Next in our series of clients were are celebrating...more of our favorite people, Shari Baumer and Mary Anne Chisholm! Shari and Mary Anne have Snuggles and Sweet Pea, two of the cutest dogs we know (and we know a lot of dogs!) Here is more on this wonderful family...

Tell us about your family - humans and pets!

There are four of us in our family, two humans and two fur babies.  

What do the people  in the family do for a living and for fun?

My partner Mary Anne and I have been together twenty-nine years, and we are both retired now. And we love it. Mary Anne is an artist with a company called Hot Flash Metals. She is a sculptural welder and shows her art at The Garden Gallery in Elkhorn. My name is Shari, and I am a runner. I started running and strength training in early 2014 following a stroke in 2012. I spent the first year recovering, and then decided to make a life change. So far I have lost 50 pounds, run a 5K, a 10K, and hope to run a half marathon this year.  

Mary Anne (left) and Shari (right)

Tell us more about your pets.

We have a bichon named Snuggles who is fifteen years old. He had some touch and go moments this past year but continues to keep going. He is just a great dog and a real tough little guy.

Snuggles

Our other baby is Sweet Pea,  a twelve year old shih tzu. She is just a real character, loves to run around outside even in the snow. We got her because Snuggles was lonely without a playmate. We tried doggie day care but decided it was just less expensive to get him his own dog.

Sweet Pea

Tell us about when you first met the Gentle Doctor team or a story about the team others may not know.

We came to Gentle Doctor because when Snuggles was little, we tried another vet first, and the vet was not nice to Snugs. So we decided to go to Gentle Doctor and have been here all these years. The care both our kids get is just great; We would recommend them to anyone and, in fact, have.

What have you learned about pets that you did not know as a kid or before you had your own pets?

I guess the only words of wisdom I have to share is that it takes a little more effort to take care of senior dogs. Snuggles can't hear anymore and can only see out of one eye. So you have to watch him to see what he wants, where he thinks he's going, etc. But they are your babies, and they deserve everything you can give them.   

On January 21, 2015, Snuggles passed away at the age of fifteen, surrounded by his loving family and veterinary/grooming team. He will be dearly missed by all of us.

In loving memory of Snuggles, 1999 - 2015