Client stories
Every animal that comes through our doors has a story. Here are some of the pets, people and moments that make Lort Smith what it is.
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- Tails of Lort Smith
Beardie
This striking central bearded dragon came to Lort Smith with a tumour on his back.
Our vets removed it in a delicate surgery, and the news was good: it was benign.
Beardie has made a full recovery, and keeps himself looking this good on a diet of greens, mealworms and silkworms. Delicious!
Lort Smith cares for more than cats and dogs. Our vets regularly see reptiles, birds, rabbits, ferrets and other unusual pets.
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- Tails of Lort Smith
Betty Bok
Betty Bok didn't have the best start in life. This ISA Brown began life as a battery hen, and she was almost completely bald.
Today she's a beautiful, fully feathered girl who's spoilt rotten, making up for lost time. Betty Bok joins her human on plenty of road trips, including to the beach and even all the way to Queensland.
When she had problems with her eggs, Betty Bok came to Lort Smith for treatment. Our vets see all kinds of pets, chickens included.
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- Success Stories
Richard & Felix
Richard has lived an extraordinary life. Born in Poland in 1932, he was taken to a Siberian labour camp with his mother and brother at just eight years old. Richard and his mother lived in Africa before arriving in Australia in 1950.
He now lives a modest life 40 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in a cosy home with his wife, Oscar the cat and Felix the dog. Richard and his wife have seven children, and have given up counting their grandchildren!
Richard is an incredibly intelligent and talented man. A former photographer and music teacher who also built a house from scratch, Richard has decided to write his autobiography. Life for Richard and his wife is tough, on just $300 per week on the aged pension. "If you are a single person it's not too bad, but if you're married, forget it. People say my wife and I should get a divorce!" laughs Richard.
Felix spends a lot of time with me and we have become like one.
Richard
His buddy
Felix is an eight-year-old long-haired Chihuahua. "A very human dog I've had since tiny," says Richard, who wanted a small dog and found Felix advertised on a Coles noticeboard for $300. "For a long time he was just a dog I looked after, but now he is my buddy. Since I got him, we walked. About 1km every day, rain hail or shine. That's stopped now."
Sadly, on their daily walks, Felix has been attacked twice. In the first attack, another dog came through Richard's front gate and attacked Felix in their yard. The second was just outside their house on the footpath.
The second attack was the worst, resulting in horrific injuries, four surgeries and the loss of a front leg.
"People only think about Felix, [they don't] think about the person who was there. All of this happened out of my control. A big dog attacking a Chihuahua, what do you do? It was shocking to watch," remembers Richard.
When Felix climbed under the barbecue, Richard knew he was dying. Rangers and the police were called. Richard rushed Felix to his local vet, but was told they couldn't help him because they were closing. They did, however, give Richard Lort Smith's business card.
With the help of his daughter ("a 200-per cent dog person"), Felix was brought to Lort Smith, where our vets tried to pin the leg with screws. Sadly, there was no saving the leg.
Pets In Need
The costs of Felix's treatment were mounting, and Richard simply couldn't afford them. "You can put a caveat on the house so it's yours when I go, or take it out of my pension," offered Richard. It was abundantly clear how much Felix meant to Richard and his family. A Lort Smith Pets In Need application was lodged. It's a financial assistance program for people experiencing genuine financial hardship.
Applications are assessed case by case. Richard's application was successful, and Lort Smith agreed to cover 70 per cent of Felix's treatment costs. "This was absolutely fantastic news; I was jumping up and down with joy. Behind every cloud is a bit of sunshine," says Richard.
"Lort Smith means a lot to me and I am absolutely happy with the whole Lort Smith experience. If I relied on the local vet, Felix would be dead by now."
Felix has changed since his operation. He is now absolutely petrified of other dogs. But Richard and Felix still take their daily walks together, with Felix now riding in a customised "pusher".
"Felix spends a lot of time with me and we have become like one," says Richard.
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- Pet Therapy
Jui-shan & Bubu
Jui-shan was about to start a Pet Therapy shift when she heard people calling her dog's name.
It was Beryl and Peter. Over the past months, Jui-shan and Bubu had visited their 40-year-old son, John, during his cancer treatment. Now John was terminally ill, and in palliative care.
Despite their sadness, Beryl and Peter were delighted to see them, and wanted to say thank you. They remembered the joy and calm Bubu brought to them all, and treasured the memory of Bubu curled up on the bed next to John's feet.
I have never seen faces light up like they do when a pet therapy dog enters a room.
Jui-shan
A big difference from a little dog
"It was a beautiful reminder of what a big impact a little dog like Bubu can make, and the importance of Lort Smith's Pet Therapy program," says Jui-shan.
