I placed a call to Joan. Joan is another client of mine. Quinn and I have logged many work hours over at Joan and Gary’s in the Prospect Heights area of Santa Cruz. They are both retired. For many years, Joan has volunteered her time at our local SPCA, so she knows a thing or two about the canine
From the very first day I showed up and knocked on their door, she knew right away that we were her kind of team. On that particular day, as luck had it, I was able to park the van with the passenger side facing her front door with the window rolled down 3/4 the way. It’s one of my oldest maneuvers. The prospective client opens the door and basically gets introduced to both of us at practically the same time.
Quinn perches her front two pads on the armrest, stick her entire head and scruff out the window, and quietly cast a spell on the interaction between her Master and her Master’s prospective client. Double Mojo. It works every time. Like you’re either on the team, or you’re not. Joan picked up on our tactics right away, and from that point forward, I sometimes wondered if she employed me just to get her Quinn fix.
So I called Joan and cut right to the chase and told her that Quinn was losing her eye sight very rapidly and that it was all news to me, and that I was scared, and gutted, and terribly sad about it. She asked me if it was suggested that I see a specialist, and I told her that I was going to see a doctor named Ann Gratzek tomorrow at 5pm.
“Oh Aaron, that’s music to my ears, and should be to yours too. She is the best of the best. She will have all your answers, and the fact that she was put in your corner is a very lucky break. Aaron, Quinnie has the temperament to handle the blindness whenever it comes, and I wouldn’t be saying that about any dog. I am sure she is going to really surprise you on this one. I couldn’t think of any other human being more equipped to handle the situation, which makes Quinn a very lucky canine. Please give me a call tomorrow after you have more information from Dr. Gratzek, and give Quinn a big squeeze for me.”
“Oh and Aaron…one more thing…As Gary’s grandfather used to say…I’m afraid that everything is going to be just fine.”