Hello TOAH clients and veterinary partners, This post is to notify you that we lost our phone system as of 3:30pm yesterday. Unfortunately, there is no approximate time of restoration presently. Our technical department and service provider are working diligently to have them restored however, we were advised that this may take some time. Please be sure to email reception1@tuscawillaoaksah.com for any inquiries. We are checking emails consistently. We are open for business, seeing patients, and assisting all clients and patients with any and all veterinary needs. Thank you and we are very sorry for any inconvenience or frustration. Sincerely, The doctors and staff at Tuscawilla Oaks Animal Hospital
In loving Memory
You are very loved and will be missed.
“Julie came to us as a stray, full of energy and spirit. She warmed her way into our hearts with her enthusiasm for life. Her favorite things to do were chasing lizards and squirrels. She would sit by the trees, hours on end, waiting for them. She loved bossing her siblings around, keeping her brother in check, making sure he shares his snacks with her. Sadly, we lost her to renal disease; however with the support from the staff and Dr. McPherson, Julie was able to receive proper care and love. Julie was a huge part of our lives and will be greatly missed. “
Date of Birth: 06/21/03
Date of Passing: 10/26/13
Dr. Fullenwider,
I can’t even begin to express my deepest gratitude to you and everyone at TOAH. Not just now in my time of sorrow but for every day over the past 10 years. Everyone at TOAH helped to provide the best care and attention for my beautiful baby boy, Reilly, and considered him part of their family since he was almost like an “office pet”. You have all been a blessing for me and I will always think of you as family. Knowing Reilly was in such good hands every day was a tremendous comfort to me!! Thank you all very, very much!!!
Dianne Lopez
Date of Birth: 09/5/95
Date of Passing: 09/13/13
Friday, September 13,2013
Today is a sad day for me; a sad day indeed.
My Henry went to the vet for the last time today. He made it to 18 but that was all he had in him. And I am grateful for those 18 years.
In October, 1995, my ex-husband and I visited our first exotic animal sanctuary. At the end of the tour we stopped to chat with the volunteers. There were many, many cats loitering about looking for food, love, and attention. The lady asked if we wanted a kitty and we laughed and said no thank you; we live in a tiny apartment that does not allow pets–and we had 9 ferrets already!
She laughed, yes; we had our hands full already. She took out a box (yes a box) of milk to give the kitties a treat. Dozens came from all over!
One little kitty came out last, hesitant, hungry, scared. He tried to get some milk but the big cats hissed and spit at him and he backed away, scared to death. Jim looked at me, saw the tears welling up in my eyes, signed, and said “We’ll take that one.” So the tiny kitty with the great big ears came home with me and on that sunny October afternoon, he became my boy and I became his forever human.
So today little Jack became the man of the house at only 6 months old.
There is so much more to tell..too much. He was a good and faithful pet; always by my side when he knew I was sad. So patient with the 35 (or more!) kittens I have rescued over the years. But always, always, the king of the house. I will always look for him in “his” spot, on the back of the love seat where he would sit, soaking in the sun.
Good bye, my Henry, I will never forget you.
Date of Birth: 11/19/99
Date of Passing: 07/25/13
Having had pets all my life, and thankful to my parents that we had the joy of pets growing up, there was a time when I had no pets after moving to Montana. At the time, we were first renting so couldn’t have any. We built a house and I longed for a new addition. DT was in a litter that a friend of mine had when a Lab jumped the fence and got her Chow pregnant. Double Trouble “DT” was the only tan/cream colored pup and all the others were black fur balls :-). My friend said she was to be mine! We were laughing at how a Lab’s tail could clean off a coffee table in one swoop, and how Chow’s have that “no warning” bite attitude, and I thought, “Oh boy, we are in “double trouble” with DT” :-). Thinking back to her puppy days sure make me smile. She was SO cute and wobbly and it was love for life for us! We did obedience school together, we spent many a day taking strolls, running and playing fetch and just cuddling. She went everywhere with me.
