The first time I met Doc was around 1996. I walked into his office reception area and typical of any morning his friends were sitting around drinking coffee, and I was offered a chair. So I sat down and I told Maurice and Frank to lay down, and they were both at my feet.
There was no receptionist, and Doc was in surgery, so one of his friends got me a cup of coffee, as I didn't know the place at all. On one side of the reception area was a typical office reception work space with a counter, desk, filing cabinet, telephone, etc.
On the other side, in one corner was a woodstove, and it was burning. In the other corner was a saddle on a rack, with blanket, bridle, and all the tack.
I must have been there for 15-20 minutes sipping my coffee and listening to conversations typical of a morning get together, at barbershops or John Deere tractor dealers all around the south.
All of a sudden, in walked a cowboy wearing a Resistol hat and cowboy boots.
He entered the room and took two steps and stopped. He looked at me, he looked down at my two dogs at my feet, and he turned slightly to the left to see what the dogs were looking at, and saw his cat laying down comfortably, on the couch about four feet from the dogs.
He looked back at the dogs, who were both focused on and intensely aware of the cat. He looked back at the cat who was totally relaxed, stretched out, with it's tail twitching, and completly oblivious of the dogs.
He pointed at the dogs and got all excited shouting; "Now that's a Catahoula! They come in here with Catahhoula dogs shitting and pissing everywhere, totally out of control, and can't hardly control them on a leash. That's what a Catahoula is supposed to be."
"He then remarked; "They want to rip that cat from end to end."
I said; "Yaaah, but they better not move."
He said; "Yes, I know, but look at them. They haven't took their eyes off that cat since I walked in here."
And so began my friendship with "Doc" Huval.
Louis J. "Doc" Huval, a true friend, my dogs veterinarian, a real man, a real cowboy, a servant of his community, a good husband and father, and if he told you something about yourself, it was not open to argument or discussion!
He may not have done everything he wanted to do in his life, but he damn sure never did anything he DIDN'T want to do.
We will all miss you Doc, may you rest in peace, in the busom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Doc, we will cope and somehow, learn to live without you. But you will always be the standard by which a true friend, a real man, a tough cowboy, and a good veterinarian is measured.
Anyone know a good country veterinarian who will give me their cell phone number, and doesn't mind if I ring it 24/7/365 in an emergency? I need just that kind of a vet, and nothing less.
