08/17/2025
✨ Update ✨
If you’ve followed us for awhile, you know Zella feels deeply about strangers and when it comes to vets, that means fear, stress, and big emotions.
You may recall, back in June 2024, I made a simple call to schedule her yearly checkup. Instead, I was met with words I’ll never forget: “The doctor recommends you just put Zella down.” 💔
I can’t even describe how crushing that moment was. To hear someone speak that way about the dog who is my whole world… it felt like the floor dropped out beneath me. (And let me be clear: that has NEVER, and will NEVER, be an option. She is family and loved beyond measure.)
Since that day, I’ve carried the weight of that experience while fighting to make sure Zella always gets the care she deserves. I’ve pieced together resources, found a lab company to come to our home for bloodwork and titers, and avoided the stress of walking her into an environment where she isn’t understood.
But now we’re out of medication refills, and her old office called to inform us it had been too long since her last visit for them to approve more.
When the clinic called, I explained why we hadn’t been back, expecting judgment or dismissal. Instead, the new doctor called. She acknowledged how “unfortunate” that past situation was, explained they were under new management, and reassured me that both she and the other new doctor would be happy to see Zella anytime. She listened, asked questions, heard the story, and understood the trauma for both Zella and our family. With compassion, we brainstormed ideas to make future visits less stressful and safe for everyone.
Together, we came up with a plan for this visit that I feel pretty content with:
🐾 No sedation. No pre-visit pills.
🐾 Only my hands on her, no one else’s.
🐾 A calm, minimal-stress appointment where she can just be herself.
It feels like progress. It feels like hope. And yet I’d be lying if I said I’m not nervous. Zella’s “spice” is real, and it’s born from fear. But this time… maybe, just maybe, someone will finally see her fear for what it is.
Our appointment is set for next month. Taking deep breaths and holding onto hope. 💜
