Have you ever seen an Elvis Impersonator? I have, but never in my town. In fact, it never crossed my mind to think of an impersonator even being in town, let alone would I come across one while at the vet clinic where I work. I figured they were most common in Las Vegas, and in big, tourist attraction areas. That people in this kind of work were at least in big cities, bigger that is than 51,000 people made up of high numbers of retirees and college students. I guess you learn something new every day, even in unexpected ways.
Saturday was a pretty slow day at the clinic as far as business is concerned, but very high in the entertainment value- probably one of the most entertaining days I have had while at work!
About lunch time, or shortly thereafter, an older couple walks in with their dog. They put the dog, who is very well behaved, on the scale and then mention that they are here to pick up flea medications. This is a very, very normal conversation as far as client education goes, but the interesting part is that the man has died black hair that is oozing styling products. He also sounds like Elvis. Now I am too young to have actually seen or heard Elvis live, but this guy could have been pulled out of any Hollywood portrayal of Elvis I have ever seen! It was then that I realized he is wearing a big, bling-y ring, and white leather, or faux leather pants. He is wearing aviator sunglasses. He never tells me the dog's name, but refers to him as "Mister". "Mister" also sounded more like "Missoo" the way he said it.
"Mister" was a black dog, an Irish Setter cross, and certainly had a trick or two up his sleeve! He counts, and his barks of 1-3 actually sound kind of like the numbers. When his owner holds both his front feet in his hand, he will tell the dog "now bow in prayer" and the dog sticks his head between his legs. "Mister" plays dead both to a hand gesture and the command "BANG!". Dog bows, shakes, dances, fetches all sorts of items, and is apparently trained to get cans of beer out of the refrigerator at home.
As the couple leaves, the man, whose name I do not know, says "thank you, thank you very much - we'll be here all week" and then tells me how his dog is part of his comedy Elvis act, and that neither of them are in full costume because the lighting at their house is not good for stage make-up. They stopped by on their way to a local gig.
What a day! These people only come to my clinic to get over-the-counter flea products and to monitor their dog's weight. They are not established clients with us, but I had a wonderful time getting to know them, and their dog! I honestly hope that I am working the reception counter the next time they need anything, because it was truly entertaining.
************************
Written by Lindsey of CardstockEquine, an online studio full of handmade greeting cards featuring horses, as well as other interesting and whimsical designs. Lindsey's motto is "For the love of everything horse, for the joy of crafting." She is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild and works in a vet clinic where her love of animals can be expressed in so many ways, in addition to her many volunteer activities to help abused and neglected animals. Be sure to check out her ArtFire studio!
