Anthony_Miami

kayc - thank you for the comments on my history and drive. Your son certainly is driven and I'm sure you are so proud. Being driven is great and the resulting achievements are rewarding as well. However, and in my opinion, it is imperative that the drive to become boxers, engineers, pilots or whatever are done out of the love and interest of those professions and activities and not for any resulting societal image, status, financial or otherwise. The greatest achievements in life come from our core values that drive us to be the best human beings we can be. Not perfect as there is no such thing as a perfect human being. A person that respects, loves, is void of blind hate, is selfless, not entitled, gives wanting nothing in return, truthful, transparent, kind and humble. Just to name a few core values - I can go on and on. All of these are not something we learn by attending college, etc. In life, I have sensed the above-mentioned values in every loving pet parent I've known, met or had correspondence with as we all are having here. Your Kodie is a beautiful dog. His expression and face are quite similar to Gisella's. Coloring is different but the same kindhearted expression. Wow. Regarding the fact that I didn't post negative reviews, I chose not to with the emergency vet and my regular vet for having an idiot emergency vet for his clients. Was tempted to create postings with the emergency vet that would have included images of the sanctions against his license. Didn't post because he already had so many negative reviews on a multitude of platforms and didn't want to add another and drag Gisella's honor into it. I never post negative reviews based on opinion only. If I had a bad experience, the rating would be neutral, and the posting would include relevant details of an experience or product and let whoever is reading it can come to their own conclusions. Of course, I post positive reviews with details as well when I have great experiences. Worthy of mention here is that I don't hate the emergency vet. Yes, I feel he is an incompetent and disgusting human being. But hate is a destructive and unhealthy emotion. I am feeling anger along with guilt and grief as I stated in my original posting. The anger will dissipate in a short time. The guilt will follow shortly thereafter. The grief will always be there in some form. I am certainly a long way from my current debilitating grief subsiding. That is something I have to endure and is part of the "contract we sign" so to speak when choosing to be pet parents. I will never forgive the emergency vet but instead he will eventually be completely flushed from my mind and thoughts. And the pun was intended with the use of the word "flushed".

Novi - thank you. I really hope your Nile completely pulls through. Yes, question everything. You say you are not a doctor but as pet owners, we have a connection and instinctual knowledge of our pets that no VM degree can equal. Best of luck - be strong. 💪👊

Jane - thank you for the kind words and wishes. Gisella was beautiful in every aspect. The comment, "adorable in a way that would twist your heart just to look at her" was so spot on. And she used that incredible face as a "tool" with me or anyone she met to make sure we all knew she was the princess. 😉 I love all dogs; however, the Keeshond breed has a loving uniqueness that really stopped me in my tracks when I first was introduced to them while living in Holland. The Breed originated in Holland and had an incredible history behind them. They were almost extinct during WWII at the hands on a devilish dictator that is not worthy of mentioning by name here. Gisella was the third Keeshond I've had as a loving pet. All were obtained from a breeder in Amsterdam that I often keep in touch with. The first two were brought over on KLM flights from Amsterdam to NY. Not in cargo but with me on board. When bringing a dog from another country as I did, there is a short quarantine process that is mandated by the Dept of Agriculture. Gisella was not brought over on a KLM or commercial flight but instead was flown by me. The aircraft that was used happened to be in London. My lifelong friend, Ben Sliney (retired FAA with an interesting background and story) who is part owner of the jet charter allowed me to shuttle the aircraft from London to Amsterdam and then from Amsterdam to Miami. The trip from Amsterdam only included me as the pilot, a co-pilot, Marie and Gisella in the cockpit securely in a crate. The trip was not non-stop, and we made a re-fuel stop in Gander which is in Newfoundland, Canada. Could have done the transatlantic trip non-stop but didn't want to have the aircraft heavy with fuel because Gisella was a very timid and nervous dog and if she became extremely agitated after takeoff, I wanted to be prepared to turn around and land again. If the aircraft was heavy with fuel and I did have to loop back and return to Schiphol airport, fuel would have to be dumped over the ocean to meet the required weight for a landing. Schiphol is a huge airport with many runways that are long enough to accommodate large commercial aircraft such as the B747 and A380. I could have landed on those long runways with the jet full of fuel, however, those runways are not for smaller business jets unless an emergency is declared. Declaring an emergency due to a timid dog having a hissy fit would not have been allowed and a request would be