Oh, Jim, this brought me to tears. We have been seeing the same vet for over 20 years. He still looks like the kid he was when we began going to him. That said, as we now have to wait in the car, rather than go into the facility with our fur-kids, every interaction is handled over the phone and I can hear the raw tension in his voice when we talk.

Every time we've had to enlist his aid in ushering one of our babies from this world, he has teared up, unafraid to show his emotion.

This is a 24-hour facility and provides top-of-the line care, which, naturally, comes with a price. But that is the commitment we've made and we are so lucky that our vet allows us to make payments for the more "high-end" procedures.

What a great article. Thanks for writing, Jim.