A dog who ate spareribs? A hamster who had a stroke? The vets at the Animal ER in Rockville see it all--and then some. - Bethesda Magazine, March-April 2006

"Thank you for taking such great care of me last weekend. I know my family worried about me and called and visited frequently but they knew I was in good hands. I've been feeling so good this week that I've even ventured up and down the stairs--all on my own. I hope everyone enjoys the cookies I baked! Love, Cocoa Brady"

Nice thank-you note--considering it came from a cat. The bulletin board in the waiitng room at the Metropolitan Emergency Animal Clinic in Rockville (Md.) is full of such testimonials. They stir wonder and bemusement: the hamster that had a stroke, the dog that ate the spareribs, the cat that caught a mouse...You read them and you don't know whether to laugh or cry...

(story is not on-line)