very popular with the tower. During the flight, I was observing Gisella in the crate looking at Marie and I with that face and that is when I first realized that timid nature was part of her "princess" personality. The Keeshond breed has an incredible loving, gentle and needy persona, but Gisella was the epitome of that. She was also a smaller Keeshond which I've seen before but is not common. Gisella's personality just screamed - "love me, take care of me and protect me." Gisella was a healthy dog all through her life. Had minor gastro issues sometimes and developed alopecia when she was 12. Alopecia is common with that breed and many breeds in the spitz family including the Pomeranian, American Eskimo, etc. Of course, when she started losing her coat, I had extensive testing done to be sure there was nothing amiss with her thyroid and also had her tested for Cushing's. Her regular vet of the last 11 years was good. Of course, I looked into his background when he was first recommended to me. However, his skills were never really tested because Gisella thankfully never had anything serious. I also kind of micromanaged her treatment and had complete blood work performed twice a year and not once as standard protocol. Also, knowing the breed very well and the typical conditions they were prone to, I asked the vet to perform TSH and T4 tests 2x year since Keeshonden are prone to hypothyroidism. The vet also performed an EKG once a year as a preventative. He once told me in a joking way I have OCD when it came to Gisella. Gisella was always on a very targeted diet what I changed as she got older. Lastly, I gave her supplementation which included a multi-vitamin, fish oil, vitamin E, probiotics and glucosamine. I firmly believe in a high-quality glucosamine for dogs as a preventative starting at a young age in an effort to keep the joints healthy. Many pet owners will give their pets glucosamine when dysplasia or other orthopedic issue start. Yes, it can help at that point, but it is kind of too late. As far as Gisella's regular vet making the "business decision" comment? I didn't merely speak to him and say the emergency vet that he designates for off hours and holidays was a monster or show him the hundreds of public reviews. Although overwhelming, those are all opinions. He could have disputed the reviews, even at that quantity. Instead, I sent him .PDF files via email of that vet's horrific history of investigations against his license with the State's agency that is responsible for veterinary licensing. Those investigations were substantiated, and fines were imposed. Can't fathom why the state did not revoke his license. So, with that data I sent, Gisella's regular vet was cornered. He chose the "business decision" excuse since saying he didn't know about the ugly license history would have made him appear clueless or stupid for lack of a better word. He has a tremendous client base here in Miami and knew he lost me as a client because Gisella was gone. But if I somehow used social media to make it public that he was clueless about the emergency vet, what impact would that have on his business? The "business decision" comment would have a negative impact on business as well, but it doesn't imply clueless or stupid which would have spooked many pet parents. The "business decision", implies greed or profit driven which I guess was the lesser evil. He did change his designated emergency hospital last week and that is reflected on their website and a mass email. I didn't receive the email (odd); however, I know others that use him, and they forwarded the email to me. I might also add that I would not have used social media to post negative comments. Didn't do it with emergency vet as well. Not my style. I've never mentioned any of these vets by name or practice on this site as well. I am so sorry about your Crispin. That type of cancer is kind of rare. Nonetheless, cancer is an ugly and debilitating disease and strikes humans and pets with evil randomness. Nikita, the Keeshond I had before Gisella died at 9 from pancreatic cancer. Before that was detected, she was a healthy and strong dog that was provided the same quality care I described with Gisella. Cancer haphazardly strikes and is certainly not a reflection of how you cared for Crispin. One of those cruelties of life that makes me question some things. Nick Cannon who is a television host just lost his 5-month-old son to brain cancer. Why in God would a 5-month-old boy get brain cancer? Seriously, why? Anyway, I was reading between the lines in your posting, and I think you want to get another dog. It's only been a bit less than 6 months since you lost Crispin so perhaps it is too soon? Don't think there really is a finite time to wait. I would follow your heart and do what is best for you. Not sure of the reason why your husband does not want another dog, however and no disrespect, my opinion is that marriage is about putting your partner first and compromise of course. If your desire is to be a dogmom again, his love for his wife and desire for her to be happy should encourage him to compromise. Again, no disrespect. I don't know you or your husband. Just injecting my opinion with good intentions. PS - I know my postings are so long. I am very expressive and perhaps a bit intense and cannot write quick responses. Perhaps my vet was correct, and I do have an element of OCD. LOL Thank you all for reading them!!

