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July 5, 2016
To: Bobbie Ruth Langley, Life Cycle Pet Cremation
Bobbie Ruth – Since our dog, Charlie, was euthanized on May 25th, 2016, I’ve been intending to let you know how important you were to me and my husband on that day. It’s been a while, but I think you’ll remember us as I describe that day.
Our dog, Charlie, was a magnificent Great Pyrenees. He was huge, 154 lbs., but he was the most gentle soul you ever would meet. He was a gentle giant. [/two_thirds_last]
Everybody loved Charlie. He was old, 13 years old, and we’d been told for a number of years that his breed generally only lived to be around 10 years old, as generally the larger the breed the shorter their life span. We had known for several years Charlie had been declining. We had been giving him numerous medications on a daily basis for a few years, including pain pills and pills for inflammation and arthritis. It was becoming harder and harder for Charlie to even get on his feet anymore. The last few weeks he was no longer able to go on walks, to get up the short ramp into our vehicle for the rides he loved to go on, and at the last to even walk the few steps to the yard to relieve himself.
Our vet, Dr. Squibb at North Cascade Veterinary Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, is a wonderful vet and person. He’d monitored and healed Charlie for years, as had Dr. Howland for years before. Dr. Squibb had told us there was nothing more to be done for Charlie, and we’d know when it was time.
We knew it was time, and yet we were unable to let go for a little while, and then, one day, I knew it had to be then. I contacted Dr. Squibb, and we agreed he would come to our house the next early evening to put Charlie to sleep. I then contacted you, Bobbie Ruth, and you agreed to come to our house at the appointed time to take Charlie’s body, after he was euthanized, to be cremated.
I had been given your name a few weeks earlier by North Cascade Veterinary Hospital, after an appointment for Charlie when we knew it was near the time. I had called you and asked for some information from you. You invited me to visit your office and have a tour of your premises. So I did go to your business during the next week, and met you and completed the one-page paperwork which you kept and filed for when we would need you. You asked me if I wanted a tour of your facility and I said yes. You spent a great deal of time showing everything to me, answering all of my questions and explaining everything in detail to me, in your calm, professional and supportive manner. You explained that I would be able to get a hold of you at anytime, you would always be available day or night, to pick up Charlie’s body, and that you would come to our house to pick up and transport Charlie’s body back to your facility, where he would be cremated, even tho we live quite a ways out of Bellingham, in Acme. So, I felt I had everything arranged, and in place that I could have, prior to when the time came. That made me feel more at ease somehow, that I now knew what to do when the time came, to take care of Charlie at the end.
So that day came, on May 25th, 2016. My husband and I spent our last day with Charlie, and at the appointed time Dr. Squibb and his assistant arrived, and they helped Carlie leave this world. You had arrived a short while before Charlie was gone, and you sat with us as we all sat surrounding Charlie as he left this world. My husband and I were grief stricken, crying and heartbroken. You offered a shoulder to cry on, Kleenex, kindness, and words of comfort and support, and when we were ready to part with Charlie, you gave him a dignity that is generally only shown/provided to humans.
You brought out a gurney and stretcher from your vehicle and put the stretcher on the ground where Carlie lay, and Dr. Squibb and my husband and you lifted Charlie to the gurney and then covered Charlie. You wheeled him on the gurney to your vehicle and slid him on the folding gurney into the back of your vehicle. You removed the cover from Charlie’s face and stepped away again, so my husband and I could say our final goodbye to Charlie.
As we watched you drive away with Charlie I knew that you would be handling him with care and respect in this last part of his journey. It was comforting to me to know that. Thank you for treating Charlie like that.
You called 3 days later to tell me Charlie’s ashes were ready to be picked up.
I know this is a long letter. It is difficult for me to put all of this into words. I just wanted to try and put into words what Charlie meant to us, and what it meant to us to know he would be treated as you treated him, even in death. You are a very special person to be doing this, it’s not only that you are taking care of our beloved pets in such a loving manner, but you also show such empathy and kindness for the pet owner who is going through a very emotional, traumatic time. Your presence was calming, comforting and powerful, and gave order and guidance to us when we were distraught and unsure as to our next step of letting go of Charlie.
I’ve been telling friends and relatives of your service/business the last month, and when the time comes, a lot of people will be contacting you. But we are retired and don’t have a computer, so if you would be able to put any, or all of this letter on your website, please do so. Your business, and you are very much needed, and I would recommend you to anyone that asked.
Thank you so very much,
Sandra and Larry Berti
Acme, WA