Krissy Simmel and her Dalmatian Sundaey do everything together. There was magic in their relationship from the moment they first saw each other. “We’re a match made in heaven,” Krissy says. “Sundaey is beautiful. She was born without any hearing . .. and people cross streets to tell me how special she is.”
So it was a traumatic moment when Sundaey suffered an injury on their daily two-hour walk and run in June, 2012. “She had a sports injury,” Krissy says. “I can’t really tell you what happened. She jumps a lot. She jumps five feet into trees after squirrels. She jumps into fountains. She has such a beautiful spirit. So I guess she sort of sprained her wrist or something. There was a lot of swelling and she was having a hard time walking.”
Krissy took Sundaey to Southern California Veterinary Hospital in Woodland Hills, an institution that she had found to be caring and understanding in the past. “The doctors and their staff are a special group of people,” she says. But she had recently lost her job as a restaurant hostess and was flat broke. “I don’t think I had any money in my wallet that day.”
Dr. Mark C. Rigoni examined Sundaey. “They had to take blood because they didn’t know exactly what was going on with her,” Krissy recalls. To help pay for the cost of the visit, Dr. Rigoni suggested applying to Angel Fund. The hospital also contributed and Krissy paid a small portion of the bill later.
“I really, really appreciated it,” Krissy says. “I was very surprised when they offered that to me. But the fact that they saw me at all – and they knew that I had no money – was such a blessing. And I felt like that fund was so gracious.
“Dr Rigoni and Dr. [George] Cuellar are wonderful human beings. They are always exceptional with Sundaey and with me. I was having such a difficult time that day and they were amazing.”
Within about three days, Sundaey had recovered. And she and Krissy, who lives in Santa Monica, are now enjoying their lives together as they always have. Krissy works in childcare, eldercare, real estate and as a part-time preschool teacher – with Sundaey usually at her side.
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