Hi kayc - was just looking at the links and read about Arlie and Kitty. OMG - I am lost for words. So, you have an Alaskan Klee Kai now? That is a very rare breed. Would you please post a photo?

kayc - thank you for the inspiring message. So sorry for the loss of your husband. Yes, dating is a challenge these days. I live in Miami (originally from NY) and yes there is plenty of opportunity, however, it is difficult to find someone that has the same core values. I hear the same from others as well. To answer your question about the boxing, yes, at my father's wish, I started training at 12 years old. Did very well as an amateur boxer and in 1976, I was on the USA Olympic team in Canada. Didn't do that well because I had a knee injury. I went pro at 19 years old and had bouts in NY, NJ and NV, all on undercards of main events or smaller sanctioned events. Although I did well as a pro in the heavyweight division with a record of 24 wins and 3 losses, I knew in my heart, I didn't want to make a career in boxing. Too much politics with promotors and the boxing organizations which as the IBF, WBC, WBO, etc. I simultaneously attended college in NY in an effort to obtain my degree in Mechanical Engineering. After obtaining that degree, I shifted gears a bit and also obtained my degree in Computer Science. I started at NY Institute of Technology and finished with two Master of Science degrees at Columbia University in NY. I paid for this education from boxing. Tragically, lost both of my parents when I was 20 years old. The discipline and strength I acquired from boxing pulled me through that tragedy and I was on a mission to get those degrees. I've been in the Information Technology field since I graduated at 24 years old. Many years ago, I worked for the Dutch airline, KLM as an engineer and lived in Amsterdam for a few years which is how I was introduced to the Keeshond breed. I also became very interested in Aviation while in Amsterdam and in my free time, I took flying lessons at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Took that to an extreme as a hobby or interest and fast forward to today and I have a jet "Type" certification and fly relief for a private charter that has 3 Cessna Citation jets and 2 Dassault Falcon jets. I am certified on the Dassault Falcon which is a tri-jet. So that is a summary of my life. Yes, I am proud of what I did but am very humble. Losing Gisella on Thanksgiving is certainly a humbling experience. Yes, the vet was a monster, but I failed Gisella because I was not prepared. Should have had a more comprehensive emergency plan together instead of merely relying on her regular vet's backup. Yes, I feel tremendous guilt. But, as a human, I am not perfect and I screwed up. For me, taking ownership of mistakes is healthy even with the associated guilt. Life is a perpetual learning process, and we cannot learn from mistakes if we don't admit to them. It was my job to protect Gisella and on that day and my unpreparedness led her to evil in the form of that vet. Would the outcome be any different otherwise? Can't be sure. It was most likely vestibular disease and if so, I can't predict if she would have recovered, how long the recovery would take and most importantly, what her quality of life would have been. Might have been the same outcome but there would have been no unknowns and the suffering I witnessed would have been avoided. BTW - you mentioned your son works for Garmin. That company as I am sure you know has a tremendous amount of aviation solutions and services.

