A few weeks ago, our Corgi (James) was experiencing some bad stomach issues so, at the suggestion of our vet, we fed him some boiled chicken and rice for a few days in hopes the issue would clear. However, about 1 week later, as I was heading out to meet a friend for breakfast, I found my wife cleaning up a large “mess” in our dining room. So, I agreed to take James to the vet when I returned.
Since it was a Sunday, we went to the local animal emergency room, which was full of sick pets and their owners. After waiting for about 2 hours, the vet came in and suggested a full check-up and X-rays. And, since James can be a bit feisty, they gave him some sedative shots to make sure he cooperated. As we waited for the sedative to kick in, my wife came by to provide some additional support.
While sitting in the waiting room, my wife commented how the size of the mess she cleaned up was quite large for such a small dog. When she said that, I recalled how our other dog (Jasmine) had gotten to the 5 pound package of raw chicken we purchased for James the night before (if you’ve read my other posts, you know about Jasmine’s eating problem). At that moment, the light bulb went on. We took the wrong dog to the vet. Ooops.
As James lay quietly sedated on the cold floor of the animal hospital, I thought of how I could have avoided this situation:
- Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. Analyze the clues and assess the situation. The size of the mess was a big hint (literally).
- Consider all players. Jasmine may have looked and acted innocent, but obviously she wasn’t. I should have learned this one from all the crime shows I’ve watched.
- Do your research. The evening of this incident, as we took both dogs for a long walk, the true perpetrator became very obvious. If only we took them for a walk that morning, before running to the emergency room.
- Avoid unfair profiling. James can be feisty, and a bit challenging at times, but that doesn’t always make him the bad dog.
- Never tempt fate. I should have known better than to leave raw chicken unattended on the kitchen counter. Anyone who knows Jasmine could have predicted this would have happened.
To James, “I’m sorry!” To Jasmine, “Bad Dog!” And to all of you reading this post, a gentle reminder of what assuming does…
Jeff Freedman
CEO/Managing Partner
Small Army | Finn Partners