Dr. Arneson is the Pre-Health adviser. I talk to her often about what I should be doing to prepare for vet school, and often just go visit her to talk about what I’m learning, how the internships are going, and whatever else. 

She tells me about her dogs, her life, and friends she knows who might need a pet-sitter in the future. She’s a huge golden retriever fan. She’s had multiple in the past and lost pretty much all of them to hemangiosarcoma. It’s a really deadly form of cancer that’s rampant with Labradors, retrievers, and other deep-chested dogs. I lost a dog to it myself. 

After she lost her last dog to hemangiosarcoma, she adopted a different breed to get herself off of them. But recently, she told me this:

Dr. Arneson: So I think I’m getting another Golden soon.

Me: Really? That’s so exciting!

Dr. Arneson: Yeah… I’m being a fool and setting myself up for another heartbreak. 

Me: No, you’re just in love. Love isn’t love unless it’s completely foolish. 

She didn’t say anything to that. She just smiled. 

But in that moment, I felt like I had said my first truly veterinarian comment of my life, even though I wasn’t even close to becoming one just yet.