Stillwater poet Ann Bushnell offered a commissioned poem this winter as a fundraiser for her church, and we signed up. She made several visits to the clinic, visited with Dr. Baillie, and here are the results. We enjoyed it, and hope you do, too. (We like reading it out loud!)
CEDAR PET CLINIC LAKE ELMO
Doctors Baillie, Ulfeng, Plantz
are here to offer a fighting chance
for those with feathers, fur or hide.
Sick or hurt, they're brought inside
so their lives can be enhanced.
The entire staff helps everyone,
owners, patients, all who come.
Poetry for Cedar Pet Clinic Lake Elmo by Stillwater poet, Ann Bushnell
Photo credit: © Amid - Fotolia.com
On the counter sits big Kitty Moe
who watches the ever-changing show
and he may let you pet him some.
They'll treat a parrot or your pet rat,
a beagle, a basset, a calico cat,
lizards, chickens, chinchillas, too.
I bet they'd take a kangaroo
if it should come to that.
Clinic's in Lake Elmo, a country town,
but people come from miles around,
bring Buddy and Max, Bailey and Beulah,
Fifi and Daisy, Amelia, Tallulah,
some striped or spotted, brindled or brown.
It's not just patients that come through
to visit the Clinic, it's Girl Scouts, too,
and each first grade class across the street
is shown around. They think it's neat, and
draw animal pictures to say, 'thank you.'
Doctors and staff have been together
for so many years, they have the measure
of each other. They know their need is
for owners and patients to succeed;
these efforts give them pleasure.
Essential to the clinic is Peg, Doc's wife,
who designs the website,, cheers his life,
reads telephone holds, writes the blog,
appreciates every cat and dog,
and knows they are treated right.
This clinic has been Doc Baillie's dream
for forty years and now it seems
at last it has been realized.
Lake Elmo knows it has a prize --
The Cedar Pet Clinic and its team.