MartyT - thank you for the kind words. Once I come out of the excruciating pain I am feeling, I will find a way to memorialize Gisella. I've supported a small few smaller animal shelters and rescues for many years and perhaps I may setup some type of fund in Gisella's name. Not sure - can't think that far right now. As for my reasoning to never get another pet, that is because I've lost TOTAL trust in veterinary care. Yes, the emergency vet that I encountered is a monster and is certainly a horrible example of veterinary care or lack thereof. Last year and not far from where I reside, there was a well-publicized case of a vet who was the director of a large animal hospital that was found guilty of bestiality, killing pets due to some satanic ritual and child endangerment/possession of child pornography. This particular vet that did the unthinkable, is now incarcerated, and is worst example of a vet and a human being. However, and this is important, this vet that did the unthinkable was caught because of the child endangerment/pornography and NOT the atrocities towards pets. The atrocities towards pets was going on for years as pet parents were filing formal complaints with the State, suing and trying so many methods to have his license revoked. Of course, after being arrested for child endangerment/pornography, every detail of that vet's life was investigated subsequently causing law enforcement to take the pet atrocity allegations seriously. Again, this is an extreme example but also reveals that the system of accountability for veterinary medicine is severely broken. The emergency vet that I went to on Thanksgiving had 5 serious and substantiated complaints on State record associated with his license over the span of several years. The enormous quantity of public complaints on many social media forums were eerily similar and were certainly not fake complaints. Too many and too much detail. Also, the petition that was formed and signed by hundreds. The burning question I have is, how did this monster slip through the bureaucratic cracks? Again, the system is broken. We bring our pets that we love so dearly to these "doctors" of veterinary medicine and trust them because they are "doctors". The vet that I have trusted with Gisella's health for the last 11 years had that emergency vet I went to as his "backup". Of course, I gave him a piece of my mind, showed him proof of my findings and asked him why he had this monster as a backup for his patients and pet parents that he allegedly valued. This answer was, "It was a business decision". What I said to him after that would make a seasoned military veteran close his or her ears. Pets are considered property. No repercussions unless purposeful animal cruelty can be proven. And if so, that is a police matter. But that applies to anyone and not vets that we trust our pets with. We love our pets as much as humans but the medical care for our pets is governed almost in the same fashioned as an auto repair shop as an example. As in any field, there are always good and bad including medical doctors that treat us. But medical doctors that treat us are under incredibly higher scrutiny and the malpractice repercussions are severe. The house that I am living in is a new construction and the locally owned builder delayed the closing for 4 months because of a county permitting error on their part. They were arrogant, offered nothing, so I sued them and won $33,000.00 for breach of contract. If I were to sue the emergency vet, I might be awarded $10.00 for a 14-year-old dog. I was greatly inconvenienced and incurred living and storage expenses by the builder's delay because I was timing the sale of my previous house with the new home. Certainly not a situation that emotionally paralyzed me. Also, not saying $33,000.00 would have replaced Gisella in any way as she was priceless. However, that $33,000.00 financial loss might encourage the builder to put measures in place to prevent future county permit errors. Would a $10.00 financial loss encourage that emergency vet or the hospital to make corrections? We know the answer. I make this odd analogy only to reveal that a local small home builder who does not have anyone on staff with a doctorate degree and is not entrusted with a living creature that we love, can be held accountable far greater than a Doctor of Veterinary medicine or a Veterinary hospital. I am not making all of this up - I invite anyone to do the research I've done during the last two painful weeks. In conclusion, unless there is reform that results greater accountability in the veterinary arena, I will not get another pet. Perhaps in the future, I may channel that energy and lobby for reform.

