03/23/2026
Today, the Beaver Creek family lost one of the best clinic "employees" a clinic could ask for, Vito.
In case you didn't know, Vito was the clinics mascot since 2012 after he came in for an emergency surgery to fix his diaphragmatic hernia and never left. Michelle, our head technician, breathed for him the entire surgery as Dr. Raj repaired the hernia. Since then, he amazed everyone, not only by surviving the surgery, by surviving with only one functioning lung.
Over the last several years, he would help by calling people unexpectedly when he stepped on the phone, making his own notes walking across our keyboards and steeling patients' heat pads when given the opportunity.
More importantly, he was the clinics' best friend. He was our cuddle buddy when we had a tough appointment, our laughter when we need to get work done, our good morning when we came in the clinic in the morning, and more importantly, the best clinic cat in the world.
He will truly be missed by all of us at Beaver Creek, especially his momma, Michelle. The clinic will never be the same without you. Rest easy, Vito π