Dr. Borgmann and Staff,

Words cannot express the special thanks and gratitude for a fantastic and unbelievable operation you performed to save my dog, Dakota, whose odds of surviving were little to none. Your timing, skill, compassion and love of animals is truly a gift from God. One of your operating staff went out of her way and brought her own dog in to give Dakota a blood transfusion, without that he would not have made it. This kind of care for other people's pets shows the real meaning of being a great vet and you and your staff surpassed that in leaps and bounds. Thank you again.

-Dakota, Stephen and Nancy White

A brief note:

Dakota had an actively bleeding mass on his spleen. His red blood cell number had dropped to less than half his normal amount. He was at a critical stage and needed immediate surgery. He received a blood transfusion before surgery to replace clotting factors and platelets. He had used up most of his platelets trying to stop the bleeding in his abdomen. His spleen was surgically removed and Dakota is back to his old self.

Update: Our sympathies to Dakota's family. He was an amazing dog and friend and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

In the Abbotsford Times, letters to the editor - March 23, 2010

Good Things are Being Done at Whatcom

On behalf of the staff, interns, volunteers - and most importantly our native mammals - I would like to thank the Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital for their help in caring for our wildlife in need.

Without the help of Dr. Elizabeth Borgmann, Dr. Ken Macquisten, and their staff for donating their expertise, it would be hard for organizations like Critter Care to survive.

Thank you both for your years of commitment.

Gail Martin, Langley

Dr. Borgmann and Staff,  

I’ll never forget the day I brought my very pregnant Black Labrador (Skye) in for an emergency C-section. By the end of that very exhausting day for Staff and Skye, I couldn’t believe we were going home with Skye and her 12 healthy puppies!  

I know you made my daughter (Makayla) extremely happy when you helped to arrange the adoption of her kitten Walle.  He’s such a perfect fit to our family.

Thank you, for always being there for all our pet's needs. I know that I can always count on everyone at Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital. The level of service you provide goes Above and Beyond!!!! Even our pets enjoy coming in for their visit. 

I highly recommend Dr. Borgmann and the staff of Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital.

The Hurley Family 

It’s not easy finding a veterinarian you and your pet can work with.  For me it is very important to be part of my dog’s care at every possible level.  I usually know when something is wrong before symptoms show up and I need a veterinarian that respects, acknowledges and acts on that.
 
This is why Terrence, my 12 year old Jack Russell Terrier is alive today thanks to Dr. Borgmann.  From the time he was 7 years old he “changed”.  His fur completely changed in appearance and volume, food allergies, terrible stomach aches, weakness and general temperament changes occurred.  Dr. Borgmann came into the picture just after that time.  So when Terrence crashed and I rushed him in, Dr. Borgmann was able to react immediately to what her staff reported and diagnose a very difficult illness to diagnose.  Terrence has Addison’s disease.  This disease is referred to as the great pretender since the symptoms mask themselves as something else.

When she informed me of his diagnosis, she described the treatment he would receive and that he would have to be managed for life “if he survived”.  Those words terrified me.  He was in hospital for several days but the fact I was able to visit and be there with him made it a lot easier for all of us.

Terrence recovered and I got a new improved model with “way” more energy.  You would think that after being poked, prodded with needles, IV’s, catheters and 6 months of blood draws that Terrence wouldn’t be too happy about going back to Whatcom Vets.  Instead he can’t wait to get out of the car and get in there

-Chantal Caron, Abbotsford

Update: We send our sincere sympathies to the Caron family. Terence will be missed and will always have a special place in our hearts.

On AbbyNews.com in Opinions - April 13, 2010

We would like to thank Dr. Borgmann, Dr. Macquisten and the staff of Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital for all their help and assistance with the kittens that populate our barn. Like so many farms in the area, we are subjected to a large number of stray cats that we cannot catch for spay or neuter.

Though we were unable to get hold of the stray adult cats (still trying) we were lucky to catch the kittens.

Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital has been very accommodating with the challenges we have faced in catching the kittens to spay, neuter, and vaccinate them. They accept the kittens anytime we are able to bring them in. With a lot of patience and great loving care, they handle and socialize the kittens until they can be spayed or neutered.

After their surgeries, they stay at the hospital for recovery. Though we pay for the surgeries and medications, the doctors and staff have been very generous in not charging for their stay.

The handling and the socializing of the kittens has made it possible for us to find homes for the majority of kittens. Without the help and caring nature of the staff these kittens would not have had a chance to find their way into loving homes.

-George F. & I. Ria Ferguson, Abbotsford

Elizabeth’s Wildlife Center takes in injured, sick and orphaned wild birds and small mammals.

Our Center would like to acknowledge the help of Whatcom Road Veterinary Hospital.

The kindness, caring and expertise of  Drs. Elizabeth Borgmann , Ken Macquisten and all the staff is outstanding. It doesn’t matter what species of wild animal is brought in it is dealt with professionally and without charge. For a Center such as ours that relies solely on donations and fundraisers this has a huge impact on our existence.

The appreciation for Elizabeth, Ken and all the hard working staff cannot be overstated.

A heartfelt thank you to all of you.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Melnick, RN
Exec. Director/ Founder
Elizabeth’s Wildlife Center
Abbotsford, BC