Cheers for the Hot Springs VA

She looked up at me expectantly - golden tail wagging furiously. She jumped and jumped, ever so eager for attention and her walk. Her name is Amber and she is the "neighborhood dog". If readers recall, Amber's owner has been to the VA hospitals in Hot Springs and Minneapolis, and several of us neighbors are taking turns walking his dog. This is what we do for our veterans in Hot Springs.

The owner's friend was in the yard raking leaves and the newest neighbor, who has not moved in as yet, dropped over for a chat. It turns out that he, too, is a veteran - twenty years in the Marine Corps. It appears that we are a neighborhood of veterans, with the exception of my husband and me, who have been working since 2011 with the Save our VA group in Hot Springs. We are truly a town of veterans and those who care about our veterans.

Amber's owner had been rushed to our VA and then had to be transferred to the VA in Minnesota. Because of the cuts that have been made to our VA over the years, he could no longer receive the necessary treatment here in town. What I heard today was, "In spite of all of the cuts that have been made to our VA, the quality of care has never been better. Bill has received excellent care."

The staff and programs have been cut, but those staff remaining are dedicated, as always, to giving the best possible care to our veterans. Kudos to them for the quality of care they provide at our VA. Our veterans deserve nothing less, and at the Hot Springs VA they are receiving the best that can be given.

After a brief visit Bob and I took Amber on her outing, trying to wear her out before returning her to her family. She is hyper and difficult for me to handle, but it is even more difficult to walk by her in her kennel and ignore her pleas for love, attention and a good run. And, after all, her owner is a veteran.