
	Home News Services Client Information Our Team Clinic Tour Dental Referral Pet of the Month Links The Angel Fund or click here for more information!	2010 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 2009 November 2009 "BD" Here's BD!!! The first question people usually ask, (after can I pet him:) is about his name. The answer pretty much sums up who BD is. My original plan was to get a dog to keep me busy and give me a reason to get out more and have a more active lifestyle. He was initially intended to be a companion and emotional support animal. When I was looking for what breed would be good for me, I ended up deciding I wanted a black and white Siberian Husky with blue eyes. Obviously, nature decides that part!!! So, I waited over a year and a half for him and had the deposit with the breeder for over six months before he was born. I must have looked at dozens of puppies, but I knew I'd know 'my dog' when I saw him. Naturally, we had to call him something in the meantime - I had no clue what to name him, so we started calling him "my new best friend." Any pet parent knows the unconditional love that can only come from a dog or cat. So with that in mind, I named him after my two best friends, Bill and Darren, who are as loyal and irreplaceable as can be. Two days after BD came home, a routine surgery for my dad had every complication under the sun. He had to spend months in a rehab facility afterwards, and is still on the mend and doing well :) The hospital let you bring your own pets in, and we soon realized it would take us a half an hour to get from the door to the room!!! BD has an amazing magnetism that still surprises me, but to see the patients light up with joy gave me a new direction in life. I had selfishly only thought of how happy me makes me, and hadn't realized how much he could help others. We worked for months with a private trainer, and did all the research for BD to become a certified Pet Therapy Dog. In addition, he is also now certified and registered as my Service Animal. He may be the happiest, goofiest dog you'll ever see, but when he gets his harness on and goes into a store or building, he flips a switch and is all business and no matter what is going on around him, he will not break his concentration while performing his job. BD was born November 15th, 2008. He came home to me January 10th 2009, and grew from a 7lb fuzzball to a 75lb bundle of kisses, happiness, and sheer muscle. I learned early on how much BD liked water - I took him to the beach for the first time in March, and not even the frigid temperature could stop him from getting all wet. From that day on, I can't keep him out of water. Whether he's sleeping face-down in his water bowl, or splashing it on the floor to lay on he won't stay dry. Anything from a puddle to the ocean is fair game. He also loves to stick his head out the car window, as all dogs do, but he has to be in the passenger seat even if you're already in it!!! It's a losing battle trying to keep him in the back seat for a car ride. His second favorite thing is to run next to my bicycle on his 'K-9 Bike Jogger' which is an attachment that goes from my bike to his harness. BD can negotiate trails even if they have trees down the middle!!! Whether he's walking while "on duty" as a Service Dog or running with the bike, he can respond to directional commands. He basically taught himself to turn left or right, walk in a circle or backwards, and come closer or farther away from my side. He can also keep pace a few steps ahead, or behind me. When he needs to take a water break, he puts his head under my leg and grabs his water bottle!!! I'm truly amazed at how naturally these things come to him. Well, they say be careful what you wish for...but BD is so energetic that he's making my lifestyle more active just as I had hoped. Unfortunately, BD has to have knee surgery on both legs, but I'd rather have him and his personality even with bad knees!!! So far we've just done one knee, but after one day he hadn't even acknowledged that anything was different. He is definitely a trooper, and shows incredible improvement even though he's still healing. In no time at all he'll be racing me on my bicycle again, (and winning!!!) My day starts with a bark and a happy face and ends with him laying by my feet, against the door so he can guard the room while I sleep. And all throughout the day BD has an impact on everyone he sees, and that has changed my life because now I also interact with all of these people I never would. BD keeps me so busy and happy that I can't remember how I made it without him all this time!!! I thought I was "just getting a dog" but I ended up with a new partner in life. Because of him, I've been inspired to do more and live a fuller life. I'm now currently pursuing an education in Veterinary Technology, and plan to work with animals forever. And it's all because of BD. (So yes, you can pet him but be ready for kisses!!!) And BD's name is a constant reminder that some friends can't be replaced, whether they have two legs or four. ~~~All our love, Gabe and BD October 2009 "Hero" and "Mona" Dellocono Here are our babies Hero and Mona. They are both Argentine Dogos, a rare breed of mastiff. They may look big and scary (so lots of people say...) but they are really just big loves who want pets, lovin's, and cuddles! We rescued Hero when his owner in Puerto Rico could no longer afford to feed him. When we first saw him, the poor guy was 20 pounds underweight, covered with a yeast infection all over his belly, and needed surgery on both his eyes. He had just been transported from Puerto Rico in a plane, shoved into a truck to get to the meeting point, and was surrounded by strange people and dogs. Despite all this, he came right up to us and snuggled his head into my lap, then