Appreciation to the Kapa‘a Animal Clinic ‘ohana

KAPA‘A — Long-term illness and death of a pet can be tragic experience for those who love and cherish their companionship. Eleven and a half months ago our beloved Sasquach (aka Sassy, a b/w polydactyl) suffered a debilitating stroke. From that morning in the Clinic with Dr. Patrick Ahana, March 9, 2009, until the present, we express our heartfelt appreciation for the veterinarians and staff of KAC. After 17 years of love and mutual loyalty, we were compelled to put Sassy to sleep when his quality of life deteriorated last week and he was in pain.

We learned a lot about the will to survive and find work-arounds for a handicap through Sassy, supported through every complication — and there were many — by Dr. Fran Azeka and the compassionate staff. Sassy recovered sufficiently to have a true quality of life until the very end — almost a year of difficulty but determination. And when that came, on a Sunday night, Feb. 21, Azeka spent time on the phone to listen to our observations and concerns and allowed us the time to make the final decision. Azeka then drove immediately from Hanalei to Kapa‘a and met us at the Clinic, never hinting at any time impatience or frustration with our agony and delay with making that final choice.

At the clinic, she had the compassion to truly understand and empathize with the loss we were facing — she had been Sassy’s vet since 1995. We discussed and revisited so many aspects — those who have been through that experience understand — and Azeka’s objectivity and patience were invaluable. At the end she explained the process, gave us as much time as we needed to say good-bye — pet lovers understand that is the ultimate, traumatic experience — and we left the clinic after 10:30 p.m. Heartbroken.

We can only hope, when it is our turn to face those final days, to have the medical expertise, dedication, empathy and support that Sassy received from the Kapa‘a Animal Clinic.