When your pet is really sick and needs a veterinary hospital, what better place to take them than a hospital designed with a personal touch toward the pets and their owners. I read about one such place recently and hope that more will follow.

Durham, NC is home to the Bahama Road Veterinary Hospital, opened by Dr. John Bianco after twenty-five years in private practice as a country vet. Maybe it's the "country" experience that moved him to develop this kind of care. The hospital is set on six acres so there's lots of room to walk your dog before they go in for treatment. There's also plenty of room for their humans to sit, walk, picnic or whatever while their furry family member is receiving care.

The hospital itself only has five exam rooms but each are distinctive. Pet beds are available and cats look out big windows from their cat carriers to see bird feeders with birds all around. The doctor himself has a nice view of the countryside from his surgery room. The dog crates all have removable grated bottoms so they can be kept clean easily. He also makes sure the dogs and cats are always separated so there's no added tension.

One of the more distinctive rooms is in the back of the hospital where beloved pets are put down. The floor there has area rugs on it and there are benches available for the families to sit on. Prayers are up on the walls and the lights can even be dimmed. Such thoughtfulness built in.

Alas, I don't know of any such veterinary hospital where I live. Maybe there are more with this type of sensitivity, but wouldn't it be great if they were all like this.