looked up at us with those beautiful brown eyes. We all knew this was love at first sight! Since then, Hero has been making our lives wonderful as our constant friend and companion whose favorite place is spread out on the couch with his head in one of our laps. He is a gentle giant, sweet as the day is long, and everyone who meets him wants to take him home. When he was younger, he was feared by all wildlife in the immediate neighborhood, but now that he's "in retirement", he loves to lay in the yard and let the wind blow through his hair as he surveys his kingdom! His bad arthritis in both back hips doesn't keep him from still taking his walks twice a day and occasionally playing with the other girls. But don't let his cute face and sweet brown eyes fool you - Hero is VERY spoiled and can be quite demanding... like when he pushes his daddy off the couch onto the floor so he can have more room to stretch out. Or like when he wants some (of your) dessert and (with his head) flings the spoon in your hand across the room and onto the floor to get your attention! Or like when I have to get to work in the morning and he's laying down in the back yard and pretends he can't hear me calling him in... Hero has QUITE a personality, and we frequently wonder if he is a human trapped in a dog's body! We swear he understands what we say, and sometimes I find myself spelling out words so he won't understand what I'm saying! He has given us 8 years of love and happiness, and we hope to have at least 8 more! And then there's Mona, our special girl! We rescued Mona when Hero told us he wanted a friend, he was getting bored around the house by himself when we were at work. He said we had to rescue another Dogo, so we found Mona in Maryland. The breeder didn't want her because he couldn't breed her with her bad hips or slight underbite, she was just another mouth to feed. She spent the whole ride home in my lap! When Hero saw her for the first time it was, again, love at first sight! They became best friends fast even though Mona is much more shy and quiet than Hero. But, once she gets to know you she wants to be your best friend too, cuddling into your lap and covering your face in kisses with her sandpaper tongue! Mona is a chatty kathy, she loves to bark for any reason, or for no reason at all! We think she just likes to hear herself bark. Her favorite spot is lounging on her loveseat, or in mommy or daddy's lap. She LOVES to cuddle! She's not much of a toy fan, but does LOVE her treats! She gets so excited for dinner that she tap dances all the way to her food bowl. Mona lives for affection, giving and getting. We are so lucky to have found Hero and Mona. They fill every day with fun, affection, and unexpected antics. We love them dearly and never know quite what to expect with them. We have made a wonderful family with them and are thankful every day that they came into our lives! August 2009 "Aphrodite" Travisano Aphrodite appeared sitting on top of our patio table one evening, three summers ago. I guess you could say she found us! We let her be for a day or so, thinking she must belong to someone. We finally tried offering her food, but she ignored it and crawled into my lap, curled into a ball and fell asleep. The rest is history! A family friend suggested the name: Mighty Aphrodite. Even though she is a peanut (just about 5 pounds), it suits her. With her tiny frame and big, beautiful eyes, she has quite the personality and is the sweetest cat you could ever meet. Aphrodite is also quite the character. Her finicky pallet and love of personal space makes her quite the primadonna. She is definitely not your ordinary kitty. Aphrodite is strictly business - no time for a lot of playing or lounging. I am sure that in a former life she was the CEO of a big-city corporation! She is definitely Mommy’s girl and shadow (In fact, whenever she cannot find me, she will howl until I answer her). Aphrodite will play coy when you try to pet her, but when there is a crowd she has to be at the center of it. Aphrodite’s favorite place to sit is on top of the refrigerator! She loves to be up high and watch the goings-on below. When not sitting in a sunny windowsill, you will always find her in the oddest of places. Truly mighty, Aphrodite is braving through her treatment for kidney problems. Always forgiving, even after being poked and prodded, she continues to be the sunshine that makes us smile every day. Our love for her truly goes beyond words! July 2009 "Bella" and "Bandit" Larocca Bella and Bandit are the best additions to our family. Bella is almost two and Bandit is almost a year now. They love to play crazy games of chase, which always lead to them standing up on their back feet boxing with each other. They love to cuddle up together or with anyone who’s lying around watching television. Bella is an American Eskimo/Sheltie mix and Bandit is a Sheltie/Border Collie mix. They are both the most loving and loyal companions. We are very lucky to have such wonderful, sweet dogs. June 2009 "Sydney" and "Isabella" Tischio Sydney and Isabella are a couple of sweet, good-natured dogs. They love to cuddle with anyone who is lying down and at the same time they love to play in the yard with one another. Sydney is a Alaskan Malumute who is without a doubt a primadonna, while Isabella loves to run in the yard, dig holes and play with anyone who is willing to throw a ball. As dog owners we could not have created a couple of dogs that are so good-natured. My wife and I feel very blessed that god has given us a couple of angels. April 2009 "Rusty" and "Topsy" Panos Rusty (left) is a rescue dog from the Ocean County Animal Shelter. When I went to the shelter, one of the Ocean County Auxillary volunteers, Flo Essig, was outside the shelter holding Rusty who so scared that he