08/15/2026
Today marks my 41st year at Cozycroft Pet Hospital, and it is the first year I won’t be celebrating this milestone with Haerth, also known to so many as Steve, Dr. Steve, Dr. Haerther, Dad, and Grandpa. It feels appropriate that today I finally speak about the tragic loss of my boss, my friend, and someone I considered family.
Going through life without him is going to be a challenge, and the grief that I, and so many of us, feel can be overwhelming at times. I miss him telling me about the weather every day. I miss his daily stories about his sons, his grandchildren, and his wife. I miss his laugh, his voice, and his crazy sense of humor. I even miss arguing with him, because no matter how much we disagreed, I always knew he loved me, and he knew I loved him too.
We have been through a lifetime together. We didn’t have very much in common. I love Disney, he’s defiantly not a fan, he loved baseball and I don’t particularly like the sport. One thing we had in common was our love for our patients at Cozy. It was his favorite place to be, and he loved his clients, you were his friends and he wanted you to feel comfortable with whatever stage of life your pet was in. What you saw and experienced in an exam room with him was the way he was always, genuine, honest, kind, silly and loyal. The people that walked through our doors over many years are our family. We have shared the happiness of your new pet to the sadness of losing your sweet furbaby. Please see rest in comments ….
