Don José’s grief and recovery.

At the GAAP Clinic, many of our clients are students, senior citizens, families from rural areas and people living with very limited budgets and little knowledge about pet care. A big part of our mission at the Clinic is to teach people about how to prevent diseases, take good care of their pets through every life stage, but also, and often most difficult, is helping our clients know when it is time to say good-bye.

Don José and his dog Coby had been best friends for a long time. Coby was 17 years old and, like all senior pets, his health had started to deteriorate. One day, Don José noticed Coby couldn’t walk or even stand. He rushed Coby to the GAAP clinic, transporting him in a wheelbarrow.

Sadly, Coby’s condition was grave, and he was unable to make a full recovery. After a lot of discussion with Dr. Angelica and careful consideration by Don José, he decided it was time to let Coby go. We went to his house and made everything as comfortable as possible so Don José could say goodbye to his loyal companion.

After Coby’s passing, we didn’t see Don José for a while. We all knew how sad he was and we worried about him. Everyone grieves differently and it is important to dedicate time to remembering and honoring their lives, but there is no doubt that it can be a very difficult period!

But a few months later we were happy to get a call from him. He was letting us know he would be visiting very soon, along with his new puppy, Sultán.

A couple of days later Don José was back at the GAAP with this tiny cross-breed pup in his arms! Coby’s death was very hard for Don José, but with Sultán’s help, he’s much better now. And we are so happy Sultán is being taken care of by a responsible and loving owner.