Charles Danoff — In Loving Memory
In February 2008, our hospitality director, Charles Danoff, passed away. We now have a symbolic statuette of a black dog wearing a bandana greeting our clients at our clinic entrance. However, it is not quite the same. We would like for Charles’ memory to live on and to continue to be a large part of the clinic, and felt it was important to keep him on our website.
Hospitality Director
Charles is our hospitality director, our therapy dog, and our demonstration model. He is a black Lab mutt that was born with a congenital limb deformity of one forelimb and a developmental deformity on the other. His primary responsibilities include greeting all clients and patients at the door and escorting them to the treatment rooms. He provides moral support to our patients and ensures our new patients that they are in a warm and compassionate environment. Charles has a special fondness for our geriatric patients. He always finds a way to get those old guys and gals to romp and play again like they did as a youngster.
He enjoys observing appointments with patients of all species, and has been known to snuggle up with dogs, cats, bunnies, and guinea pigs. Charles is our demo dog when Dr. Danoff is teaching her clients how to perform various therapies on their pets at home. If you or your companion animal has any questions or concerns, please speak with Charles. He will be happy to assist you.
Charles’ Memorial (sent out via email) Written by Dr. Kim Danoff
Charles: October 9, 1998 to February 13, 2008
The summer of 1999, just after vet school graduation, Charles came into my life. His unique birth deformity immediately drew me to him. It was then, that our love story began. For close to 9 years we have been the perfect team and inseparable. We work together, vacation together, attend veterinary conferences together, and share the same hobbies. He has been our clinic Hospitality Director, our demonstration dog, as well as, one of our clinic healers. I always feared his constant giving of his angelic energy would eventually lead to a shortened life. Unfortunately, I was right. On April 17th, 2007, Charles was diagnosed with thymic lymphoma.
It has been a tough journey for us and our family, but our family has ensured his quality of life was maximized during this entire process. We had the wonderful opportunity of sharing some of the best memories of our life. I ensured that we lived life to the fullest and took advantage of just about every day we had off. We went camping, flatwater canoeing, white water kayaking, white water tubing, had doggie play dates, visited dog friendly B&B's on several occasions, ate at dog friendly restaurants, toured vineyards, swam at the beach, spent time outside on Grandma and Grandpa's gorgeous 4 acre farm, had professional massages, and ate home cooked organic foods. We had the wonderful opportunity to share my 35th birthday and Charles' 9th birthday together. Something I did not think we would be blessed to share.
Well, unfortunately, Charles lost his battle to cancer this past Wednesday. Although his passing is devastating to our family, I was able to provide Charles with the perfect ending to a perfect life. Myself and Charles' Grandpa took him for his final adventure. Tuesday night we treked through the ice storm and drove to our favorite B&B, the Lazy L in Delaware. We spent our final night together viewing the creek, marking trees, and snuggling.
The following morning, I had arranged for Charles to have a 40 minute massage with a licensed massage therapist. This he thoroughly enjoyed, and which completely relaxed him. At this point we were ready to head out. He was dressed in his jogging suit, 2 coats, and his raincoat and was ready to go. Boy did he look handsome. My goal was to euthanize him at the beach, a place where we find peace and closeness to God. It was torrential rain and high winds. We were unsure that we were going to be able to achieve this goal. However, upon arrival at the beach, the rain and high winds immediately stopped. We spent some time together at the beach overlooking the gorgeous ocean. We got cozy in our tent and I explained to him what was going to happen. He seemed to understand. He was sedated and I played (and sung-even with my terrible voice) a John Denver song called Friends (Friends I will remember you...think of you, pray for you...and when the day is through, I'll still be friends with you). He received lots of kisses from both me and Grandpa. He was anesthetized and then euthanized while playing (and singing) John Denver's Sunshine on My Shoulders, a song I have sung to him on many other occasions. A song that to me epitomized Charles and his love for the outdoors and the water. His passing was perfect and exactly what I had hoped for.
He is missed tremendously and life will never be the same. I got great joy out of pampering this amazing being. He was special and quite unique, something that cannot even be explained unless you had the opportunity to experience Charles for yourself. Our life together has been like a fairy tale-simply perfect. Our family is trying hard to find solace in the fact that we were blessed for having him in our life and have made some of our most precious memories because of his existence. Charles, we thank you. May you be free of nausea and free of your painful disability. I will see you again Choo Choo Man! Attached at the hip we will always be...both you and me...always and forever. I love you! Mommy.
For those of you that have met Charles and shared some time with him... he apologizes for not being able to say goodbye in person, but thanks you for the memories. He had the time of his life!
I would like to thank all of you that have helped Charles and I through our journey. Forgive me if I forget anyone... Mom, Bob, Terri, Steve, Joanne, Dad, Kim, Katie, Dr.'s Khanna and Rusk, Dr. Carrie Kosarek, Dr. Heidi Allen, Tessa, staff at the Hope Center and Veterinary Surgical Center, Valerie, Bernie, Kwyn and Tiger, Joanne and Debbie, Donna, Tim, Maria, Bobby, and Sue and for all of you that have offered me moral support and given me the strength to carry on.
I think I owe the biggest thank you to Kelley Ferguson. She was a client of mine in Florida that gave me the opportunity to adopt Charles. Kelley, wherever you are...I know we have not spoken in many years, probably since 2000. I have thought about you often and thanked you many times for this gift you gave me. Again, if you are out there...THANK YOU. Charles was the best gift I have ever in my life received. I could not have had this opportunity without you.