Spirit’s Legacy

In 1997, a furry bundle of puppy love forever changed my life for the better.

I found him at a Ford dealership while working for Ford Motor Company, decided to name him Spirit, and promptly took him home with me.

Spirit had a lot of medical challenges, and while caring for him, I realized that I wanted to be a veterinarian so I could do for others what his incredible doctors were doing for him. I quit my job at Ford, started at Family Pet Animal Hospital, returned to school, and in 2004, I graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Spirit was the love of my life and the inspiration for Compassionate Care Animal Hospital to create Spirit’s Legacy Fund, a 501(c)(3) fund intended to help families who cannot treat their animal’s medical conditions for financial reasons. Through generous donations and compassionate hearts, we carry on Spirit’s legacy by changing lives for the better.

Shortly after finding Spirit, a young kitten was found crying in a bush in a Chicago, IL park. In need of a home and too cute to resist, we scooped him up, named him Juris, and introduced him to a young, spunky Spirit. Juris was immediately adopted by Spirit as his own.

They would play and Spirit would gently pick up Juris and walk around with him in his mouth! These two became inseparable friends that would sleep together, play, cuddle, and groom…proof that cats and dogs are able to share love not only for their humans, but with one another as well.