I don’t think any Veterinarian can escape the wish of being Dr. Doolittle, at least once in their life. I do it twice a day, and I find talking to the animals very easy, it’s the understanding their response that is the dilemma. There is one dog whose voice I hear loud and clear when he comes in, and he speaks perfect English which is also a bonus. Duncan is owned by two of my favorite people and when Daddy brings Duncan in he always does “the voice”. Duncan is a big, fluffy, white, happy something-oodle that immerses the clinic in happiness. He may or may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, but when Daddy does Duncan’s voice it sounds a lot like a cross between “Pete Puma”-the big guy from Grapes of Wrath and three shots of tequila.

“Hullo, Hullo, Hullo Dr. Dietz, good to see you, good to see you!” “You’re not gonna mess with my butt today, are you, are you, are you?”

I humbly admit I love it when Duncan’s Daddy can get off of work and bring him in because the voice is hilarious and he rolls right in the door with it regardless of others in the clinic and for several minutes it seems like Duncan’s really talking to me.

The other week Duncan came into the clinic and as is the case with most visits his Mommy brought him in. As Duncan rounded the corner, tail wagging ferociously I heard his voice two octaves higher than normal “Hullo Dr. Dietz, Hullo, Hullo, Hullo.” It took me by surprise to hear Duncan’s voice change, and I would have laughed milk out my nose if I had been drinking.