…about a year later, I got little Squirt, our Westie and I remember DT looking at me, when this little white puppy full of vim and vigor was wanting to play with DT, and her eyes saying “who’s this and what’s he doing here?” Then came Pederby, our Netherland Dwarf bunny, then Siber, our hamster, and Lilly, our lovebird, and next Slater and Lucy, our two kitties, and a frog!–and each time DT looking at me and saying oh, no, really another pet?! But, seriously she was SO good with them all and we were a family..I miss her so. We moved to Florida, August 2012 with our “geriatric farm” of these two dogs, two cats, a bunny, a bird and a frog.
Devastatingly, and so sadly, Salter and Lucy both got lost to predators in our temporary housing, and Pederby died at the old age of 12, two months after settling into our new home. DT was 15 and Squirt was 14 (a diabetic and diagnosed with bladder cancer) when we had to put them both down. We are so thankful to the TOAH staff who helped take such good care of our family transitioning here to FL. We are very grateful to Dr. Taylor and all the staff. When we received the sympathy card from the clinic and each had written such special notes, it brought me to tears.
And now, I smile thinking of DT and little Squirt and Pedeby and Slater and Lucy all playing on Rainbow Bridge…
Date of Birth: 04/14/99
Date of Passing: 03/12/13
Rover lived a long, happy and playful life. He was my best friend and will be greatly missed. He will always be in my heart!
Date of Birth: 04/13/1998
Date of Passing: 12/05/12
In 1998 when we obtained our new tri-colored beagle puppy, my son & I named her ‘Onyx’ like her young jet black fur on her back. We brought her into see Dr. ‘Rick’ 14 1/2 years ago. He told us we picked the breed that is the most low maintenance. He was right, as I believe she only needed annual shots the first decade of her life.
1999 Dr. Ric visited one of my neighbors around her 1st birthday, and on a walk around the neighborhood passed by our house and with a big grin, was so tickled that we were having a ‘doggie birthday party’ for her out in our yard. We had invited other dogs over and had a tray full of dog treats ! Your employee, Ashley was a childhood friend of my son, Matt and thinks she remembers when we got her !
Whenever I traveled, she stayed with Tuscawilla Oaks for boarding and all became acquainted with her. She was the sweetest natured beagle, and a typical one too. She liked to sniff and snoop around. No wonder why the creator of ‘Peanuts’ comics, Charles Schultz picked a beagle with the name Snoopy because it is so breed appropriate ! The President of the National Beagle Club told me on the phone when we were picking the breed that they’re just hilarious and she was right. Onyx entertained us with lots of laughs as a pup and kept her playful nature though even her older years.
2009 Onyx was now on meds and was diagnosed by TOAH with a tumor on her bladder, in which dogs averaged about only 2 to 10 weeks left of live. I took her to my church’s ‘Blessing of the animals service’ and to everyone’s surprise, she defied all odds by surpassing that and kept going. My son was now in the Marines and had a deployment to Iraq for two months and later again in 2010 to Afghanistan. ‘Marine Matt’ gave her orders that she better live until he returns from his 7 month deployment, not returning until early June 2011. This was to be a real challenge but she must have listened to one of her master’s order and took it seriously because again she amazed us all and defied the odds. You can imagine the reunion to have my Marine son home safe and Onyx happy to have us all reunited.
So she survived age 12 with the tumor, age 13, and amazingly made it to almost 15 (14 3/4 years) old when she passed away this month December 2012 – as we are all reflecting that she was expected to only live a few weeks. Dr. McPhearson said “We’ve never heard of or seen a case like Onyx”. I will miss her so much but even your Rainbow Bridge story posted on your wall gave me comfort.
I hope the entire staff will read this because I can’t thank everyone there enough from the bottom of my heart for all their guidance in assisting to keep her happy and live a long and healthy life. Thank you again – all of you who gave her loving care and compassion at any time over the years. Words can’t totally express how you will always have my gratitude and appreciation for your professionalism and a very high recommendation from myself and family. I will always share the good news to all, of my experience with you. I am like a ‘walking billboard’ for you – which is your best advertising. I have had other pets over the years since about 1980 which I have brought to you for care, over 30 years! Thank you for your patience with me as an owner at times and your wonderful customer service. Keep up the great work and your high standards. You will eternally hold ‘THE BEST’ Award from me. May God bless each and every one of you!
Ms. Toby Bouckhuyt
Date of Birth: 7/21/99
Date of Passing: 11/5/12
“I Only Wanted You”
They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.
A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.
If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I’d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.
Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.
–Author Unknown