By Dr. Kim Cargill, DVM

The holiday season is my absolute favorite time of the year. As a veterinarian, I love when pets come in dressed up with their holiday scarves and jingle bells on their collars. It seems that people are more caring and giving this time of year as well, and charity and thankfulness become a larger part of our everyday lives.

This month, I want to take a moment to reflect back on what I am thankful for. This has been an eventful year at Cicero Animal Clinic. Wellness plans are something we’ve recently been offering that have allowed many pets to get more consistent care by spreading out the costs for our clients. I am thankful that we have found a way to meet the needs of our clients in an innovative way. I am also thankful for having such a supportive work environment, and I get so much positive feedback on how this reflects onto our clients and patients. Just the other day, I had a client compliment us on how happy everyone appears here, and that it is so refreshing to walk into a business where the staff members are cheerful and supportive of each other. Additionally, I am truly grateful for our amazing clients and patients. We have such awesome and dedicated pet owners that bring their pets here. They make every day a joy for all of us .

In my personal life, I am grateful to have such an amazing support system of friends and family; whose love I cherish and live for. I am thankful to have a job that I adore. A job where I feel like every day, I am able to help people and their pet family members. While in this job, our furry, feathered, and sometimes slithery patients don’t always thank us, being able to help pets stay healthy and support them through illness and recovery is rewarding in ways that touch our hearts and lift our spirits as animal healthcare providers.

This November especially, but also every day, I hope we can all take a moment to step back from the chaos and reflect on the bright spots in our lives. I also hope we are all able to find away to give back to those around us and be thankful.