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Connecticut Veterinary Hospital Honored By Grateful Pet Owners

STAMFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Connecticut veterinary hospital was honored by the owners of its patients Saturday, for rare medical treatment that helped save lives.

More than 50 pets and their owners from Connecticut and New York gathered Saturday afternoon at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists in Stamford. The facility is university-affiliated satellite specialty and emergency veterinary hospital providing 24-hour care and advanced treatment once reserved for humans.

"We don't see animals for vaccines, et cetera, but we do see them for complicated orthopedic procedures; arthroscopy; intensive care; complex surgeries; pacemaker implementations – those sorts of advanced procedures," said Dr. Susan Hackner of the hospital. "You know, we're the solution. We're not the final solution. We see animals also very early in the course of their disease. But we're often the solution when people are looking for answers."

Those who were expected to come to the hospital included Teddy, a poodle who needed skin reattached after a car accident in which he lost at least two thirds of his blood; Henry, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel who suffered severe pelvic fractures and body wall ruptures after being hit by two cars; and Mr. Blue, who returned to working as a therapy dog after corrective surgery for torn ligaments.

Scotty, a Corgi who had a cardiac pacemaker implanted; and a Labrador retriever named Bo who survived chemotherapy to cure his cancer.

Also set to attend were Madeline, a Coton de Tuelar dog who was treated for non-Hodgkins lymphoma and has been cancer-free for over a year, and Fluff a Burmese cat who has been treated successfully for congenital hypothyroidism.

"These are patients that have beaten the odds – you know, survived against usual circumstances. And we're having a reunion between these dogs and cats and their families, who have worked so hard to get them through, and their doctors and nurses at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists who take care of them," Hackner told WCBS 880. "It's a celebration, essentially, and frankly, we just want to see them again."

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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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