This blog has always focused on Chinese cooking, but now I want to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of our beloved cat Henley. If you’ve followed me on Facebook or Instagram over the years, you’ve seen many beautiful and funny photos of Henley, and read a bit about his antics. This handsome boy so full of joy kept us smiling every day. He was only 15 years old, and since we gave him the best of care, and of course lavished boundless affection on him, we thought we would have many more years with him. But on October 9th, after noticing some unusual symptoms, I brought Henley to see Dr. Jennifer Berg at Tribeca Veterinary Wellness. I thought he had a simple skin ailment, but when Dr. Berg examined him to our shock she found a lump in his abdomen. Nine days later we lost our darling Henley to cancer. He enriched our lives beyond imagination with his charm, playfulness, and gentle soul.
I want to thank Dr. Jennifer Berg and her staff at Tribeca Veterinary Wellness for being there for us. Fourteen years ago Dr. Berg was our vet in Soho before joining a practice on the Upper West Side, and we have been patiently waiting for her to come back to our neighborhood and open her own animal hospital. She signed a lease on a building on West Street (overlooking the Hudson River Park boardwalk) in August of 2012—just two months before Superstorm Sandy struck. The storm devastated the building flooding the basement and destroying many of its base building systems. By the time the waters receded, the building had been yellow-tagged and it became apparent that it would be years before Dr. Berg’s construction could even begin. Dr. Berg hung on “with her little paws” to make it happen, and she’s finally seen her dreams come to fruition. Thankfully, Dr. Berg’s Tribeca Veterinary Wellness just had its official open house this month—on the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.
I can attest to the fact that the hospital is not just a state-of-the-art medical facility, but a calming and restorative environment where animal owners and their pets feel well attended and well cared for. What a blessing it was for us that Dr. Berg was close by when we needed her help with Henley. I knew she was a great vet, but I never imagined what an impact she would have on our lives. Her practice’s motto, “We hold your paws in our hands,” sums up her caring philosophy. She is an old-fashioned vet in a high quality, full service veterinary hospital. I wish my own doctors were as compassionate and caring as Dr. Berg. She gave wise counsel on how to provide Henley the best palliative care, and throughout his brief illness she reached out to us many times to give us the support we needed. Henley died at her hospital, in a room flooded with sunlight and filled with love. Dr Jennifer Berg is a Godsend for New Yorkers with pets. We will always be grateful to her.
