Merlin
My dear, sweet border collie mix, Merlin, made my life so wonderful, even though he was a big challenge. He has truly spoiled me for life – I’ll have to find another smart, devious, charmer of a dog when I’m ready to adopt again. Unfortunately, Merlin became debilitated by arthritis and other health issues, and I knew he was in a lot of pain. Merlin has always been terrified of riding in cars, and he’d get extremely stressed even on very short rides. I couldn’t stand the thought that in his last hours, he’d be terrified and over-stressed, as well as being in pain. I decided to search for a vet who might be willing to come to my home, and that’s when I found your Pittsburgh group. Dr. Tamara Padgelek came to my home, and was absolutely wonderful, kind and patient. She gave me time to say a loving goodbye to Merlin. His last moments were spent on his favorite bed, blissfully licking peanut butter from the spoon I held for him – I could tell he thought he was getting away with something, or that I’d gone crazy, letting him slurp all that peanut butter! He was comfortable, calm, and happy, and fell asleep in mid-lick, his head sinking into my lap. He went so peacefully, so easily, it meant the world to me. Dr. Tami made things SO much easier, I can’t thank her enough for allowing Merlin to pass in such a gentle, easy way, in his own home, happy and peaceful. His photo is attached – he always looked dour when I took pictures of him, I have to laugh at the serious expression, but please know that he was a happy, smiley boy and that’s the image you’ve allowed me to hold onto. Thank you.