Oscar the Clinic Cat
An old school friend from India was living in Edmonton, so I came and stayed with him for a couple of days. It seemed like a good place. There was so much less traffic than Birmingham, England, and a lot more space. Within a month, I'd moved here with my wife and 2 boys.
While I was waiting to do my veterinary exam, I worked in a Mac's store at night and I drove cab part-time. I studied whenever I got the chance, and volunteered at animal clinics to keep my knowledge updated and see how it works here. It was exhausting, but my break came when a vet from Fort McMurray asked me to work for him. I did that for 6 months, and got an exam date. The minute I heard I'd passed, I began planning my own clinic in Edmonton. I started it from scratch in 2000, and I've never looked back. This city provides me everything I need for my life.
When we just opened the animal clinic, this girl brought in a kitten with a broken hip. She didn't have any means to support the kitten, so she signed the euthanasia form and released control of the animal to me. I didn't have much experience with orthopedic surgery yet, but I wanted to try to save the cat, and I did. Now Oscar jumps around and you can’t even tell he’s had major surgery. He's a great cat.
And Oscar owns this clinic. He opens his kennel from inside with his paw. He opens up the other cat kennels too, so we lock them all at night. In the evening I clap and go, "Oscar, bedtime.” And he just goes right into his kennel. A lot of people come to see him. Clients always ask, "Where’s Oscar?" If a purse is open, he’ll get in. And he gets very cozy with coats and climbs right inside them. He's a very nice guy.
Where Next?
Jag Tuli
Dr. Jag Tuli moved from India to England to complete a PhD in Animal Welfare. Jag then decided to move to Edmonton and opened up the Heritage Animal Clinic. About seeing Edmonton for the first time he says, "I thought immediately that I wanted to stay here."
