All Dogs Go To Kevin

All Dogs Go To Kevin

Adult nonfiction
"Only the first two [career] options held any appeal. As I
lacked the aggression required to be a lawyer, doctor was the most
palatable option. A neurosurgeon or an orthopedic surgeon,
preferably; the idea of actually having to converse with a patient was
rather terrifying, so choosing the specialty where the patient would
be unconscious for the majority of the interaction had a certain appeal.
'Perhaps,' my mother suggested, you shouldn't put that on your
college applications.'"
Welcme to the third part of our animal lovers' trilogy. The
very fine book I chose to cap it off is Dr. Jessica Vogelsang's All
Dogs Go To Kevin: Everything Three Dogs Taught Me That I Didn't Learn
in Vetinary School. It skillfully twists two strands together to
create an impossible to put down narrative.
Jessica ended up in a branch of medicine where patients, even
fully conscious ones, had quite limited grasps of English and the
inability to put thoughts and feelings into human words. [Their
people companions were a whole nother story]. Readers get to shadow
her through vetinary school and into the profession where she realizes
her education has poorly prepared her for certain aspects of her
vocation such as easing people through the loss of a beloved animal
companion. Her life becomes a personal and professional juggling act
with children: both two and four-legged.
Her delightful dogs constitute the second thread of the
narrative: the cranky Lhasa Apso who was her companion through her
never quite fitting in child and teen years; the golden retriever who
she rescued from being put down by an owner who couldn't afford his
care; the rescue lab suffering from quite serious separation
anxiety...They will alternately amuse you and touch your heart.
If you're a dog lover, I encourage you to read the book. If
you're a vetinarian or vet tech, I very much encourage you to read the
book. If you're perplexed by the title, the only way you'll learn the
story behind it is by reading the book already.
On a personal note, this week I'm getting good hours at work. I have
9 meals spread out over 5 days. Like today I worked breakfast and
will work lunch. Last night the food was to die for: roast beef au
jus, a cheesecake that would make the angels sing. We are required to
eat every shift we work. I could really get used to this.
A great big shout out goes out to my work family.
jules hathaway


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