Getting the Word Out: Miracles come in small packages

Do you believe in miracles? I do. I notice them every day in flowers blooming and acts of friendship. Of course, it’s easier to see them when you are looking, but a few months ago, my husband, John, and I encountered two miracles of a more unusual nature.
For me, love comes in furry packages. My dogs and cats are my passion. John isn’t quite as passionate about my little ones, but he’s accepted my “Love me, love my dog (and cat),” attitude and occasionally even lets me refer to him as their daddy. That is why we were both devastated one morning to discover our little dog Fisher, a lovable terrier mix with a cock-eyed stride and 15 years under his belt, had suffered a stroke. It was obvious. The right side of his face drooped, he couldn’t lift his lower jaw to close his mouth, and he could barely walk. We rushed him to the vet.
Our doctor is Michelle Marshall at Horton Animal Northeast. If I’ve discussed animal care with you, you’ve heard me sing her praises. She not only delivers excellent patient care but also amazing customer service. She does things such as e-mailing me after a visit to ask how a particular pet is recovering. She does house calls and has even accepted my panicked call at home. Actually, I’m usually just amazed she remembers everyone’s name. After all, I’ve got a lot of four-legged kids.
Fisher’s prognosis wasn’t promising. We took my little boy home, where we began carrying him around and feeding him by hand. It’s absolutely heart wrenching to sit beside an animal you love and feed him one kibble at a time. I’d put a kernel on the back of his tongue, lift his lower jaw, rub his throat and pray he’d swallow. Hydrating him was even worse — squirting water in the back of his mouth, watching most of it fill my hand instead of his belly. Fish lost five or six pounds in one week, a huge 25 percent of his total body weight.
That brings me to miracle No. 1. A few days after our visit to her office, Dr. Marshall contacted me. Not only is she our trusted family vet, but her daughter is also my Girl Scout cookie source. I was so relieved when she offered to deliver the cookies to our house so she could also check on her tiny patient. Don’t miss the miracle here. Great customer service is rare these days. Finding a service provider who genuinely cares about the outcome enough to follow up and is motivated by her own initiative … hallelujah!
Unfortunately, Dr. Marshall’s assessment of Fisher’s condition was grim. Despite our efforts, he was malnourished and severely dehydrated. She rushed him back to her hospital. When we picked him up later that day, we learned better methods for delivering his basic needs, but we left her office knowing we should prepare ourselves for the end.
Later that evening as I was in the kitchen preparing Fisher’s dinner, John started yelling from the other room. Anticipating the worst, I rushed into the living room, only to find out Fisher had jumped of his own volition from his cozy sofa perch, walked to the water bowl and had begun lapping up water. Tongue working, mouth closing! Definitely a miracle. We put his food bowl in front of him, and he went to town. I’m not ashamed to say, my husband and I turned off the TV and said a prayer of thanksgiving for his amazing recovery.
A couple months later, Fish is better than ever: no droopy eye, his weight is back to normal. In fact, he’s scampering around me as I write this. And I’m as thankful as ever to Dr. Marshall. Delivering great customer service is a small thing that produces huge rewards. Superior service builds customer loyalty that can’t be bought any other way.
Enough writing, I’m off to appreciate the miracles around me. v
Lili Vianello is President of Visionworks Marketing & Communications, a Columbia-based, full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm. Contributions to this article were made by Visionworks staff members. Visit them online at www.visionworks.com.