful six year old Wire Haired Fox Terrier.  He is an absolutely fine example of the breed; warm, loving, much calmer than most terriers as as gentle as a butterfly.  He is the kind of dog you just want to hug.  At that meeting I told his owner that the first dog I ever had as a boy was “Whiskers”, a Wire Haired Fox Terrier.  Continue reading →

     Twelve hours after I posted the story on Lilly the Loon I obtained a fecal sample to check on the progress of our therapy to rid her of her parasite burden. It had been just one week since she and I had met under difficult circumstances for her. As I positioned the slide on the microscope I thought about the myriad of organisms I had observed the previous week on this same bird. A bird that was too weak to fly.
     A big smile wiped it’s way across my face as I could hardly believe my eyes. She was nearly completely free of the incredible burden of parasites that she carried just one week before. I was surprised because we had intentionally selected a small dose of Fenbendazole, the dewormer, because it can be harmful to the liver of some birds at higher doses. I was skeptical that we would clear her at that dose but I also knew we would hold her until we safely removed the parasites.
     Because the time frame of her stay at the rehab facility had now been reduced to just a week, we made the decision to put her back in the marsh. I felt the less time she spent away from her world the better. If she was going to get strong enough to migrate, her best chance was to do so, without the parasites, in the water world she called home.
     That afternoon, when we closed the clinic, Melody and I took Lilly down to a remote beach in the marsh to, once again, be free.
I took along my video camera to record the event for those who couldn’t be there. As things unfolded I was sure glad I had the camera. I must apologize for the shaky camera, next time I will be better prepared.
     Many people don’t believe that animals have emotions. I don’t even want to try to persuade those folks how wrong they are. But for those readers who care to enjoy the incredible happiness of a bird, this video is for you.

     I could not just leave it as raw video. My son taught me how to compile it with music.  This is my best way of sharing with you what I felt that day. The bird, on the other hand, had no problem depicting her emotions. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Be patient, it takes about 10 seconds to start.