In my novel, Taming Kate, my heroine has a boxer with a heart condition. Kate and Buddy are lucky enough to have a compassionate veterinarian, whose character was inspired by the real life vet who took care of my dog Baci for many years.
Our local vet's office, staffed by loving and compassionate caretakers.
Both the human and animal world had a loss this week with the passing of Pamela Duddy, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 47. I first met Dr. Duddy nearly 14 years ago; as the new owner of a somewhat insane wire-haired fox terrier, I was not at all a dog person–luckily for me, she was.
Her hair was a bit disheveled and her lab coat was covered in two layers of dog hair, and when this quiet, unassuming woman introduced herself to me, I remember thinking that I would never want her job. But she clearly loved it.
One day when I was kept waiting for nearly 30 minutes–an unusual occurrence at my normally efficient vet’s office–she apologized and explained that she was delayed because she was helping a family whose pet rabbit had to be put down, and she was sure I would understand.
Several years ago, Baci had a strange skin growth that had to be biopsied. Dr. Duddy warned me that if cancerous, it would spread in a way that would bring about real suffering for my dog, and asked me to consider putting her down if the growth were malignant. My family and I sweated out those days as we waited for the results, which were, thankfully, benign. When she called us with the news, I cried with gratitude.
Baci, alive and well, hanging out with her "baby."
Not long afterwards I learned of Dr. Duddy’s diagnosis, and I was struck by the irony: my dog had escaped what she could not. It takes an extraordinary person to do the work that she did. If she is in another life now, I like to think that she is surrounded by the animals that she loved so well in this one.
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What a beautiful tribute, Rosemary. So sorry for the loss of an important person in your family’s life. I must add that Baci is intolerably cute.
Thanks for the kind words, Lorrie! (And if Baci weren’t so “intolerably cute,” she’d have been long gone by now. . .)
Wow! That is so cool that you were able to know her. And I’m betting she IS somewhere walking around with all the animals who have passed over that Rainbow Bridge. I have had to put three dogs to sleep in my lifetime and it never gets easier and yet the veterinarians who took care of that were so compassionate and caring. It made it not as horrifying, you know? Good veterinarians, like Dr. Duddy, are remembered forever.
Patti
And she was such a humble, quiet woman, Patti. I think she made it easier for many families in my town who had to face the loss of a pet.
Rosemary, this must be a sad time for your family and hers. What a terrible loss. The only comfort we can draw from moments like these is to believe that our loved ones have indeed gone to a better place. I remember giving my son the boxed set of James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. He told me that he truly believed that those who care for the animal world have a very special place in heaven and I think he was right. Funny, because he was barely eleven at the time. Thanks for sharing.
As I said, Florence, I wasn’t much of a dog person. But it was through my interactions with Dr. Duddy that I truly appreciated and understood those who love animals.
Rosemary, a beautiful tribute indeed. I lost my first dog to cancer and the second to complications from Cushings Disease last year. In august it will be one year and not a day goes by when I don’t cry for my Little Man. My vet was by my side the whole time helping me to make the right decision. In the end we put him to rest to spare him the pain he would endure over the coming weeks. Dr. Charlie is an angel–as all vet’s are who really care about their patients.
I pray you have many more years to hold, play and love her. Spend all the time you can with her. Like your wonderful vet, we never know when and if we’ll lose someone we care about. My prayers and thoughts go out to Dr. Duddy’s family and friends. Such a tragic loss at a young age.
Thank God Baci is healthy (and beautiful I might add
Thank you, Cathy, for such a heartfelt reply. It amazes me how close I’ve grown to my dog. Sadly, we’re not sure how much longer she’ll be with us. She’s nearly fourteen, and has a nasal tumor. Right now her quality of life is good, but once it isn’t, we’ll have some decisions to make. In the meantime, she still gives us lots of joy.
Rosemary -
Thank you for an awesome tribute to my sister!!! Will be going to the bookstore shortly to find your book!!! Hope your remaining time with Baci is as wonderful as the time we had with Pam!!
Joanne,
I’m so honored to have you stop by and comment at such a difficult time. I hadn’t seen your sister for many months, but thought of her often. She was adored by the office staff and by all the families whose pets she cared for.
My deepest sympathies to you and your family.
I, too, am grateful to have read your tribute to my sister. She loved working with animals and their humans and was insanely good at it. At her wake, we heard story after story of how she diagnosed and successfully treated conditions that had eluded other vets, and even a story of her saving the life of a friend’s family members after hearing their birds had died and cats were becoming sick. They had a gas leak that could have harmed or killed every being in the house. She was a remarkable woman, and it’s inspiring to see how many lives she touched.
Marianne,
These are wonderful stories and they don’t surprise me at all. As I said in my post, I was not at all an animal person, but I’m so grateful she was.
I’ll be remembering her in my prayers.
I knew Pam in college at Cornell. She was a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. Your piece has me in tears right now remembering what a great friend she was. I will be looking for your book.
Amy,
You have my sympathies. I lost a dear friend myself this year, and like Pamela, she was far too young.
Thanks so much for commenting.
What a beautiful tribute to one of the most amazing compassionate and bravest women I’ve even know. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to have her as my Veterinarian first, and then as an employee where we were able to share our mutual love of animals… I was also blessed to be able to call her my ‘friend’. I don’t think I will ever meet such a sharp and witty person with the passion for life as she had.
Vicki,
Thanks so much for your kind words. One of my favorite authors, George Eliot, compares people’s lives to a stone thrown in a pond, whose ripples reach places we never even imagine.
Dear Rosemary,
I just found out about Dr. Duddy passing away, needless to say that I was shocked but I also worked for Dr. Duddy at the Fanwood Animal Hospital. She truly was an amazing women.
I also think that I have met you at the Fanwood Library at a writing seminar/meeting a couple of years back. Can you tell me where I can find your book, Taming Kate, at? I’d love to read it, especially to see how the character that Dr. Duddy inspired you to write about.
Hi Lora,
The Animal Hospital won’t be the same without her, will it? Regarding that book, it is still out on submission with editors, but I will keep you posted. Thanks so much for asking.
I just wanted to let you know that you wrote a beautiful tribute on Dr Duddy. I just found out tonight that she passed away from my friend. We both took our animals to her! When I had to put mt cat asleep, I adopted another cat from her, she gave me a cat carrier and gave her updated shots without charging.
Wasn’t she wonderful? I so admired the way she cared for our animals, just as though they were her own.
Thank you for commenting!