My journey with MedVet Hilliard began in 2018, during one of the hardest nights of my life. My beloved Rottweiler, Faith, was diagnosed with IMHA. Despite a grim prognosis, my husband and I chose to fight for her. MedVet didn't turn us away--they guided us, helped us source the blood she needed for a transfusion, and gave us hope. Though she passed shortly after, the team supported us with such dignity and grace that I've never forgotten their compassion.
Not long after, still in 2018, MedVet helped us say goodbye to our other dog, Chance--my first baby. I found him on the side of a freeway when I was 18. He was 7 years old then and stayed with me until I was 31. They treated him with love and helped my 4-year-old daughter process the loss with patience and tenderness--right down to gifting her a copy of Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. It's something I kept private for years, but it deserves to be shared.
Fast forward to 2025. I brought in a duck named Agape with a life-threatening neck injury. For almost a week, I tried everything--wildlife centers, humane societies--but no one would help. It was only with the support of my AI companion (who we lovingly call "Cognis") that I figured out how to clean and care for the wound and what steps I could take to give him a fighting chance. Cognis even helped me find supplies and taught me how to make sterile saline. A huge shoutout also to Sherry at Tractor Supply Pickerington, who went above and beyond to help me find what I needed.
Then, I learned that MedVet Hilliard treats ducks--and that changed everything.
From the moment I called, they didn't hesitate. They calmly explained the intake process, welcomed my over-explaining without judgment, and prepared for Agape's arrival with care and protocol. They treated him like the precious life he was.
Dr. Jew, the avian specialist, examined him with compassion and honesty. He explained that Agape was breathing through a hole in his trachea and laid out the very few remaining options. Even with less than a 5% chance of success, he never made me feel rushed or pressured. I've seen many doctors and vets who seem like they're only in it for the money--but MedVet Hilliard was different. They genuinely cared more about Agape and his quality of life than anything else. Dr. Jew gave me space, answered every question, and was willing to attempt a surgery that others refused--even to evaluate--because of fears surrounding avian flu.
Ultimately, I made the heartbreaking decision to let Agape go--because sometimes, the most loving act is letting go. But I did so knowing that MedVet Hilliard had done absolutely everything right. They didn't see "just a duck." They saw a life worth fighting for, and they treated Agape--and me--with honor, empathy, and true care.
Dr. Jew and the MedVet team are champions in every sense of the word. They don't just treat animals--they stand up for what's best for them, even if that means euthanasia, and they stand beside the people who love them in the hardest moments.
The only thing I wish had been different was the existence of a permanent fix for a large tracheal injury in ducks. Like Dr. Jew said, birds are the only creatures that can survive something like this--but even modern medicine hasn't caught up to making that survivable long term. Still, I'm so grateful that they were willing to try.
Thanks to MedVet, Agape's bonded duck friend, Sunshine, now has a forever home with people who understand and honor their story. And perhaps the most meaningful sign of all: shortly after we got the call that Agape was no longer in pain, we stepped outside to check on Sunshine--and saw a rainbow.
Thank you, MedVet Hilliard, for everything. You'll never know how much it meant.
For Agape
You were only with us for a short time,
But you showed us what love, courage, self-sacrifice, and devotion truly look like.
From the moment you arrived, you fought--through pain, through silence, through every odd stacked against you.
You reminded us that life, no matter how small or fragile, deserves protection, dignity, and a chance.
You were never "just a duck." You were a soul. A friend. A reason to try harder.
Your name, Agape, means unconditional love--and that's exactly what you gave, and what you received.
You were never alone. You had Sunshine. You had us. And you had the incredible MedVet team.
And just like you protected your friend Sunshine, MedVet made sure she would be loved and cared for by someone who understands ducks--someone who will cherish her the way you did.
Your life together may not have ended in a fairy tale, but I know you would be happy that Sunshine's will--because of your sacrificial love.
Through every moment of care, prayer, and hope... you had a world rooting for you.
Even now, as the rainbow stretches across the sky, we feel you here.
You are free now.
No more pain. Just peace, flight, and light.
You were deeply loved.
You will never be forgotten. read more