One of the many rewards of being a decent-enough writer is this: when I meet a service provider I like, I can express my appreciation by writing the kind of Google review that can sway others to become paying customers as well, for I have an instinct for finding small moments that can capture what makes a place special.

Here is the review I recently wrote for my rabbit’s vet. Can you identify the most telling detail that is designed to give other pet parents a compelling reason to consult him?

Eagle Ridge Animal & Bird Hospital is an hour-long Uber drive away from my apartment.

When I bring my rabbit over for a simple checkup, my round trip Uber fare is often higher than my vet bill.

These two facts prove two things: (1) Eagle Ridge’s prices are reasonable, and (2) As a senior rabbit owner who has also taken him to all the reputable exotic pet clinics closer to home, I think highly enough of Eagle Ridge – particularly of Dr Iain Hardin – to make the long commute.

The surgical fees I’m charged are especially reasonable for what I get in return. Phone calls from Dr Hardin right after surgery giving me an honest appraisal of my rabbit’s condition (when necessary, the call is made in the middle of surgery, to explain and get my approval on a particular course of treatment); timely responses to all my email queries; promptness in liaising with Burrard Animal Hospital when my rabbit had to stay in their ICU; and, most importantly, treatments that are indeed giving him a good quality of life in his winter years. Since Dr. Hardin extracted two wiggling molars, my rabbit has been frolicking throughout my entire living room instead of just the small area he previously kept to. It was as if the removal of pain triggered an expansion of his horizons.

Once, I showed Dr Hardin photos of my rabbit playing at home. I wanted to consult him on whether I should make adjustments to his living space; the current setup, packed with mazes and elevated “castles” for him to climb and jump between, was designed when he was young and a bundle of energy. Dr Hardin let out a soft gasp as he surveyed the photos, moved by the spectacle of a creature under his care living life to the fullest. I felt I could trust him more after this unscripted moment. He is in a profession that leaves its members prone to burnout and compassion fatigue, yet he has kept alive what drew him to his work in the first place.

Michelle Ng

英國牛津大學畢業，前《蘋果日報》和《眾新聞》專欄作家，現在身在楓葉國，心繫中國大陸和香港。

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