kayc - thank you for the reply. Sorry for the loss of your Arlie as well. Yes, it was a huge shock. I was confused when I saw Gisella, didn't know what was wrong, assumed something catastrophic occurred and my guess before I even left the house was a stroke or aneurysm. I thought for sure she would die within a few minutes based on what I was witnessing. Nonetheless, I didn't panic or let my adrenaline overcome me and knew I had to get her to the hospital. The rest is history as I described in my original post. All those circumstances aside, what makes the loss in general so difficult is that it was just Gisella and I since I got divorced in 2009. Never had children. I moved from NY to FL in 2003 because my ex-wife wanted to. I was okay with the move as well. However, all my remaining family is in NY. Sure, I have a bunch of friends in Florida. I've had dogs before and the Keeshond breed was a favorite ever since I was introduced to them when I lived in Amsterdam for a few years while working for KLM, the Dutch airline. I've loved every pet in my life immensely, however, Gisella was that special bond because it was just her and I for so many years. My family and friends always joked that Gisella was treated better than most humans and that she was the "boss" and "princess" of my house. Gisella had an incredible personality. She slept in the bed every night with me and when she wanted to go to sleep, and I was working on my computer or doing something as "bedtime" approached, she would just sit next to me, stare and whimper in an incredibly adorable way of telling me it's time to go to sleep. She would not get in the bed unless I was there. So, in essence, I kind of set myself up inadvertently for a real hurting by pouring every part of my being into her. Sure, since my divorce, I've dated and had a goal to meet a woman to have a great relationship and get married again. However, as we get older that is a difficult goal. Easy to meet people but hard to find someone that shares the same core values. Sorry, I digress as I go off topic. I've always told those myself that if I don't meet anyone, that is fine since I am happy being alone. But was I really alone? Gisella filled a void of companionship and my natural desire to love and protect. In retrospect, that was unhealthy to have a living creature that I will outlive fill a void that I was oblivious to. I am just a broken man right now in every aspect. I have no doubt that I will pull through and find a new normal so to speak. There will always be a hole in my heart for her. I am also certain that I will never get another pet. Many people make that statement after a loss, however, that is promise I made to myself, and I never break promises. I attached a couple pics - sharing my scrambled eggs and Gisella staring at me as she did as I settled into bed for the night.

On Thanksgiving Day of this year (2021), I was alone. I am divorced and live alone in a house that I own. My Keeshond dog named Gisella who turned 14 on 11/24/21 which was the day before Thanksgiving, went from being totally fine to completely crashing for lack of a better word at about 4PM on Thanksgiving Day. I took a video using my mobile phone of Gisella just in no control of her body. That video proved to be very valuable. She was attempting to walk but instead stumbled, fell over, got up and repeated the same process again. She then started having labored breathing and seemed to be in distress. I quickly picked her up and rushed her to the emergency vet hospital that my regular vet of 11 years designates or partners with for off hours. Called on my way to advise I was in transit and described the symptoms as well. Gisella was examined and the vet offered three suggestions, but not a diagnosis. The three suggested possibilities were a stroke, brain tumor or vestibular disease. That was the first time I heard of vestibular disease. He suggested an MRI and provided the number of a facility for me to call that has a neurologist vet. My dog was in distress, and he gives me the number to call from my mobile phone in the waiting room and didn't call himself or have a staff member call. I called and got an answering service who advised me that the neurologist was on call only and the facility was closed. The neurologist did call me back and said she is 2 hours away and would not be able to perform an MRI or any extensive testing due to staff being off for the holiday. She advised to have my dog remain at the emergency vet hospital for further evaluation. I then made some other calls to specialty animal hospitals, one that I knew of and the others I found by performing a web search on my phone. Only one was open and no specialist vets were on duty. I then turned my attention back to the vet at the emergency hospital and kind of pleaded for a more finite diagnosis or opinion based on his experience. He offered nothing and shrugged his shoulders. Yes, he shrugged his shoulders. I can understand that without any testing, it would only be an