Eric, Debbie and Perry Maynor, Daisy, Grace and Lawrence
Meet our wonderful clients the Maynor family! We love when they come to see us with their great English Springer Spaniels!
Daisy
From Debbie Maynor -
Congratulations to Gentle Doctor on 50 years of quality care!!
Tell us about your family – humans and pets!
We are the Maynors - Perry, Debbie and Eric. We live with our three senior English Springer Spaniels. Their names are Daisy, Lawrence and Grace. They are 10, 11 and 13.
What do the adults in the family do for a living and for fun?
Perry works in fraud investigations at PayPal and has his own yard business. Debbie is a Product Manager for PSCU, a financial services company. Our adult son Eric is in car sales at Baxter Ford.
Perry and Debbie enjoy ballroom dancing, going out to dinner and spending time with good friends. We like to go to outdoor concerts and local events in the summer. We also enjoy working together in the yard. Our dogs especially love this as they love to be out in the back yard with us!
Debbie and Eric are in our church choir, and Debbie is involved in a Bible study and attends Jazzercise with her daughter-in-law, Jasmine.
Eric likes going to movies and going out to eat. He also is interested in cars and enjoys running.
What do the kids in the family do for fun?
Our dogs have become our kids in many ways since we no longer have children at home.
Grace
Tell us more about the pets you have now and the pets you have had in the past.
Our first family dog was Makenna. We adopted her from the Nebraska Humane Society when she was eight weeks old in 1997. She was a Brittany mix and was very smart and full of energy. Perry was her favorite human, and she was a beautiful, loyal dog. We really did not have a memory without her in it. She died at the age of 13.
When we lost Makenna in 2010, we had such huge holes in our hearts. I found Molly, an English Springer, online at Nebraska Humane Society. We always liked Springers. We got her the next day. She was eleven, and we were looking for a younger dog, but could not resist her. She was adorable, so sweet and gentle…a real treasure. Molly lived to be 14.
After Molly passed away, we realized that as painful as it is to lose a dog, we have a real heart for those that are displaced in their senior years and need a quiet, calm place to live out the remainder of their lives. At the same time, I became a member of English Springer Rescue of America (ESRA).
Through the rescue, I found Daisy who was a Springer released to English Springer Rescue of America as an owner surrender in 2013. She was nine years old, and her owner went into hospice. We adopted her right away. She is beautiful when she runs and loves to snuggle and give kisses.
We felt like Daisy may want another dog to keep her company. :) We found Lawrence through English Springer Rescue of America in late 2013. He was in a “kill” shelter in Minnesota when a nice foster couple rescued him. He sounded like the dog we were looking for. We drove to Eden Valley Minnesota to get him. He was in a car accident five years ago, but seems to be doing well today. He is a handsome dog who always has a smile. At 43 pounds, he thinks he is a lap dog. Everyone seems to love Lawrence.
Grace, our last addition just a couple of months ago, is a dog we began fostering for English Springer Rescue of America a few months ago. Her owner went into a care facility after having had her since she was a puppy. We failed at fostering…we could not let her go!! She is small for a Springer, only 24 pounds. While she is 13 years old, she has the energy of a puppy. She loves to run, go on walks and snuggle as close to you as possible. She has begun giving kisses and seeking belly rubs.
Tell us about when you first met the Gentle Doctor team or a story about the team others may not know.
We started bringing Makenna to Gentle Doctor after a friend recommended them. We had always been pleased. They helped us with Makenna through the remainder of her life and even sent us sympathy cards when we had to euthanize her due to terminal cancer. The staff was very kind, knowledgeable and compassionate.
When we adopted Molly, she had several chronic health issues. On one of the frequent visits, we met Dr. Stokes. She was knowledgeable, patient and calm. She always went above and beyond and worked diligently to find just the right treatments and medications for Molly. With her help, we were able to address her ongoing illnesses so she could enjoy a quality life in her final years. We can’t thank Karen enough! We are big fans of Dr. Stokes and have followed her to the 120th and Blondo location. In addition to the quality service she provides to our dog crew, she is always a pleasure to work with and I always look forward to seeing her.
We also have truly enjoyed taking each of our dogs to Amy for regular grooming. She is attentive and always alerts us to unusual behaviors or physical changes she notices for each. I took Molly to her for grooming almost two years ago, and Molly became very ill while waiting in the kennel. Amy reacted quickly and got her to Dr. Bashara who determined she had a life threatening condition. Amy called me and stayed with Molly until I could arrive to be with her. Molly’s condition was deemed untreatable, and we ultimately had to have her euthanized. However, due to the quick reaction of Amy and the staff, Molly did not suffer in her final hours. I will always be grateful to Amy for her kindness and quick action.
Our Daisy put on weight when she came to us. Perhaps it was too many treats… :)
I became concerned at the increase and contacted the Blondo Street office. Kelly met with Daisy and me. She evaluated Daisy’s diet and created a plan for Daisy based on her daily calorie needs. She told us how much to feed her and how many snacks she could have. Kelly has met with us several times and has always been patient, informative and a pleasure to work with. Thanks to her personal care and direction, Daisy has reached her goal weight! She is able to run easily and enjoy the nice weather. I am meeting with Kelly again to establish Daisy’s maintenance diet. Thank you Kelly!
What have you learned about pets that you did not know as a kid or before you had your own pets?
Each one has its own unique personality and preferences, much like people. I also love to see their “happiness” when reacting to certain things. I did not realize how happy dogs always seem to be to see you. Also, our dogs are the best snugglers ever!
Do you have wisdom about any medical conditions that you could share with someone who is perhaps just starting to walk their pet through a similar situation?
Dogs with long ears can be prone to ear infections. Keep an eye on their ears to see if they seem to be dirty or waxy inside. There are veterinarian prescribed cleaners that you can use to help prevent infection. If that is not enough, there are other ear drop options available that can be given ongoing on a daily basis. Chronic ear infection can lead to pain, issues with balance and permanent hearing loss.
Do you have a favorite breed or type of pet?
Our favorite breed is English Springer Spaniels. We like them because they are very affectionate. They are great family dogs. Springers love to go on walks and are generally good with all people.
Is there a shelter or rescue group that is dear to you that you would like us to help spread the word about
I am a member of English Springer Rescue of America (ESRA). All of our current dogs have come from this group. They are highly organized and passionate about helping the dogs. They have a good, structured network of volunteers across the nation. They have many foster homes and volunteers to help with transportation and training. Visit their website at www.springerrescue.org.
Grace and Lawrence