23/04/2025
Have you ever felt your heart break just from loving your animals so deeply?
Last weekend, I was winding down in our semi-renovated campervan – which Matt and I are building for our dream road trip around Australia with our doberman, Disco.
While Disco was curled up beside me sleeping, I gently laid my head on his broad chest and listened to the calming rhythm of his heart beating.
Each beat was a reminder of how precious and finite life is. As this emotional thought flooded my whole body, tears began falling down my cheeks. I thought of all the precious memories we already share, and the ones still to come.
I whispered to him "Thank you so much, Disco. You’re such a good boy – I love you so so much”.
My heart bursting with a bitter-sweet mix of gratitude and the inevitable heartache of one day knowing I will have to say goodbye to him.
I suspect you might be like me…
Our animals aren’t just pets. They’re family members we share our homes, adventures and our deepest emotions with in ways that transcend words.
As a veterinarian, I understand the painful paradox of loving animals – we love them with all our hearts while knowing our time together is all too short.
One day, that precious heart I was listening to would beat its last, and the life we share today will become a memory of the past.
This inevitable chapter of loving an animal hurts – and yet, it's also why it's so profoundly worth it.
I thought back to all the horses who have carried pieces of my heart with them – Muffin, Picardy, Ella, Hilton, Flossie, and Ruby.
Each one taught me something different about love, connection and dedication.
Each one helped make me the veterinarian I am today.
They continue to inspire my career – providing veterinary care to horses in my local community and sharing education with horse owners worldwide.
Every bit of knowledge I can pass on means another animal can receive better care, live more comfortably, and experience greater quality of life.
My deepest mission is to help as many horses as possible live lives of happiness and vitality – in thanks for the immeasurable love they share with us throughout their lifetimes.
I believe the heartbreak we feel when saying goodbye is a reflection of the love shared. And despite how challenging this element of animal ownership is, I wouldn't trade a single moment of loving Disco, or any of the animals who I have shared my life with.
From my heart to yours,
Dr Lizzie ❤️
