I think it’s fair to say that Dr. Diane Fariello and I have become friends. She is a vet, the owner of the Cambridge Valley Veterinary Service, and she has been our vet for a long time.

She put Rose down, as well as Gus and Red and Frieda. When the pandemic struck, most vets in this area shut down.

Dr. Fariello stayed open throughout, but in a very different way. We brought our vets to the clinic, but we stayed in our cars while Nicole and Cassandra, her two wonderful vet techs came out and got the dogs and cats and brought them inside.

There, the doctors examined them, treated them, and came back out with them to place them in our cars and talk to us – masks on both ends- while the vet stood outside the car. We handed them a credit card or check out the window.

I loved talking dogs with Dr. Fariello, she got us through a lot of pain and drama, but long conversations were not possible. The practice was swamped with customers, and it was often cold or raining outside.

She always wanted to know how the dogs were doing, and always had good ideas about their care and feeding. We buy all of our dog food through her practice.

Sunday, I ran into Dr. Fariello and her two impressive daughters at the town  Farmers Market.

We hugged one another like long-lost family members do. I’ve missed talking with her, it made such a difference when it came to helping our animals and preparing for sickness and death.

When Red was kicked by our horse, Dr. Fariello prescribed a course of laser treatments and acupuncture. Red mostly healed and she gave him several more active years as a herder. We talked often about Gus’s fatal digestive illness and when it became clear we couldn’t save him, she helped us come to a humane decision.

I miss those conversations with my friend, even though Fate, Bud, and Zinnia are quite healthy now. She was about to open the clinic up again, but then the Delta virus struck.

I’ve always been grateful to her and Cassandra and Nicole, they couldn’t be nicer, more competent, or compassionate. I appreciate her sticking it out with us, and Cassandra and Nicole, and Lisa also. They take some risks for us and for the animals they service.

She and Zinnia fell in love instantly. It would have been a nightmare for us and others had she closed.