Chronicles of a Client Care Specialist
November 8, 2016
Written by: Jaclyn Pugh
I have been a Client Care Specialist for over five years now, and still love it. I get to see all sorts of animals and the amazing team we have at Port City works so hard to diagnose and treat every one of them.
The worst part of my job is euthanasia. Although I think it is amazing we can choose to give our loved ones a peaceful goodbye when it’s time, it does not make it any easier to see.
Being Here When Pet Owners Need Us
When I first started at Port City, I had a case that was so sad that I got in my car at the end of my shift, balled my eyes out to my mom on the phone, and told her I didn’t know if I could stay at this job.
In five years, I have helped comfort many people while they had their last moments with their pets; their family members.
But yesterday at 6:00 a.m. I came into work and had to go over paperwork with a man who was about to lose his best friend to cancer. I could feel his heartbreak, and I was heartbroken for him. We see this loss so much over the years, but for many, it is their first time having to make this choice for one of their fur babies.
It brought me back to checking myself and making sure I am here 100% for the client I am helping every time.
Their Heartbreak is Our Heartbreak
It’s a hard thing to handle. But in so many cases I am lucky to be able to sit and talk with a client about their amazing memories they have, and give them hugs and words of comfort. For some, that is the last thing they could handle at the time. So to those, please know we want to reach out and help in anyway we can.
We genuinely care for each and every pet that comes in like we would our own. We get emotionally involved in cases and feel heartbroken when we lose any battle. We understand that your “pet” is more than that, they are part of your family. We cry many times after you walk out our doors, knowing you are going home without your baby. We worry when we get home wondering if the pet we saw earlier in the day will make it through the night.
But with all that, we are honored that you have chosen our hospital in caring for your pet. We truly have an amazing team and I am lucky to be part of it.