Shirey Sickle

I met Shirey Sickle when I was at the Marathon Veterinary Hospital.  She was sitting on a couch with a dog who had just had blood transfusions, talking to him and combing his hair into a funny little spike on top.  This was a regular client of theirs and she knew him well.  The way she acted I thought it was her dog.... and the dog seemed to think so too!

My dog Pongo had been hit by a car, and we were waiting for news of his injuries.  She noticed my 9yr old son crying over his dog, and she welled up with tears.  On our way out that night, she said she would look after our pet. I heard she slept by him on a blanket on the floor that night to keep him company. We were afraid he would not have the will to live if he thought he were run over then abandoned. 

Every day that I went to see my dog, Shirey was nursing the other animals back to health and paying the same attention to them all.  When I came into the area my dog was, he wagged his tail, but when Shirey came in, he tried to get up to see her. He had found a friend, someone he trusted. He did not act this way with everyone. I knew she special.

I asked her how long she had worked there. She said she had been working with animals for the last 15 years.  She said they meant everything to her, and she called them her babies.  With tears in her eyes, she explained how important it was to her that they felt loved.  She said she had so prayed our dog would make it, for us and especially for my son.  She couldn't fight back the tears.

It hurts her so much to see injured pets.   I'm sure it is hard for someone with such a big heart to see animals that are hurt, in pain or sick.  It would be much easier for her to work with animals that are healthy, breeding them, etc.  But she chooses to do this, because she knows the hurt and scared animals need her most.

She has an excellent place to work. The staff at Marathon Veterinary Hospital is the finest I've seen, but it would not be the same without Shirey.  She is my hero, and I want to nominate her for heroes for animals, and I am sure they do too!!

Sandra Downs

Contact Us

Marathon Veterinary Hospital

11187 Overseas Highway
Marathon,  FL  33050

(305) 743-7099
1-800-832-7694
FAX (305) 743-4057

E-Mail:  [email protected]