Putting my soul cat, Snuggie, to sleep was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I live alone, my family is out of state, and I was terrified of facing that moment without the people I love physically there with me.
From the second Dr. Briell Dzierga walked into my apartment, she felt less like a veterinarian and more like a personal friend who had come to help me through the worst day of my life.
She cried with me. She laughed with me as I shared stories about Snuggie. She hugged me. She gave me time alone with my baby whenever I needed it. She let me keep my mom on FaceTime throughout the entire process so she could be there with us too.
She also helped me understand how to include my kitten in the process so she could see and understand that Snuggie was no longer with us. That was something I never would have known how to navigate on my own, and I am so grateful she thought about not only me and Snuggie, but her too.
Dr. Dzierga explained everything as we went and moved at our pace. Nothing felt clinical. Nothing felt rushed. She took pictures of me with Snuggie that I will treasure forever. She even helped me get my baby's paw print on my ink pad so I could have that keepsake. She shared her expertise, but she also shared her own understanding of grief and loss in a way that made me feel so much less alone.
I truly do not know how I would have gotten through that day without her.
Afterward, she sent me the kindest, most personal card. It was so specific to me and Snuggie that I knew she had genuinely been listening to every story and memory I shared with her in between sobbing. I can barely read it without crying, but I will keep it forever.
There are some people you meet during the worst moments of your life who you will never forget. Dr. Briell Dzierga is one of those people for me.
She is an angel, and I will never not recommend her.
Thank you, Dr. Dzierga, for giving Snuggie such a peaceful goodbye and for taking care of me with so much compassion while I said goodbye to my best friend. I will be forever grateful for you.
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