Yesterday’s efforts were supported by your good thoughts, Lucky Socks all around, and the Donut Dress.
And all of our best efforts at translating luck into puppies has been supported by an awesome professional.
Cindy H. and I first met Dr. Sharon Vanderlip on Monday when we arrived for Sparkle’s pre-breeding appointment at Intermountain Pet Hospital in Meridian, Idaho; Cindy was along to meet her and ask some questions. I was so struck by the role of grandchildren in bringing the three of us together on that day. Those small humans are mighty powerful!
Dr. Vanderlip has had an adventure-filled life and career, but it was the presence of her three grandchildren (and yes, perhaps also their parents) that caused her to bring her special expertise to the Boise area. She is working with the owner of Intermountain Pet Hospital to develop a reproductive practice, and that owner made a very smart decision to bring her on board.
Dog breeders are a strange kind of human, and not always easy for veterinarians — for all sorts of reasons. It takes a special veterinarian to deal with Dog Breeders, who can be (okay — often are) opinionated, high maintenance, demanding, and who too often come armed with crazy notions derived from their groomer’s cousin’s dog psychic or Dr. Google.
And many Dog Breeders — let’s be honest — are not as responsible as one might like, and therefore may expect veterinarians to participate in what has to be some ethically-challenging stuff.
No — people who want to create more dogs are not always welcomed with open arms at veterinary practices, and I can understand why that is. We should do better — but I digress.
Dr. Vanderlip is one of us! She is a Dog Breeder (collies) and a Veterinarian with a repro specialization — how perfect is that?! Click HERE to read more about her.
But even more, Dr. Vanderlip is skilled, flexible, kind, funny, and more than accommodating.
When the place where the frozen semen was stored did not have an available shipping tank, Dr. Vanderlip spent her day off getting her own personal tank filled with the very cold stuff and shipped off to that clinic so that Frozen could arrive on time. She has come in on her days off twice this week to do the transcervical inseminations. Last week, Dr. Vanderlip was in daily contact as we watched the progesterone do its slow rise.
In other words, she has completely leaned into this breeding — being accessible, answering questions (she is a natural educator), and going the extra ten miles to join the community that has embraced this hope-for litter of Sparklers. We are so grateful to Dr. Vanderlip and recommend her most highly — she is absolutely worth this temporary relocation to Idaho.
I also want to offer a shout out to her tech, Emily, who has been great to work with and is the source of this fun photo of Frozen’s contribution to the party happening here in Idaho.
Today is the last day so put on those extra Lucky Socks — and have a grand Friday.