Otter’s Story

Otter was born in September of 2019 with a rare birth defect which we here at CBL had never seen before, undetectable and unpreventable through genetic testing, which made him unable to eat normally once he started to wean. We wanted to give Otter a fighting chance at a normal life so we took him to Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, a wonderful teaching hospital in Massachusetts, for urgent care.

Otter was very blessed when a devoted veterinary intern, Dr. Joanna Finstad, decided to take on the day to day intensive care of tiny Otter. Joanna fell in love with this special little boy and he fell in love with her. Otter stayed with Joanna and got to experience life as a normal and well loved dog for the time he was here. In addition to their expert medical care, Joanna and the entire team at Tufts gave him more loving care than we could have ever imagined. Otter grew into an extraordinary young dog and he thrived under Joanna’s care. But sadly, Otter left this world on June 4, 2020, after another major surgery and a courageous fight with an amazing team of veterinarians behind him.

Every day that he was here, Otter touched the lives of so many people. He was affectionately referred to as “Dr. Otter, the 16th intern,” at Tufts. Otter visited children in the hospital with feeding tubes and shared his love and comfort with them. During his short time here on Earth, he traveled to seven different states, educating and leaving an impression on everyone he met.

Otter, Dr. Joanna Finstad, Dr. Elizabeth Rozanski, and the entire veterinary team at Tufts will always hold a very special place in our hearts here at Covered Bridge Labradors. This tribute page, and the bridge built by David on our property in memory of Otter, is dedicated to them with love and gratitude.