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Every kiss on the nose

by Alyssa Pointer
Immediately after the euthanization of a sick 15-year-old collie, Carrie takes a break in the back room of the clinic. "Lord, I was bawling like a child," she says, recalling her first euthanization while in school. She has learned to block out the emotion that comes with carrying out the task.

It’s 10 minutes to closing on a warm autumn afternoon when a frantic mother and her two daughters rush into the Animal Medical Clinic, carrying their wounded dog.

Dr. Carrie Darnaby and vet technician Katie Price are cleaning and preparing to lock up for the day. However, without hesitation, Carrie puts down her mop and motions the family to the exam room. There she gives Katie a list of procedures and assures the family that Chopper, 13, their dog, will live to see another day.

“The vet life is like no other beast,” says Carrie, whose passion for animals is exhibited with every kiss on the nose that she offers to her four-legged clients.

Carrie, 37, started her veterinarian career by volunteering at a Lawrenceburg clinic and has never thought twice of changing her path.

Pets “are part of the family, too,” she says. My work “is for the animals, but most animals have owners, who I’m affecting directly as well. So I am working with people. I am also solving their problems.”

Days at the clinic can be rewarding as well as heartbreaking.

A simple day can start with a routine teeth cleaning or nail clipping and end with euthanizing a battered stray cat.

“It can get hectic,” Carrie says. However “seeing the client happy, that is satisfaction for me. That’s all I am looking for.”

Bonnie Smith brought Mozzi, 15-month old Australian shepherd to Carrie, after she did research on the staff and discovered their caring nature.

“Other places are like a cattle herd,” she says. “I mean who else will get down and love on him like this?”

Carrie asks her son Jake to hold down Cookie, the family's cat, as she gives it a shot at their house. Even though Carrie is off the clock at 5 p.m., she sometimes takes medicine home to care for her pets.
Carrie relaxes in her backyard while her husband, Steve, and her son Jake perform light yard work. Carrie works part time at the clinic but still finds time to relax at home.
A husky puppy and its owner arrive for an appointment at the Animal Medical Clinic in Frankfort.
Dr. Carrie Darnaby and Vet Technician Brooke Dockery mimic the meow of the clinic cat, Buckey, after he perched himself on the window sill. Buckey often wanders around the neighborhood and invites himself into residents' houses. "He's so obnoxious," Carrie says jokingly.
After greeting her canine client with a kiss, Veterinarian Carrie Barnaby sweet talks the dog before checking on his vitals during a routine visit.
Carrie looks over an X-ray of a 1-year-old kitten that was experiencing a lack of appetite. The clinic at times is crowded with animals and she often worries that she is not giving each animal enough attention. "Knowing it's better and seeing the client happy, that is satisfaction for me. That’s all I am looking for," she says.
A neglected stray cat was brought into the clinic and pampered shortly before Carrie determined that it was too sick to keep alive. The veterinarian and her staff often help clients whose owners are unable to afford the needed procedures.
Veterinarian Technician Katie Price (right) comforts a dozing Chihuahu, while Carrie prepares to inject the dog with anesthesia before cleaning its teeth.