Angel was a black and white Jack Russell that belonged to Marge Reeves.  Marge was a very gracious lady who would leave Angel with us whenever she went west to visit her children.  Angel came to us before the clinic was completed and she would stay with us in our home.  She was very adventurous, playful and very smart.   We were not in the new clinic when Angel came to board the first time.  During this boarding experience she managed to slip out the door and took off down the lane.  Carolyn was in hot pursuit and caught up with her at the neighbor’s house and managed to catch her and bring her home.  I am sure she was looking for Marge.  About a week later she escaped and took off to the back of our farm with Carolyn in hot pursuit.  She could not catch her and finally gave up.  My brother Chris had been combining corn.  She borrowed his truck and drove back to the house.  She was sitting at the kitchen table trying to figure out how she was going to tell Marge we lost Angel when she heard a scratching at the back door.  It was Angel wanting to get back into the house!  Angel learned the boundaries and usually stayed close to the yard.  The veterinary clinic was finished and she would come into the clinic and visit with clients and their children.  It took some getting used to Angel being free in the clinic.  No other practice I worked in had a freewheeling dog. She learned to push the front doors open to get out, and jump up by the side door and bark to get back in the clinic or she would run in with the next client. She had great dog and people skills.  She knew the system.  The clients and their children loved her.  Some of her children friends would come to the clinic just to visit with Angel.

Marge became older and Angel stayed with us during the week and would go home to see Marge on the weekends with her son Randy.  Randy would come to pick her up at about 4 PM on Friday and Angel would be waiting in the reception area or outside waiting to see Marge.  Randy would come in to tell us he had her and when he went out to see her she would be jumping up by the passenger side of the door to see Marge.  She was like a child waiting to go home from camp.  Randy would bring her back on Sunday afternoon and she would get out and be excited to see us and all of her farm friends.  Eventually Marge passed away and Angel came to live with us which made Marge very happy according to Randy. She had become a member of our veterinary family.

Angel loved the farm, children, and people in general.  She would roll over for belly rubs, sit pretty for treats, and chase the barn cats when the opportunity arose.  If she did not get a treat in the exam room she would bark until she received her treat.  She was one of the most intelligent dogs I have ever known.   Angel would finish up in the clinic with us at night, and then follow us to the house after running out in the pasture and stirring up the horses or cows.  If she did not come in immediately she would be scratching at the back door before bedtime to get in the house.  She always followed us to bed and would be in bed if I was not there.    Angel learned to sleep at the foot of our bed and was the last one downstairs in the morning.  She liked to sleep in!

The only thing that Angel did not like was the “Dead Animal Service”.  We have a service that picks up the pets that pass away.   Angel never liked anyone from this company.  She would bark at them, try to bite them and chase their truck out the lane.  Somehow she knew that they were involved with taking her friends away.  They would offer her treats, but it did not matter.  She could not be bought off! She chased the truck down the road to the stop sign one time.  The driver tried to catch her to bring her back, but she would not allow that to happen.  He turned around and drove back with Angel in hot pursuit.  Another time she cornered the driver in the bathroom and would not allow him out! He had to call for assistance.  We still laugh about that today.

Angel was a huge help with the practice. She had a job! She liked greeting our clients and their children.  She seemed to know when a family’s pet had passed away and would act accordingly.  Angel was very intuitive, and I cannot help think she was named correctly.  Angel was truly a blessing, however occasionally she was referred to as Lucifer.  She has been with us from the day we opened our facility. Her effects on our practice, our staff and our clients will be felt and remembered I think forever.  We lost a very valuable member of our veterinary family that I will never forget.  She is one of the things that helps make practicing veterinary medicine fun at Peticote. Angel reminds me of one of my favorite sayings: “God Works In Mysterious Ways”.

~ Dr. Bill Pettit