I walked into my girlfriend’s kitchen and found her and her daughter and her daughter’s friend staring down into a cardboard box where a kitten the size of a tomato — an orphan it turned out — was staring back up at them.

I was never much of a cat man. Aloofness is one of my least favorite traits in people and it runs rampant among cats. But the kitten in the box was too young to be aloof yet and was so tiny and looked so vulnerable that my first instinct was to pick it up and protect it from the big bad world, which is exactly what I did.

This soft ball of fur had been abandon by her mother and was the only survivor from a litter of six. My girlfriend’s dog did not fancy cats. In fact, cats turned Daisy into Mad Max. It would have been over in seconds. Then the whining started. “Come on Michael, just for the weekend…” I caved in. How could I not?

Back at my place, I fed the kitten with an eye dropper and she barely left my lap that first week as I sat working at my computer. Light gray with a touch of white on her little chin, I named her Pepper. And if animals name their keepers, I’m pretty certain my name is Mommy. That was eleven years ago and we’ve been through a lot together.

The bond humans often have with their pets has always fascinated me. Maybe it’s because animals just seem to understand when we’re down and out or frustrated or angry. Nothing can calm me like Pepper so I know of what I speak.

This week on Limelight America we will visit with Dr. Bob Esplin who I have come to know and admire. He started Sylvania Veterinary Hospital thirty-five years ago. We’re going to discuss some things I’ve always been curious about, so if you have a pet of any kind I’m sure you will enjoy the show.

Dr. Bob could have been an orthopedic surgeon. Or a dentist. He probably could have been anything he wanted but he chose to be a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He never had an epiphany or a memorable moment that inspired him in his calling. It just sort of evolved. And a lot of people and animals are very happy things worked out the way they did.

Bob graduated from Ohio State in 1970 and moved on to Wisconsin to study in a veterinary clinic. But a funny thing happened on his way to Colorado where he had planned to open his own practice. He realized there was a real need for his services right in his home town. So, he opened up shop as a one-man operation in Sylvania, Ohio in 1974.

Today SYLVANIA VETERINARY HOSPITAL is one of only 300 animal rehab centers in the country with 24-7-365 overnight care, segregated feline, canine and exotic animal areas, a daycare and learning center, the only canine blood bank in the region and the oldest full service American Animal Hospital Association accredited facility in Northwest Ohio.

The equipment is state-of-the-art. The 16,000 square foot floor plan is ingeniously and thoughtfully designed. The air is healthy and fresh, the floors are heated for extra comfort and there is love everywhere.

Bob Esplin is an entrepreneur who touches many lives on a daily basis, some with two feet but mostly those with four. I would not hesitate placing Pepper in Dr. Bob’s care. For me, that is the supreme vote of confidence.

Pepper just hopped up for her morning tanning session under my desk lamp. She never makes an appointment, nor does she need one.

Listen to Limelight America on Fox Sports Radio 1230 WCWA, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 5-6 pm and online at www.limelightamerica.com.

You can e-mail Michael Drew Shaw at mds@limelightamerica.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Limelight America, Toledo Business Link.
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