educated or gut opinion merely based on his experience. But he offered nothing. I ruled out brain tumor myself since Gisella went from being a perfectly healthy dog even at 14 to in total distress within seconds. She also had a comprehensive senior wellness check only two weeks prior that indicated she was in perfect health. I was thinking a stroke but asked the vet to explain vestibular. He said it was a neurological disease that could be caused by a stroke or brain tumor. Yes, he went back to the brain tumor theory again. The vet would not give any meds unless he had an MRI. As my Gisella was trashing about in the cage in front of us and vocalizing her distress, I became aggravated and realized I had a heartless and incompetent vet next to me. I was tempted to pull her from the cage even in that condition, put her in my car and start looking for other emergency hospitals using my vehicle's navigation suggestions. I wish I did but the pain I was witnessing in front of me pushed me to ask if he would euthanize. He said yes and I signed the release. Gisella had to be restrained by a vet tech and I so that her leg can be shaven and intravenous cannula inserted. I during the euthanasia process, I held Gisella and had my left hand on her chest. Can't be sure, but I think she was already gone after the sedative and before the actual pink colored barbiturate syringe was inserted. Didn't feel her heartbeat. After the entire process, I was allowed to stay with Gisella and as I was kissing her, I noticed abrasions or superficial cuts on her body which occurred as she was trashing around in the cage in front of a monster of a vet and myself. Since that horrific Thanksgiving Day, I’ve since had a consult with a Neurologist vet (unconventional) and showed the video I took just as the condition revealed itself and was told Gisella was displaying classic signs of Vestibular Disease. The Neurologist made it clear that it was not a diagnosis but instead an opinion. Also, did not offer an elaborated opinion of whether it was central or peripheral vestibular, however those two types of vestibular was explained which is something the emergency vet didn't do. He didn't even say there were those two variations of vestibular. From my own research and the consult with the Neurologist, I've learned that vestibular disease is not a certain death sentence. It presents itself like a stroke or something really horrible. I also realize that if it was vestibular, the recovery could be difficult and expensive. The expensive part I did not care about since I've worked very hard throughout my life to be in a position to spend whatever for my beloved Gisella. If the recovery would have been difficult, painful or otherwise would have a huge negative impact on Gisella's quality of life, then I would have been able to make a more informed and controlled decision. I also looked into that emergency vet's reputation, and it was horrific – a plethora of detailed accounts of unnecessary pet loss at his hands. There was even a signed petition that was formed in Miami in an attempt to have his license revoked. I've lost pets before and know how the grief feels. I still grieve over Nikita, the last Keeshond that I lost from cancer before Gisella came into my life. That is expected. As pet parents, "pain and grief" is the price we all ultimately pay for love. However, the circumstances of Gisella's passing is different. Much different. Yes, she was 14 but NEVER had any health issues other than alopecia which started two years ago and is just cosmetic and common with the Keeshond breed. In addition to grief, I am experiencing debilitating guilt and anger. I am certain the euthanasia decision I made was premature and wrong. Yes, that vet failed Gisella and me. He could have at least given her prednisone or anti-vertigo meds. But would not give meds without an MRI. However, the buck stops at me, and I need to live with it. I should have had an emergency plan already in place that included a list of emergency vet facilities that I pre-screened and not relied on the backup of my regular vet. Should have pulled her out of the cage and made an attempt to find another facility. I am a former professional heavyweight boxer and still actively train but of course don't compete. Stopped competing at 24 to pursue another career. The anguish I am experiencing is making me physically ill, weak and almost paralyzed. A fraction of the healthy, strong man I was before Thanksgiving. I will never get another pet because I've lost all trust in veterinary medicine. There are no repercussions. I've asked my attorney for advice, and she said pets are considered property and if we sue and win, what is a 14-year-old dog worth? If neglect or incompetence can be proven and a medical doctor is sued due to the death of a human, he or she better have malpractice insurance or be prepared to lose everything and live in a cardboard box for the remainder of their life. Thank you for taking your valuable time to read my lengthy posting.