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Looking
at Dr. Stan Kunin, you'd think he's younger than he actually is. He's used to
that, young appearances run in his family. But that youthful look is far from
the real reason you'll want to know him. His triumph over deafness and
adversity, his dedication to the care and support of animals, and his having
reached higher goals than most people without disabilities is what wins you
over. Meeting with this inspirational man in his Woodland Hills, California
veterinary office, we heard a truly wonderful tale of the man who is perhaps
the embodiment of that fictitious hero "Doctor Doolittle". But
unlike the literary character who could "talk with the animals",
this doctor's special message should be loud and clear to people as well... Stan
was born 75% to 85% deaf in both ears due to a bout his mother had with
German Measles during her pregnancy. He had attended studies at the John
Tracy Clinic, which the wonderful actor Spencer Tracy had dedicated to his
deaf son. But at the age of ten, Stan's grandfather made the extraordinary
decision to insist that he be taken out of the special facility and placed in
schools for "normal" children. But this was no "normal"
boy, something to which a lot of animals and anyone who has met him can
attest! Back in
those days when Stan was little, wearing a hearing aid was a completely
different experience than it is today. The hearing device Stan wore was a
large box that was hung around his neck on a strap! This appendage, in
addition to his major speech impediment when he was a child, made him a
constant object of ridicule by his childhood classmates. His vocal skills
were improved over the years through good speech therapy. Life can be cruel
enough for any child, but having to go through school with a disability and
the snickers of his peers made it even tougher. Perhaps another child might
have lost all of his respect and compassion for others, but not this man.
After school Stan would work on his grandfather's poultry farm observing and
learning many things, including watching his grandfather performing autopsies
on deceased birds. As any farmer will tell you a contagious disease in a
large group of animals can definitely become financial ruin. Finding the
cause of any death in a flock or in a herd, is priority and a largely
contributing factor to Stan's choice of career as a veterinarian. Working
with the birds and their particular needs, he developed an interest in
animals that would shape his life. But to be a veterinarian required Stan to
leap over yet another hurdle... college. Being
deaf in a college not designed for disabled students is tough enough. Going
through the complicated and highly technical nuances of medical school under
these conditions was nothing short of amazing. He had to position himself in
each classroom in such a way as to be able to see and read the instructor's
lips, and when that failed he had to talk with his classmates and discuss
their notes with them regarding lessons to be studied and homework to be
completed. Thankfully, his perseverance did not go unnoticed. After four
years at Cal Western University, and another four years at U.C. Davis, Stan
applied for and was honored by receiving a rare invitation from the
prestigious West Los Angeles Veterinary Medical Group, where he served his
internship in Dermatology, Surgery, and Internal medicine under a grueling
workload that often reached 80100 hours a week. With a wealth of experience,
education, tragedy and triumph behind him, Stan Kunin, D.V.M. went out into
the world and hung his shingle in private practice... at the ripe old age of
26. Stan
Kunin was involved in playing several sports over the years, and has now
taken up golf like many of his fellow medical professionals. In addition to
golf, he often takes his family on short outings to popular California
destinations like Santa Barbara and San Diego. He also has an interest in
magic, and is a member of the prestigious Magic Castle Club in Hollywood. He
is also a collector of baseball cards and memorabilia. Walking
into his Woodland Hills office to meet this man, you are struck by his
kindness and love for the various animals under his care. Watching him
playfully win the trust of a giant tarantula spider as easily as he would a
Labrador Retriever, he shows not a hint of arrogance or "regal bearing"
despite the fact that he has certainly earned the right to walk a little
taller in his shoes. The good doctor is as caring, compassionate, and
friendly to their owners as he is to his patients. He has a special fondness
for large aquatic mammals such as whales, but he is skilled and completely at
ease with everything from ferrets to birds to bears. By the way, that cuddly
little bear cub in the photo tips the scales at 450 pounds! Many vets would
be taken aback by such an exotic and powerful animal, but Dr. Kunin has the
touch. He reminds us that he has no fear of any animal, but to succeed with
potentially dangerous animals requires knowledge, communication, and
especially two way respect. We
asked him about some of his most memorable experiences with animals over the
years. He mentioned a few. . . A goose that was poisoned by flea dip and
whose owner got a "second opinion" by contacting the spirit world
through a magic amulet on a necklace... The time he once had to give a
constipated tiger an enema (but not before a generous helping of
anesthesia!)... The sick tarantula who couldn't molt (shed his skin) because
his terrarium was too wet to get enough traction to scrape off the old
skin... The dog who needed an operation to remove a baby bottle nipple he'd
swallowed, but whose owner had no infant children... The dog who ate 2 pairs
of underwear, had surgery to remove them, and promptly ate a pair of nylon
stockings requiring another surgery! Doctor
Kunin also related a less amusing tale. Far too many people still ask him if
he had to go through a special school to become a veterinarian! He says
people don't realize that he went through just as difficult and demanding an
education to be an animal doctor as his colleagues who work on people.
Besides, human doctors can usually ask their patients what hurts, and the
vets of the world have to figure it out with no help from their charges!
Another misconception people have is the level of care that his office can
provide. Dr. Kunin says some people think that his office simply gives
inoculation shots, and does neutering procedures. In reality, his practice
can provide orthopedic surgery including total joint replacement,
chemotherapy for cancer treatment, cataract removal, diabetic insulin
treatment, skin and allergy testing, ultrasound examination for heart, liver,
kidney, and pancreatic disorders, and more. Even though there are no such
machines as CAT scan and MRI's in his office, Dr. Kunin does refer to the
right locations for those procedures. Obviously your pet will have the most
modern diagnosis and treatment available from this top-flight medical center.
The office has also cared for service dogs for the blind, police dogs,
hearing dogs, and other animals with heroic job descriptions. My
Handi-Capable Reporter is honored to know Dr. Kunin, and we're as genuinely
impressed with his kindness and skills with his patients as we are with his
inspirational life and achievements. At 46 years old, Dr. Stan Kunin and his
wife Diana have three children, two dogs, four cats, a ferret, several birds,
and the sincere respect and admiration of all of us here at MHCR. As a
side note, Dr. Kunin reminds all dog owners to be careful to keep pennies
away from dogs. Pennies made after 1984 contain Zinc, a metal that is toxic
to all dogs. |
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