Lanzarote vet Jane Burke makes a couple of New Year’s
resolutions, and pays tribute to a dear friend.
I
’d like to apologize to those who are
disappointed by the often nominal
veterinary input in these articles. The
truth is, each animal fetches in an owner
with them and their stories are as much a
part of a vet’s life as their pet’s veterinary
requirements. My eccentric, outspoken attitudes
do not please everyone but they do tend to limit
my clientele to the real and genuine animal lovers.
Among those, Mike Heaney was one of the very
best. I believe he left us all better for having
known him and the poorer for his departing.
I was thinking about New Year's resolutions as
I walked my dogs this evening, despite the
distractions of muddy puddles and sprouting
Mike Heaney, pictured here with
wife Jules, sadly passed away
on the 26th November last year.
A tireless worker for animal
charities on the island, he will
be much missed.
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| January 2015 | The Gazette
green foliage.
We have dashed out between the downpours
six times. Five times we were as far from home
as possible before torrential rain soaked us to the
skin. Bad timing? Maybe. But I thought I heard
the echoes of Mike’s laughter accompanying us
as we squelched home, his mischievous humour
hammering a gleeful goodbye, loud and loving as
in life, where he filled the lives around him with
laughter and love.
The sixth time we made it back to the ga rden
bone dry and I punched a fist playfully upwards in
victory. Big mistake! We were absolutely
drenched before we reached the front door, my
dogs glaring and grumbling at me, clearly