Why the name Maggie-Roo?
Our pets have a way of completing our lives by allowing us to see the lighter side of things and reeling us back into reality. They allow us to air our problems without judgment by lending an ear. Other times they display just the right silly gesture to make you laugh on a bad day. Maggie, a beagle mix, and Lee Roy (or Roo, as our family lovingly called him), a Border Collie, were just those dogs to my husband and me. Both were rescues, but in reality, they rescued us. Maggie was a native of East Tennessee. She adopted us when we were “just visiting” the Knox County Humane Society. Lee Roy was adopted after being abandoned at this facility when it was known as Lewisburg Animal Clinic. Maggie and Lee Roy were instrumental in helping to lay the foundation of both Lewisburg Animal Hospital and Maggie-Roo Pet Retreat and Grooming Salon. They kept me grounded by nurturing the human-animal bond and served as my first “patients” while I attended veterinary school. When I felt buried in what seemed like endless material in school, these two faithful companions reminded me why I was there and gave me a reason to persevere. Maggie and Lee Roy, you were great dogs. Maggie, I wish I could once more watch you smell the air while riding in my truck, and Lee Roy, I miss your beautiful goofy smile. I am grateful to have been your person, and I honor you for the wonderful companionship you provided to all of us who knew and loved you.
