Meet Quincy! On a Sunday afternoon in 2012, Cheryl and Jerry stopped by a local humane society. Three dogs barked and bounced for attention. One sat quietly in the corner, nervously wagging his tail. When the volunteer brought him into the meeting room, Quincy immediately rolled onto his back in front of Jerry, asking for belly rubs. "As they say, the rest is history," Cheryl recalls.

Over fourteen years, Quincy became a beloved family member, travel companion, volunteer, and official Bark Ranger at San Juan Island National Historical Park. He proudly explored trails, greeted visitors, and kept watch for foxes while wearing his ranger vest. For Cheryl and Jerry, every adventure with Quincy became a cherished memory with an irreplaceable member of their family.

Then came an unexpected detour.

Quincy’s heart condition was first discovered in 2022 when an emergency veterinarian detected a murmur during treatment for an ear infection. Despite medication, his degenerative mitral valve disease progressed, leading him to Central Florida Veterinary Cardiology in 2024. Testing confirmed severe mitral valve regurgitation, significant heart enlargement, and congestive heart failure.

For Quincy, the next step was Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER), a minimally invasive mitral valve procedure performed by Dr. Luiz Bolfer and the CFVC surgery team. During surgery, a V-Clamp device was used to bring the damaged valve leaflets back together, dramatically reducing the amount of blood leaking backward through the valve. Before surgery, Quincy’s mitral regurgitation was graded at a severe 5+. Immediately after the procedure, it improved to 3+, and just 17 days later had further improved to 2+, with excellent valve function and no residual leaflet flail. The transformation extended beyond the echocardiogram.

"My husband and I cannot express how amazing the CFVC surgery team and overall staff are to work with during this stressful time," Cheryl shared. "Communication and accessibility to the staff is fantastic. They truly live by the motto, 'Whatever It Takes,' to ensure the patient and caregivers are completely supported throughout the entire process."

Quincy's story also highlights something equally important: collaboration. Because of his heart disease, several necessary surgeries carried significant anesthetic risk. Cheryl remembers that whenever veterinarians learned Quincy was under Dr. Bolfer's care, they felt confident proceeding using CFVC's anesthetic recommendations and guidance.

Today, Ranger Quincy is back where he belongs—enjoying life with his family, collecting adventures, and proving that heart disease does not have to define a dog's future.

At Central Florida Veterinary Cardiology, that is what drives us every day. Whether it's advanced procedures like TEER, collaborative care with referring veterinarians, or simply helping families understand their options, our goal is always the same—to give pets (and their owners) the opportunity for more moments that matter.

Because every great Bark Ranger deserves another trail to explore.