was shaking and hyperventilating. I told Flo to hand him over to me, but she told me that he may nip me. She handed him over anyway, and the rest is history. That was nine years ago. Rusty is still leary of strangers, especially men, but he is just adorable and ties to me by my hip. He follows me everywhere, and I love him unconditionally. Rusty and his "sister" Topsy just light up my life. I held Topsy (right) in my palm only one day after she was born. Today she thinks that she's entitled to eat whatever I'm eating. She has the warmest eyes and understands every word I say, doing whatever I ask of her (however, only when she is ready to do so). I absolutely love her. March 2009 "Romanowski" and "Joyner" Heiss Hi! My name is Romanowski (pictured left). I am an English Bulldog and will be eleven years old in June. I am a laid-back back type of guy with a great personality. My BFFs are the doctors and staff at BTVH. The first year of my life was spent scraping & bathing to get rid of Demodex mites. With all my wrinkles this was not an easy task. Now in my senior years I seem to be plagued with skin infections and ulcerated corneas. My BFFs have helped me to overcome these setbacks so I can still enjoy getting together with the fellows next door. Hi! My name is Joyner (pictured right). I am a nine-month old Boston terrier. I am a wild and crazy guy that is in perpetual motion. I keep the old man on his toes by running off with his toys. We enjoy playing rope tugging together. I have been diagnosed with with bilateral hip dysplasia and grade four patella luxation. My surgeries to start correcting these congenital defects start this month. Romie told me not to worry, I'll be in good hands. I am sure LeClair would also want me to express our deep gratitude for the tender loving care given to him during his chemotherapy for lymphoma. We lost him in July. The doctors and staff were always there for us. They are the best!!! February 2009 "Chloe" DuBois Chloe is a sweet, beautiful and totally lovable Cocker Spaniel. She came into our lives and our hearts from a pet shop called Shake-A-Paw. Our beloved year old golden cocker spaniel had passed away from anemia and I was “just looking” when I saw this little adorable black and white bundle of energy literally begging me to take her home. She immediately adopted a stuffed dog, we call Baby, and to this day carries her everywhere with her. Life was going great with Chloe until she was 6 years old and got her rabies shot. Right afterward she became lethargic, sickly with no appetite or energy. We brought her to Brick Vet’s hospital and the news was not good. She had developed an anemia that cockers sometimes get. Her blood count was so low that we thought we would lose her like our other dog. She was given a large volume shot of steroids and medications by Dr. Conway. A few days later, we took her to the Tinton Falls Veterinary facility for a blood transfusion. The vet there did not give her one but sent her home with medication. She was getting worse when we thought we may have to put her down. Then our savior, Dr. Weiss, thought perhaps she had a tick-borne illness and put her on antibiotics. Miraculously she made a turn around and her numbers started going up. Dr. Weiss put her on a medication program and each time we brought her in, her numbers went up. Thanks to Dr. Weiss and his staff, we have our beautiful girl today. She is happy and running and playing with “Baby” again and her best friend, Josie. You would never know how close she came to not making it. We are eternally grateful to all who brought our girl back. The moral of this story is to never give up. THANKS DR. WEISS & EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH CHLOE'S CARE!! January 2009 "Tigger" Imperato Tigger is a 16 pound bundle of love. He was adopted from Petsmart when he was 9 months old and I knew the moment I held him he was going to bring more joy and love to my family's life than one could hope for. About 3 years ago he was diagnosed with skin cancer and had to have 2 lumps removed from around his ears. This unfortunately was only the start of his problems. A few months later I came home from work and found him unable to walk on his hind legs. We took him to Garden State Veterinary Hospital where he stayed for 2 days. Unfortunately, with no relief they discharged him with antibiotics, steroids and lots of hope. Within a few days, with a lot of love and care he began to walk again. Then in August 2008 he developed another tumor on his right thigh. He was immediately taken for surgical removal. Unfortunately, it was a malignant tumor and one of the worst kind. He was doing wonderful until october 2008 when we found another lump in the same area. "Tiggs" was brought back to the vet where they told us it was another cancerous tumor and would need another surgery to remove it. Dr. Brongo and the staff at BTVH took such great care of him. We brought him home and he made a great recovery, until we put up the Christmas tree. He always loved eating real plants and grass, so we were never able to have any of that around the house. On the morning of December 10th I awoke to him vomiting up parts of our FAKE tree. We rushed him to the vet where X-rays showed there was still some in his stomach. They tried at first to do the least invasive procedure and gave him medicine to to help clear it out. With no relief and him still not eating they decided surgury would be needed. It was one of the hardest times of my life wondering if he'd be okay and if he would he make a full recovery. The surgery went well but during recovery, his temperature was very low. Eventually it corrected and in a few days he started eating. He is now back to his old ways, letting me know when his bowl is empty and playing with our other cat and three dogs.