At Mount Comfort Veterinary Care, compassion starts at home. For many members of the team, their bond with animals runs deeper because of their own experiences caring for pets with complex medical needs. They are pet owners who have lived through tough diagnoses, long nights, and the deep love that comes with doing everything for a pet in need. Their personal experiences have created a powerful layer of empathy that carries over into every interaction with the families they serve.
Chloe & Ein: Living with Heart
For Chloe Harris, the road with her cat Ein has been turbulent. “He’s my oldest and most medically problematic cat,” she says with affection. Ein lives with a list of medical challenges, including a serious heart condition, persistent GI issues, complications from an eye enucleation, allergies, and chronic ear infections. Managing his care has meant traveling out of state for specialist appointments, keeping up with a demanding home care routine, and bearing the emotional and financial weight that comes with long-term illness. “I’ve lived what many of our clients live,” Chloe says. “There’s a whole world behind the scenes of owning a chronically ill pet that you can’t fully understand until you’ve done it. Ein has helped me connect on a real level with the people who walk through our doors daily.”
Alex, Boone & Meatloaf: Recovery and Resilience
Alex Breslow has a home filled with heart, and two pets who’ve each had medical battles. Her dog Boone faced a frightening diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne illness that left him weak and in constant pain. “Watching him suffer was terrifying,” she says. “But being there through his recovery brought us closer. I saw how much he relied on me, and it changed the way I think about care.” Then there’s Meatloaf, her cat with a chronic condition called Megacolon, which makes even routine bathroom visits difficult and painful. After his diagnosis in 2022, Meatloaf was hospitalized for nearly a month. It was a close call. “He almost didn’t make it,” Alex shares. “But he pulled through. Every day since then, his resilience inspires me. He reminds me how tough our patients are, and how important it is to be patient and compassionate.”
Sarah & Brenna: Love in the Golden Years
At 17 years old, Brenna the dog has seen more than her fair share of sunrises, and for her human, Sarah Alvarado, every one of them is a gift. “Brenna has kidney disease and she’s in her golden years, so life looks a little different now,” Sarah says. That means a specialized diet, accommodations for incontinence, a rug-free home for easier mobility, and carefully managed spaces to keep her safe. Though her hearing and sight have faded, her joy hasn’t—she still loves soaking up the sun and riding in her very own doggy backpack. “The routines can be demanding, but it’s all worth it to give her a good quality of life,” Sarah says. “Caring for her at this stage in her life allows me to understand our senior patients and the tough decisions their families face.”
Abby & Valkyrie: A Fighter from the Start
When Abby Phillips adopted Valkyrie from the shelter last October, she knew the tiny kitten had already been through a lot. Her back leg had been amputated after an unexplained injury, and just one day after coming home, Valkyrie began struggling to breathe. A visit to the vet revealed a life-threatening diaphragmatic hernia that required emergency surgery. “I was so overwhelmed and scared,” Abby recalls. “She was still so new to me, and I already loved her so much.” With the support of the Mount Comfort team, Valkyrie made it through surgery and began to thrive. Today, she’s full of energy, mischief, and resilience. “She’s been such a warrior,” Abby says. “That experience reminded me how quickly we can bond with our pets and how deeply we love them. I carry that perspective with me into every appointment.”
At Mount Comfort, these stories reflect the foundation of how care is delivered. The team knows what it feels like to receive difficult news, to hope for one more good day, and to do everything possible for a pet who means the world to you. That kind of understanding doesn't come from a classroom, but is shaped through love, loss, patience, and the small milestones that come from showing up every single day. It’s this lived experience that makes the care at Mount Comfort not only expert but deeply human.