“I was sure we could fix him …”

When veterinarian Oliver Reeve first met Toby, a 7-week-old poodle-mix puppy, he saw something unique that no one noticed. Toby arrived at Onewa Road Veterinary Hospital suffering from a painful congenital condition called entropion of his lower eyelids, which his initial family viewed as potentially life-ending — but Dr. Reeve felt he had a fighting chance.

“This is a condition where his eyelids are rolled in so that his eyelashes and fur are rubbing on the front of his eyes (cornea).” Dr. Reeve told The Dodo. “Even though he was so uncomfortable, he was still so friendly and confident. He just radiated a joyful vibe. I was sure we could fix him and give him a really good life.”

Sadly, Toby’s original family couldn’t afford the treatment, but Dr. Reeve refused to give up on the little puppy so quickly. When the family relinquished Toby to the clinic, Dr. Reeve immediately stepped in to adopt him. Then, he started working on a treatment plan.

“The fix is a surgery on the eyelids to roll them out. It’s not particularly difficult, but in very young puppies, we often do a temporary fix until they mature and the their face develops before we do the permanent solution,” Dr. Reeve said.

Dr. Reeve swiftly operated on Toby and soon realized that the second surgery likely wouldn’t be needed.

“He was comfortable pretty much immediately after that,” Dr. Reeve said. “The healing went really well, so well, in fact, that he hasn’t ended up needing the second surgery I had planned.”

Toby recovered well from his first surgery thanks to Dr. Reeve and his wife’s care. Sadly, the sweet pup endured more illnesses that were difficult to diagnose in the following weeks, but Dr. Reeve remained steadfast in his mission to heal Toby.

“[It was] a pretty good learning experience for a vet to be on the receiving end of an animal’s illness,” Dr. Reeve said. “It helps you really understand what your clients are going through.”

Thankfully, Dr. Reeve’s attempts were successful, and Toby eventually recovered from all his ailments. Finally, the fluffy boy began to grow — and his puppy-like personality blossomed, too. He started spending each day with his dad at the vet clinic and enjoyed trips to the park after their shift ended.

“His absolute [favorite] thing in the whole world is playing with other dogs. Any dog, big, small, old or young, he just loves to chase or be chased,” Dr. Reeve said. “His second [favorite] thing is nibbling my earlobes. I’m not sure why.”

At the clinic, Toby became a revered employee, who brought joy and levity to the clinic’s staff and patients.

“Toby is now a vet’s dog, which means he comes to the clinic each day with me,” Dr. Reeve said. “He is adored at work, and the clinic staff are part of his extended family.”

It’s been half a year since Toby first arrived at the clinic, tiny and struggling to survive. Now, he is a rambunctious, curly-haired pup, ecstatic to be alive. And his adoring family couldn’t be happier to have him.

“The thing I love about Toby is that he is such a joyful and carefree being. He will stand outside in our yard with his nose held in the air and his eyes closed, enjoying the wind in his face,” Dr. Reeve said. “He’s so happy, and it’s infectious. It’s wonderful just to be around him. I’m not religious, but he does seem like a little angel in dog form sometimes.”