Last Saturday we made the sad and difficult decision to have our dear old dog euthanized. For months we had been dreading this inevitable day. When we called our Penn Cove Veterinary Clinic, it was 15  minutes before closing and it didn’t look like we would make it there in time. But the vet on duty said she would wait for us if we brought Xena right in. Realizing that we would not be seeing one of the two wonderful vets, Dr. Lark Gustafson or Dr. Ken Leaman, whom we knew and loved so well made us feel even more apprehensive as we headed toward Coupeville.

But when we got there we were met by a beautifully compassionate woman, Dr. Karen Schmid, who made Xena’s and our visit there as bearable as possible. We never felt rushed even though it was now well past closing time. Just as the doctor explained what would happen, Xena, with her head in my lap, began to relax and soon fell into what seemed a most peaceful sleep. No more physical problems for the Wonder Dog; we picture her now romping with all her old pals who have gone before.

A heartfelt thank you to Doctor Karen Schmid for the kind and gentle way you treated all of us — humans and canine alike — making such a heart-rending situation not half as difficult as we had expected. Coupeville is so lucky to have you!

Penny Holland
and Wally Hume
Coupeville