Dr Jui-shan Chang and Bubu have volunteered with our Pet Therapy program since 2018, visiting hospital patients, their families and staff.
"I love being a pet therapy volunteer with Lort Smith because I know that the love and support Bubu and I provide can make such a huge difference to a person's life. I have never seen faces light up like they do when a pet therapy dog enters a room. That really motivates me."
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- Volunteers
Judy
Judy lost her mother in 2010. She fell into a deep depression, had anxiety and didn't want to get out of bed. When she returned to work, she was moved to a less stressful area.
A colleague suggested Judy adopt a dog or cat. "I've never been around cats so I went online to look for a dog, and there she was, the sweetest face I had ever come across. She was fat, so fat! She pulled on my heart strings and I fell in love straight away. When I took her home it was like all the pain that I had been feeling in my heart had eased, all because of this dear soul."
For five years, Judy and Cubby were inseparable, enjoying walks and even travelling on trains and trams together. With no children, Cubby was Judy's baby. In Cubby's later years, Judy even bought her a stroller to ease her arthritis pain.
Dealing with grief is very difficult but when you are around such beautiful, caring souls, it makes it a whole lot easier.
Judy
Care at Lort Smith
Judy chose to bring Cubby to Lort Smith because of our payment plans. It was more affordable than other vet clinics, and a friend had recommended Lort Smith to her.
Cubby had her regular vaccinations and check-ups, but it wasn't until she was booked in for dental treatment that a blood test revealed Cushing's disease. Symptoms include a pot belly and increased hunger and thirst. It was treated with medication and regular tests.
Over time, Judy noticed Cubby wasn't herself. Sadly, our vets found Cubby had pancreatitis, kidney disease and diabetes. When the pain became too much, Judy brought her to Lort Smith to be put to sleep.
Giving back
Judy's grief returned, and she asked her doctor for advice. She was told to keep busy and do something she loved. So Judy enrolled in a Certificate II in Animal Studies (Vet Nursing stream) at Melbourne Polytechnic. Cubby had led her to a complete career change!
"I had a lightbulb moment; I thought I would love to give back to Lort Smith by volunteering. This is to thank the staff from the bottom of my heart for the care and compassion they showed me and especially the love of my life, my Cubby, during the good times, the not-so-good times and the final days of her life. Cubby was always treated as my companion and they all showed her love," says Judy.
Judy became a Lort Smith volunteer in 2017, joining more than 380 other animal-loving, passionate and generous people.
"I have a standard shift every Wednesday in the laundry. This involves walking around the wards and ensuring that the staff have enough supplies of clean and fresh towels and bedding which then allows them to focus on the brilliant work they all do.
"The volunteer induction was very thorough and I am enjoying the volunteer experience. It's great to meet all the staff and other volunteers.
"At first I thought it would be very difficult for me to return to the place where I put my girl to sleep. But I have found it very healing and comforting to be around people that went out of their way to make my Cubby as comfortable as possible. Dealing with grief is very difficult but when you are around such beautiful, caring souls, it makes it a whole lot easier," says Judy.
Judy has used the bereavement services on offer at Lort Smith. "I went to a memorial service but it was a bit hard for me because it was so close to when Cubby passed. But there is another one coming up and I'm going to do a speech for her.
"I volunteer for several reasons. I wanted to give back to Lort Smith because of the way everyone treated Cubby – never just as a number. And because there are people around me that understand, they are on the same page as me. I don't want to surround myself with negative people so I come here, [Lort Smith] where people are more understanding.
"Lort Smith means everything to me. I class it like the Royal Children's Hospital – if not better! And I tell people that. There are angels here," says Judy.
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- Success Stories
Sox
Sox spent the first years of her life on a farm, as a pig-hunting dog. When the three-year-old German wirehaired pointer cross didn't perform as expected, she was cast aside and sent to the local pound.
Luckily, she was transferred to Lort Smith, and her journey from fear to freedom began.
Starting over
Our team desexed, vaccinated and microchipped Sox, and treated a skin condition linked to her anxiety. But she also needed to learn the basics of life as a family dog, including socialising and toilet training.
So Sox went into foster care with volunteer Kaitlyn. Day by day, her confidence grew. She even made friends with Kaitlyn's 12-year-old tabby, Pippa. Before long, Kaitlyn knew Sox was the dog for her, and adopted her.
Patience pays off
Sox went to obedience classes, where positive, reward-based training helped her master sit and stay. Toilet training, especially around men, took longer, but Kaitlyn worked patiently with her, and Sox got there.
We'll never know exactly what happened to Sox before she came to us. But we know that with Kaitlyn, she'll have the love and care she deserves for the rest of her life.