By crikey the house feels weird and sounds so quiet. The trip hazard has been out of sorts but after being checked out by the vet he’s ok. It’s obvious now how much he depended on Arthur and how devoted he is to us.
Bear with me.
My first career choice was inspired by All Creatures Great & Small (for the youngsters at the front with your legs crossed it was a BBC dramatisation of the books by a Yorkshire vet called James Heriot) but I didn’t pursue it, instead settling for my other career choice, another BBC drama.
Whilst discussing the dreaded yet inevitable arrangements the options talked about are burial or cremation, with jewellery and mementos made from ashes. None of those appealed to me. I’ve grown to realise I don’t need a somewhere or a something to remind me, I have beautiful memories and wonderful associated places. I looked at organ donation but to be honest an old lab with a dicky ticker wasn’t going to give much longevity, then in my insomniac hours I found Bristol Uni have a Pet Memorial Education Programme.
“The University of Bristol trains up to 200 Anatomy, Veterinary Science and Veterinary Nursing students every year and holds regular training courses for qualified veterinary surgeons. As a world-leading centre for veterinary education and anatomy, we work hard to help our students become skilled and compassionate professionals.Studying real animals is the best way for students to improve their knowledge of anatomy and develop the professional expertise required to become a vet. Just as medical and dental students learn by studying donated human bodies, our students study the bodies of animals. Our Pet Memorial Education Programme provides us with the animals we need to support this hugely important training tool.”
Arthur got to a grand age of 14 years and 7 months with all his ailments, age related ills, lumps and bumps and his well lived and loved life will be a huge benefit to our vets of the future.
“We rely on the support of pet owners to help us train the next generation of vets and ensure that the animals they care for continue to get the best possible treatment.”
