A Veterinarian’s Soothing Compassion in “The Passing”

The New Yorker

The documentary short by Patrick Bresnan and Ivete Lucas follows Michael Mullen on his rounds attending to pets and their owners.

Transcript

00:00We're walking on a holy grail.

00:28For the Lord is with us wherever we may be.

00:35We're walking on a holy grail.

00:44We're walking on a holy grail.

00:57This is how the grail is hung.

01:11This is how the grail is hung.

01:27This is how the grail is hung.

01:46Bless us, O Lord.

01:48You saved my back.

01:49Cross our hearts.

01:50Amen.

02:04Hey, Dr. Michael.

02:06It's Cindy, Cross Street.

02:08I talked about Fiona, and I know you know, and I finally know that it's time.

02:22So I don't need to talk.

02:26Thanks, Cindy.

02:27You know my number.

02:28And I'll talk to you soon.

02:31Okay.

02:32Thanks.

02:33Bye.

02:35Monday, 8.48 p.m.

02:56Oh, yeah.

02:5711 pounds, that's wonderful.

03:00Yay.

03:0111?

03:02Mm-hmm.

03:03Hold him for a second.

03:05What would be a normal weight?

03:0811.

03:0911?

03:10Why is that?

03:12Anyway, if he weren't...

03:17Oh, I'm sorry, Tony.

03:20Yeah, that's got to cause issues, too.

03:26I'm sorry.

03:28I'm sorry.

03:33There.

03:34There we go.

03:35I'm sorry.

03:39Better?

03:40All better?

03:54Let me listen to your asthmatic lungs.

03:58Yeah, I'd say that's two or three times a day, maybe more.

04:06You're okay.

04:07You're okay.

04:08You're okay.

04:13That's a radio shot, and it's good for three years.

04:15Okay.

04:16So, unfortunately, this may be the last vaccines he ever gets.

04:20I know.

04:21I don't mean to be negative.

04:23Some cats live to be 20.

04:24That's right.

04:25This might be what?

04:26These vaccines last for three years, and this might be the last vaccines he ever gets.

04:30Oh, yeah.

04:33Tony's doing okay for his age and for his condition.

04:37Well, that's good to hear.

04:57Here you go.

05:00Hey, baby girl.

05:01Hey, sweet girl.

05:03Hey, sweet girl.

05:05Hey, sweet girl.

05:07You're okay.

05:09It's okay.

05:17Hey, sweet girl.

05:26Dammit!

05:56Gordy, you're a good dog.

06:09Oh, such a good dog.

06:13Yeah, yeah, yeah.

06:14I know.

06:15There you go.

06:17Thank you, Gordy.

06:18Oh, what a good dog.

06:19She's such a good dog.

06:20He is a good dog.

06:21He is so lucked out with her.

06:22She is a good dog.

06:23She's worth all this hair.

06:24There, there.

06:25I'm done.

06:26Can you breathe that way? No, that's alcohol.

06:28You leave that to your vet.

06:30Good dog. Good dog.

06:32I do apologize.

06:34Yes.

06:35He doesn't really do this for sport.

06:38I don't do it for sport.

06:39Perfectly trustworthy.

06:43I am so much better at doing this

06:45when I got reading glasses.

06:47God.

07:49So, each once a day or twice a day?

07:51Twice.

07:52Yeah, I think that's a good thing.

07:54About one cup each time or a little less.

07:58Perhaps it could be a little bit more or less.

08:01A little bit less.

08:03Just not by much.

08:04I quite agree.

08:06She certainly gets plenty of exercise.

08:07Yes, she does.

08:08But yes, she's blossomed out.

08:12Not quite coffee table effect.

08:14No, no, but...

08:18You sound good, Sandy.

08:20You're an athlete too.

08:26Good girl.

08:28She's a leg girl.

08:30Oh, there you go.

08:32That's our Fiona.

08:35Put your...

08:37We're putting you sternal as we say at the clinic.

08:40You and all the pugs.

08:42Sternal.

08:43Sternal means to head up.

08:45I'm always having to do that.

08:47Yes.

08:48Recumbency is flat on your back.

08:51My sister, not my daughter-in-law.

08:54All right, we need to begin to get her to the door.

08:57All right.

08:58Let me see if I can get myself up.

09:00Hello.

09:14Three shy, demure ladies.

09:31Oh, there we go.

09:35There we go.

09:37There we go.

09:39There we go.

09:41There we go.

09:42There we go.

09:43There we go.

09:44You got it, baby.

09:46You're good.

09:47You're good.

09:48You're good.

09:49You're good.

09:50You're good.

09:51You're good.

09:52You're good.

09:53You're good.

09:54You're good.

09:55You're good.

09:56You're good.

09:57You're good.

09:58You're good.

10:00You're good.

10:13What's next, Mr. Martin?

10:18I'm going to give her a shot.

10:20Yeah.

10:21It's kind of between the shoulder blades.

10:24It's a Valium type drug.

10:26It's your bread and...

10:27She should be on what we're going to put her to here.

10:30Definitely not.

10:32Let's wait till she's knocked out.

10:34Damn you, baby.

10:36I know.

10:37I know.

10:38I know.

10:39I know.

10:40I know.

10:41I know.

10:42All right.

10:43I know.

10:44I know.

10:45I know.

10:46I know.

10:47I know.

10:48I know.

10:49I know.

10:50I know.

10:51I know.

10:52I know.

10:53I know.

10:54I know.

10:55I know.

10:56Hey there, sweetheart.

11:03It's going to take four, five, six, seven minutes before she's knocked out, but it'll

11:20be obvious she's knocked out before we proceed.

11:23But you'll let us know.

11:31What a good dog.

11:33What a very good dog.

12:00Does she feel it when the shot goes in?

12:07Does she feel it when the next one goes in?

12:10So I'm going to put a tourniquet around her leg.

12:29She obviously won't know it.

12:33See if I can find her vein.

12:37If I do find a vein, I'll tell you I'm injecting.

12:42And it will be very shortly after that that she's no longer with us in the way we know her.

13:05She does not have good blood pressure, which just means she has an old heart, too.

13:27Pretty much how Katie did with Dorothy.

13:37Oh, what a good dog.

13:38Give me her vein.

13:41Right off.

13:44I'll be injecting now.

15:23She's gone.

15:35My baby girl.

15:37You're a baby girl.

15:53I don't know what to do.

15:55I don't know what to do.

15:57I don't know what to do.

15:59I don't know what to do.

16:01I don't know what to do.

16:03I don't know what to do.

16:05I don't know what to do.

16:07I don't know what to do.

16:09I don't know what to do.

16:11I don't know what to do.

16:13I don't know what to do.

16:15I don't know what to do.

16:17I don't know what to do.

16:19I don't know what to do.

16:21I don't know what to do.

16:41I made it.

16:43There.

16:44I see you on the other side.

16:48I see you on the other side.

16:55Beautiful phelona.

16:59Beautiful phelona.

17:03Beautiful phelona.

17:07I love you so, you know it's true, I can't imagine my life without you, you're the one

17:26for me.

17:37I love you so, you know it's true, I can't imagine my life without you, you're the one

17:47for me.

17:48I love you so, you know it's true, I can't imagine my life without you, you're the one

17:57for me.

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