Today we’re launching our “Celebrate One Health” campaign. At The van Bakeren Foundation, we celebrate the healthy relationships we have or had with animals, people, and environments. We do this by writing about our thoughts about our present relationships, and keep memories alive for those no longer part of our lives. Part of this celebration is to “Become a Friend of The van Bakeren Foundation” with a financial gift in any amount to help others have healthy relationships with animals, people, and environments.
I’d like to start the celebration initiative by thanking Dr. Pizzuli for coming to my home and providing an in-home euthanasia service for two of my beloved cats- Bing & Eva. It’s unusual to have two cats with two different health issues need to be euthanatized at the same time but that’s how it was. Bing was 13; he developed severe heart disease. Eva was 17 whose body was slowly shutting down as she aged. Both were progressively losing weight and losing interest in eating or drinking. My family and I discussed the matter, and we knew it was time to make the decision to euthanatize them. That’s how their story ended, so now I want to celebrate their lives.
Eva- birthday gift from my Mom
Eva was a birthday gift from my mother right before I married my husband Ned. She was a gift along side her brother Oscar. Both were full of fleas and having graduated from veterinary school the year before without too much money in my pocket I gave them a thorough washing and got rid of the fleas. Both cats were what Ned and I called “velcro kitties” because they had their claws and liked to climb everything. Eva was a huge part of my life over the 17 years of her life, though not fond of the two girls Ned and I had. Eva preferred adults to children. I was definitely Eva’s person. She knew my routine and optimized the time she shared with me as much as she could. In her later years, she and I would sit in front of the TV and she’d sit in my lap, napping, and purring. I watched more TV in those last few weeks so she and I could share what time she had left together.
Bing's Mom found us
Bing was another story altogether. His mom and three other siblings stopped at our door on a cold autumn day. Mom was a little skittish, but clearly wanted us to take in her brood. One kitten captured Ned’s heart immediately (Fred), and the other was Bing. Ned wanted to help them out, so we put all the cats in our basement before we could get them to the Geauga Humane Society; it wouldn’t have been fair to Eva and Oscar to expose them to cats whose health status was unknown. When we dropped off the cats we made a donation to the Geauga Humane Society to cover the costs of a full veterinary examination, for their vaccinations, and for getting them spayed/neutered. Ned insisted we keep two of the kittens, and that was how we got Bing. Turned out Bing liked to pee on our carpets, so eventually he got placed in my office where there was no carpet. He liked to bother me as I typed on my computer (why would I look at a screen when I could adore him?!?) and worked at the desk (why would I write when I could adore him?!?). And he’d “give me the paw” when he wanted affection.
So when Ned and I went to pay Dr. Pizzuli for her compassionate service to Bing & Eva, she turned around and made a donation on behalf of their memory. Thanks Dr. Pizzuli! That meant a lot to me and my family.
In honor of those we want to remember, we’ve created a web page just for them.
Have a relationship you’d like to honor or remember with a financial gift towards a great cause? Tell us your story, send a picture, and contact us today!
Dr. Anna M. van Heeckeren, MS, DVM
