Dear Dr. Forslund,
I want to make sure that you know how much I appreciate how beautifully you helped us let our beloved friend Charlie go.
I just can’t help but think God led us to you in the moment of our great need. The telephone numbers Charlie’s regular vet had given us were invalid, and we were left having to launch an internet search. Yours was the first website we visited and you answered on the first ring of the first phone call that I made. That you could come out and help us the very day we needed you was such a blessing. I loved the tenderness and compassion you showed both me and my mom as well as to Charlie, and I loved how gently and respectfully you handled his remains after he had gone. You were just wonderful and comforting through the entire process and made our loss so much easier to bear.
It was hard to say goodbye to such a special friend, but the Bible paints a beautiful picture of animals in Heaven, so I am sure that though we are mourning our loss, Charlie is at this moment exulting in his strong new body. He was always a great hiker in his youth so I am enjoying the thought of him romping over green hills the way he used to do.
You know what I find most amazing about letting your buddy go this way? It’s that you don’t have to try to forget their last day. With our beloved Rex and my sister’s beloved Charlie, my heart swells with peace and joy when I think of their last day. They were tired and ready, but they were not afraid or in distress. They went surrounded with love, tenderness and even joy. What a difference. With our other buddies who passed before we discovered this new way, I have to block out the terrible thought of their end. The only comfort is that they had our arms around them, but the rest of it, the environment and the stress, were horribly negative.
I think all standard vets should be ready to refer their clients to a special doctor like you. I spread the word about at-home euthanasia whenever I can as it has been such a much better experience for us than the old-fashioned method. I am so grateful to you special, beautiful doctors who follow a calling to write the perfect endings to our beloved friends’ lives. I only wish my last day could be like this! May God bless you richly as you minister so tenderly to our furry loved ones.
My entire family cannot thank you enough for the gift you gave us of allowing Charlie to pass from this life with such peace. We will always be grateful to you.
You will forever be in my heart,
Liise Davis
Yucaipa