Dave and I are very sad to report that we have had the remarkably bad luck of losing two valued members of our organization this week.

I call our pets the Irish Mafia because we have Finny (a tuxedo cat), Oliver (a terrier of unknown origin), and Patrick (who is actually a Turkish Van cat and, frankly, never got the memo that he was supposed to behave like one: doglike, chill).

Oliver, our pup, was diagnosed with a number of serious health issues and left us on Wednesday.

Finny was a kitten when Ollie was a puppy, and they truly grew up together as brothers.

On Friday, Finny was acting in such obvious distress that we rushed him to the veterinarian. Once there, he stopped breathing. The veterinary team was able to revive him briefly, but not long enough for Dave and Sophie to arrive and say goodbye. The veterinarian told us he had never seen anything quite like it.

So they are not so much missing pets as they are pets who are deeply missed.

Patrick is younger and doing fine. In fact, he seems rather pleased that he no longer has to share me with anyone.

Please forgive us if we are a little slow to respond while we find our footing again. I love the affection and companionship of pets, but I also love the routines that come with caring for them. Right now, we’re trying to adjust to a life that no longer includes multiple daily walks, cat insulin administration, and all the little responsibilities that quietly become part of your day. Life, sometimes, is a runaway train, and we’re still trying to catch up with it.

We’re working through emails and messages as quickly as we can, but it may take us a few more days to be completely caught up.

In the meantime, thank you for your patience and for your support of our small business. We hold all of you very fondly in our hearts and are grateful for the kindness and understanding this community continues to show us.

With much appreciation,

Dianne
(& Dave too!)