11 Nov 2025
Mark Turner BVSc, MRCVS shares the seventh part of this story, in which Matt loses a sick border collie
Mark Turner
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Image: Anna Averianova/ Adobe Stock
Lazenby had burrowed under the thick towel in his basket and was refusing to come out. Ali Stood up and sighed.
“Lazenby, I have one client waiting and this is not helping.” She could see two splinters of light looking at her. Motionless, confused.
“You all right?” Louise asked as she rushed by, a young puppy on her arm.
“Oh, hi, erm…”
“I can give you a hand, just give me two minutes.”
How does she do that? Ali thought. I wish I was more… something. Louise reappeared and smiled – it was like sunlight hitting a windscreen. Ali found herself thinking about the secret, microscopic world of living things, those early lectures on biology. Quite why, she had no idea. Nerve cells firing, chemicals with strange names, energy released. It suddenly struck her how all of it happened so wordlessly, beautifully…
“Now, how can I help?”
“Oh… you’re Lazenby. I mean it’s Lazenby. God, it’s Lazenby. Can you give me a hand?”
“Yes, of course.”
Together, they carefully placed him in a kennel.
“Do you want me to do anything else?” Louise asked as she clipped the admit form to his door.
“Hmm? Oh yeah, can you run a blood profile? I’ve absolutely no idea what’s wrong, but he hasn’t eaten for two days.”
“Yeah, sure. How was the rest of the conference by the way?”
“Yes, really good thanks.” Ali felt the familiar tug between her consulting room and this chance to chat with Louise. She glanced at her watch.
“Go, we can talk later.” Another flash.
Oh wow. Oh crap, she thought.
Matt called his next patient, “Lucky please.”
Mr Scott chased his border collie into the room.
“So, how can I help?”
“Er, it’s slightly embarrassing, we’ve been getting ready for my grandson’s birthday see, and well, Lucky got hold of some of the food. My wife said I should bring him down ‘cos he may have eaten some chocolate… and grapes.”
Matt rubbed his chin.
“Right, I’m afraid we need to make him sick.” He explained the risks.
“Oh, I didn’t realise it could be that serious. Well, do whatever you need to.” Mr Scott suddenly looked pensive, his lined face a little thinner.
“I’m sure everything will be okay,” Matt said as he guided his patient through to the prep area. “But we need to start straight away.”
“Louise, can you hold Lucky for a minute?”
“Oh dear,” Louise said crouching down to stroke his face. “Eyes too big for your stomach?”
At the end of consults Matt poked his head through the door,
“How’s he doing Lou?”
“Yeah, seems okay. He’s brought up lots of food, we’ve taken the blood sample too.”
“Great, thanks. I think I might take him into the yard for a minute.”
Outside, the day was overcast and chilly. Lucky sniffed around the paving slabs, occasionally licking at something on the ground. Matt couldn’t help chuckling wryly to himself – bloody hell.
From nowhere a cat jumped on to the old wall above their heads and started walking nonchalantly past them. Lucky started barking, lungeing at the lazy animal, and then, no, the lead was slipping through Matt’s cold fingers.
“No, come back, Lucky.” he watched helplessly as the dog ran towards the back gate and disappeared through it.
Hearing a commotion, Louise appeared at the window, “Everything okay?”
They looked at one another, Matt’s arm was still outstretched.
“Oh no,” she said.
After phoning Mr Scott, Matt wearily made his way upstairs.
“Margaret, have you got a minute?”
“Yeah sure.” Margaret put down the sandwich she’d been eating, “how can I help?”
“Erm, I’ve really messed up…” Matt ran a nervous hand through his hair and looked away, “a patient, a dog, err, he’s escaped, I mean out of the back gate. He’s gone.”
“Right, I don’t want you to blame yourself, we’ll work together, alright?” She stood up, “What can I do?”
“I don’t know Maggie, I don’t know. I’ve phoned the owner, he’s coming down. He wants to talk about it apparently.”
“Well, that’s understandable. I’d probably want to do the same. Let’s put the word out to the local charities. Perhaps we could phone Linda too? She’s often in the park walking dogs, she might have seen something or knows someone who has.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m sorry, it all happened so quickly.”
“Of course. It’ll be okay. Now, let’s get you a cup of tea and then we’ll talk to Mr Scott when he gets here.”
Five minutes past four, and still no news. Matt rubbed his face.
“You alright, Matt?” Louise asked from the other side of the office.
“Yeah, kind of. You wanna brew? I’m going to make myself one… 10 cups today and counting.”
“Only 10? No thanks. No tea after three, haven’t you heard that one?”
“Sounds like a miserable rule.”
A door slammed in the car park, and Louise looked out through the window. A border collie appeared from the boot of an SUV.
“Lucky?” she asked. “Matt, Matt.”
In reception they found Sharon playing with Lucky. “Good boy. Clever boy.” He looked bright and happy.
“Oh my God, do you know who found him Sharon? Who was that?”
“Oh, I didn’t catch her name, said she was in a rush.”
Louise ran outside.
As the car drove off she read the registration. Something about the letters and numbers…
“A, B, 1, 6, A, I, L… Abigail.” Louise smiled and folded her arms as Matt jogged over.
“Did you get a name?”
“It was Abi.”
She looked towards the trace of smoke hanging in the air.
“Thank you, Abi,” she whispered.
Mark Turner graduated as a vet from the University of Liverpool in 1996 and has a master’s degree from the RVC in patient safety culture. He has interests in quality improvement, team dynamics and workplace well-being.
