Pets of VUMC

March 1, 2024

Pets of VUMC Collection #7: Great outdoors, part 2

Pets that are outstanding in the field of standing out in a field. Also in trees, yards, in pools, on beaches and by lakes.

Whitney Hill, Information Technology. “Cashew Montgomery aka ‘Cash Money.’ We found Cashew via the Maury County Animal Shelter’s website in the summer of 2022.  He’s a goofball! So much that the shelter named him Cashew because he is such a nut! He spent the better part of his 4 year life either roaming the streets of Nashville and/or in some sort of shelter. We first saw him online and the next day we met him at an event. He came home with us that night. He is big dog weighing about 85 lbs., although he thinks he only weighs 5! We are pretty sure he’s a mix between an Australian cattle dog (heeler) and a Staffordshire bull terrier. He gives the BEST hugs!”

This is the seventh installment of photographs submitted by VUMC employees to the VUMC Voice Pet Photo Contest. Hundreds of pictures were submitted for the contest, and while we won’t be able to use all, or even most, of the pictures we received, we hope to showcase a good sample of the best of the beasts.

Some of the photos will be in themed collections such as this one and some will be featured as a VUMC Pet of the Day in editions of MyVUMC.

Remember, the top prize offered in the contest is a photo of your pet in VUMC Voice.

If you missed sending in an entry this year, and your pet is peeved about it, please reassure him or her that there will be a future VUMC Voice Pet Photo Contest, but explain that the deadline for entries for this year has passed, and no more pictures will be accepted. We hope your pet understands.

Watch for the next installment of VUMC Voice‘s Pets of VUMC — coming soon, and check for the Pets of the Day in every edition of MyVUMC.

To see the other collections, as well as all the MyVUMC “Pets of the Day,” click here.

Bridget Dittman, VHVI Vascular Lab. “Gus is a 3-year-old rescue. He loves to hunt when outdoors and is the best little snuggle bug when indoors.”
Meredith Bordelon, VHVI Vascular Lab. “Lyla, age 10, is an adopted boxer & Australian cattle dog mix. She makes dinosaur noises when she’s happy!”
Vicki Scala, Pediatric Rehabilitation. Baci.
Tammie S. Raline, Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital. “This is Dixie Mae. We think her breed is a border collie. She was a stray but she found us. We were building a house in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and early one morning she was there. She was covered in ticks, fleas and very skinny. Ms. Dixie is still very skittish but getting better each day. She is my precious little girl and I’m so glad she found me.”
Lydia Renfroe, Medical Specialties Clinc. “The dog’s name is Milo. He’s a cavapoo [a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a poodle] who loves peanut butter and taking long naps!”
Donna Robinson, VICC Belle Meade. “My dog’s name is 2Pac (pronounced Tupac). I rescued him from Metro Davidson County Animal Shelter the week of my orientation to VICC in 2021. He is a mixed breed and is 1 yearsold.. He acts like a border collie and looks like a German shepherd. In this picture he took his ball into the bush here and is waiting for me to come and get it.”
Lee Ann Liska, VUH. “Gus and Beau. They are called Ragdolls (a specific breed of cat) and they are half brothers.”
Hiral Master, Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR). “My dog’s name is JD. He is pure-bred English Lab and was born in Tennessee. He loves to explore nature, water and sleep.”
Stacy and Kevin Harvey, RNs at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital. MD Baby. “While visiting family outside of Memphis, I found a young puppy in the middle of the road after being hit by a car. It was apparent she couldn’t walk, so I pulled over, gently picked her up and took her to a local vet. She had five fractures in her hips as well as her sacrum. After no one claimed her, I took her to Nashville for more comprehensive care. The entire 4-hour ride she laid her head in my hand and my soul melted. After 2 surgeries, losing her tail, expressing her bladder (temporarily), and lots of physical therapy, she fully recovered! After all the vet bills flooded in, I named her Million Dollar Baby, and she was worth every penny and more! Now 9 years later, she is the happiest, most loyal pooch a person could ever have! Now when you see “MD Baby”, her scars are a constant reminder of a stranger’s love and knowing she deserved a better life.”

Dana Brooks, VUMC Women’s Health, Lawrenceburg. “Charlie Lennox is an Aussie doodle/goldendoodle — which is also a double doodle. Charlie is very energetic and playful.”
Tracy Powell, Vanderbilt Eye Institute. “My dog Dozier is a 7 year old English bulldog.”
Summer Monroig, Cardiovascular & Pulmonary. “My puppy, Achilles, is a sable German Shepherd. He is a working dog ‘in training.’ His greatest superpower is finding things in the house we didn’t know existed. He loves to eat sticks and tries to eat rocks in the yard.”
Lindsay Malatesta, Neurology. “Penny is a Maltipoo and is my first dog. She was given to me as a gift 8 years ago. She is the most loving lap dog coming in at a total of 5 lbs. She hardly barks, but barking can be triggered by saying.’Who’s here, Penny?'”
Maggie Kirby, Vanderbilt Coordinating Center. “Rigby enjoying the dog days of summer. She’s a 7-year-old goldendoodle.”
Candy Kluth, VUH 5 South. “My dog’s name is Izrafel Yuna.”
Donna DePasquale, Office of the COO. “I adopted Percy as a kitten in July 2020. He once caught an adult blue jay and set it free in the house. It took some finesse to get the blue jay back outside (and unharmed!).”
Jacqueline Kutcher, Population Health. “Ollie is a border Collie/Australian shepherd mix and is 3 years old. He loves boating, chasing small children, and cuddling with his family.”
Rachel Francis, Epidemiology. “Beau is a 2-year-old Maltipoo. He loves going for walks, taking zoomies in any open space, and (honestly) getting his nails trimmed. He’s a cuddler but he still enjoys his alone time.”
Sydney Ellingson, VUMC Medical Lab Science. “This is my adorable Maltese/Yorkie mix, Peach, at Greeter Falls in Tennessee.”
Lisa Southall, Internal Medicine, One Hundred Oaks. “Lolli the English mastiff immersing herself in the water bowl to cool off.”
Norrissa Kemp, Diagnostic Laboratories. “My dog Noira Rose. She is named after her mommy and the character on the ‘Schitts Creek’ TV show, Moira Rose.”
Katie Lendermon, Hematology Oncology. “T.Rex is a 2-year-old rescued mutt who is my soul mate. His DNA revealed that he was 50% Australian shepherd and the rest of him is mostly Chihuahua and herding breeds as well as a noticeable hint of Pomeranian. He loves to snuggle dirty running socks he gets from laundry baskets.”
Kaleb Ryan Darrow, Radiation Oncology. “This is my 2 year old paddle boarding Aussiedoodle named Maximus. He loves adventures and doing everything with me. Everyone loves how ‘pretty’ he is and he absolutely loves the attention he gets from it. He is 100% a purebred Good Boy and loves everyone!”
Todd Hawkins, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “Yori is a Labradoodle who is my professionally trained medical alert service dog. She goes everywhere with me, including work, sports events, and concerts. She loves to pose for pictures. She wears glasses to protect her eyes from the sun, and any dirt that might be thrown at her from passing cars. She wears shoes are to protect her feet from the weather, especially the hot pavement, and when we go to loud events, she also wears hearing protection. Yori loves to go to sporting events, especially to see the Nashville Soccer Club and Predators. Her other favorite hobby is to watch TV and to take over the bed. I am grateful for all she does for me, and most of all for being the best ever!”