Dear Dr. Baum,
I received a letter from the Animal Health Foundation yesterday saying that you and the staff of Center Sinai Animal Hospital have made a generous donation to AHF in memory of Palomino. Marty and I were moved beyond words, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You and the staff took care of Palomino from the beginning, when we boarded him with you for 3 weeks, while we were in the process of moving (we found him right before we were about to move to a house with a beautiful back garden/koi pond).
He was a homeless dog who somehow managed to find his way into the courtyard of Park La Brea, where we used to live. My neighbor Elfrieda (Ellie) and I took him to the L.A. Pet Clinic on Melrose Ave. and he was checked out by Dr. Gaetan Reina. The staff there recommended Center Sinai for boarding. Marty and I came and took him for walks every day, and on one of those days, we met Julia Pennington, actress and animal rescuer, who recommended that we take Palomino to be evaluated by Brandon Fouche, a “dog whisperer” who specializes in working with aggressive dogs, since we didn’t know Palomino’s background. He wasn’t aggressive, and only responded with aggression if somebody was aggressive with him (or if he was in great pain). He was sweet and goofy and loving.
I know that a lot of veterinarians don’t treat homeless strays, and I really appreciate the care and attention that you and your staff have given him over the years.
I am going to be creating a book about him, since I have taken endless photos of him. He was also my muse, and I also have drawings and paintings of him. In fact, he was unknowingly an arts donor. Two people bought my drawings of him that I donated to the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s annual Benefit Auction.
Do you think I can have copies of his x-rays emailed to me, so I can incorporate them into my story? I’ll call the office.
Thank you again, and the memorial will really help our healing process.
With Much Appreciation, and sending you Many Blessings,
May and Marty
Los Angeles, CA