All the way home from church, Sarah looked out the car window at the changing leaves. She couldn't wait to ride her pony Bobbi down the country lanes under the trees’ golden canopy. Once home, Sarah skipped out the door, her halter in hand, toward the barn.

As she approached the barn, what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks, not sure of what she was seeing. Bobbi, her best friend and companion, was lying on his side, one leg wrapped tightly in the barbed-wire fence. Sarah rushed to Bobbi's head, her chest bursting and eyes welling with tears. Bobbi was still alive, but exhausted from his struggle to free himself from the fence. Sarah ran to the house, broken-hearted and sobbing.

Sarah and her dad, Jeff, raced back to the fence and cut the wire free of Bobbi's leg. Bobbi just lay there, sides heaving and wet. Sarah cradled his head in her lap, and sobbed. In the house, Sarah's mom Brenda was desperately trying to find a veterinarian on a Sunday afternoon. Time and again, she was greeted by answering machines inviting her to call back Monday during regular office hours. Brenda knew that Bobbi couldn't make it that long.

On the verge of tears herself, Brenda finally called the Joliet Animal Hospital. To her surprise and great relief, a real person answered the phone. Brenda rushed to explain her story, words spilling out in an excited jumble. The receptionist helped Brenda to slow down and explain her emergency as well as the condition of Sarah's pony. She promised to contact a veterinarian promptly. Brenda hung up the phone and rushed outside to Jeff and Sarah.

Unknown to Brenda, the person Brenda spoke to was not at the animal hospital at all, but at a telephone answering service. In accordance with the hospital's instructions, the answering service operator that Brenda spoke to contacted Dr. Trindle, the on-call vet, who then rushed to Sarah and Bobbi.

Thirty-five minutes later, Dr. Trindle was treating Bobbi. Soon, the doctor had Bobbi up on his three good feet and his wound tightly bandaged. Sarah wrapped her arms tightly around Bobbi’s neck and buried her face in his mane and cried with relief.

As Dr. Trindle packed his instruments, Brenda explained to the doctor how thankful they all were that he offered emergency services on weekends, and how much Bobbi meant to Sarah. Brenda went on to say that he was the one person who answered their call and that the family would be bringing all of their veterinary business to the Animal Hospital from that day forward.

Learn more about telephone answering services and discover how the might be able to help you.