Ad Blocker Detected
Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Photo: Contributed
Click here to view the gallery
A local veterinarian went out of his way to bring a family who brought their frightened rabbit with them to be neutered.
Tammy Hobbs brought her newly adopted bunny, Gandalf, to Rutland Pet Hospital to be spayed on Wednesday. However, knowing his fearful behavior, she brought a buddy with her – a stuffed animal.
Hobbs says the two-year-old bunny is attached to the plush toy and cuddles it to make him feel calm. She asked the vet if they could hold them together before and after the operation just in case.
“We put him in his kennel with him and clogged him with him during surgery and after surgery – I just thought he was so cute,” says Dr. Charissa Ridderbroek, veterinarian at the Rutland Pet Hospital.
“When I was operating, my technician jokingly placed the Stuffy on an oxygen mask and, like Gandalf, turned the Stuffy upside down during his castration.”
They both returned to the recovery cage and Ridderbroek says when he woke up from anesthesia he cuddled his companion again. She says such an operation brightened the mood in the office and made everyone smile.
“They went way beyond that,” said Hobbs. “They showed me the photos and it was priceless. I was so excited to see him and it really made a difference as a family to know they looked after this level.”
She says the best thing was that they also “operated” on the plush toy.
When Dr. Ridderbroek noticed that the little stuffed animal had a small tear in the right hind leg, so she sewed it up for him so that they both had scars.
“I thought I was going to fix the hole so I put a few stitches in it … Gandalf has an owie, so the stuffy has an owie now,” she adds.
Hobbs says she was “dejected” by the feeling and that it was heartwarming to hear the staff reaction of Gandalf’s attachment to the congestion.
“It brightens the mood in all of the offices, there aren’t many owners who bring stuffed animals for surgery,” says Dr. Ridderbroek.
“They said it was their day and they just had a blast … it was such a sweet experience in such a crazy time in the world that I just wanted to share it and thank them for the extra care they put in to have.”
The Hobbs family say they recently lost a year old bunny to a bad result after undergoing anesthesia at another veterinarian.
“That’s why we were so concerned because we lost the last rabbit in the past. With that extra care and knowing that they were familiar with rabbits, they really put us at ease and couldn’t be happier with the result. “
Hobbs urges every pet owner to ensure that the veterinarian you go to is experienced with your pet type.
You haven’t named the stuffed animal yet, but are thinking of sticking to the “Lord of the Rings” theme and possibly choosing “Frodo”. As for Gandalf, he is fine after the operation. “He eats well and still hugs his stuffy clothes.”
