My first trip to VCA Bal-Coeur was for one of the most difficult and painful reasons imaginable, the need to put a beloved friend of 10 years to sleep. I called just before closing on a Monday to ask the cost for euthenasia of a large breed dog and then proceeded to explain my full situation (new to the area, just moved from TX, my buddy was 12 yrs old with a cancerous mass on his jaw and he had stopped eating). The person on the phone, Kate, was kind, patient and understanding. When I arrived the next morning my buddy, Roscoe, and I were greeted by name and led to an exam room that was prepared for him with a blanket so he could lay down. The Dr. and aids we so compassionate and patient as I lay with my buddy in his last moments. The most amazing thing the staff did was to honor my request to have a plaster cast impression of Roscoe's foot print, something they were not prepared to do, however someone on the staff went to a craft store to gte the supplies, then they called me to let me know they were able to do it. This final act means so much to me, a final small bit I can keep from a very special freind that protected me and my family of more than 10 years. Amazing staff, amazing and compassionate care. I will happily drive the 20 miles from downtown St. Louis to take my other furry family members to this hospital.
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