_I just wanted to say Thank You for the opportunity today to meet with you, Dr. Roberts, and your wonderful stellar team. I must apologize and was unprepared upon meeting you this morning. I have not experienced this kind of office and have little knowledge of Chinese Medicine. Your consultation was astonishing and extraordinarily educational. I have always been concerned of diet and aware how essential, however, I have relied on others and hoped for resolve. Now that I have become enlightened, I look forward to providing the best possible care to Bear under your direction. I believe in my heart, you are the person I have been seeking to really provide truth and care for her.
With Gratitude and Warmest Regards, Kristin Ferrante

Young entrepreneur follows passion for animals
BY DAVE MUNDAY
dmunday@postandcourier.com
Thursday, October 13, 2011

                     Dogs have it made when they come home with Riley Steward, a 12-year-old who runs a successful dog-sitting business called Riley 2 the Rescue.
                     Riley, a seventh-grader at Charleston Collegiate School, lives near the Stono River on Johns Island. Dogs and children can run around in a big backyard under shady oak trees, splash around in the pool in the yard or jump off the dock into the river.
                     Riley says she loves all animals. She's been volunteering at the Sun Dog Cat Moon vet clinic on Johns Island since she was 9. She also helps out for free at a goat dairy farm and at the Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding barn.
                      The family has its own dogs, as well as a cat, mouse, rat, rabbit, turtle, several frogs and a bunch of chickens. But horses are Riley's passion. Dozens of ribbons from horse shows hang on a wall of her bedroom, along with photographs of her competing.
                      Paying for those horse shows is what made her look for a way to make money. Her mother, Lisa Steward, told her she would pay for the weekly riding lessons, but Riley would have to pay for the shows.
Riley noticed that a lot of clients at the vet clinic needed somebody to watch their dogs for a few days. So she started Riley 2 the Rescue.
                      The business has expanded to include pet grooming, house-sitting and cleaning, car washing and selling baked goods. Riley's mother drives her to appointments and calls it quality time with her daughter. Riley said she learned to bake from her mother and from culinary classes at Trident Technical College.
                       Besides paying for the shows, Riley also has saved several hundred dollars toward buying herself a truck. She also sings in a praise band on Wednesday nights and helps coach her younger sister's soccer team.
                       Riley's 7-year-old sister, Ducky, is following her example. Ducky got interested in chickens after helping Riley collect eggs for a customer. She started raising her own chickens and selling the eggs to parents at the school for $3 a dozen. She calls her enterprise Just Ducky Fresh Eggs. She started off with nine chicks and added another 27 last week.
                      Ducky, a first-grader, says she doesn't care for horses; she'd rather play sports. She's not shy, and there's no sign she feels overshadowed by her older sister's success. Her mother laughed at the thought.
                     "I don't think so," Steward said. "She's such a strong personality. I think Riley might feel overshadowed by her sometimes."
                     Riley says that despite her busy schedule, she finds plenty of time to relax, especially with horses and swimming.
                     "I think I have time to do fun things," she said. "I have time to come home and relax and get ready for my activities."
                      Her website, Riley2the Rescue.com, displays the Bible verse "All things are possible with God" from Mark 10:27.
                     "This whole business and website would not be possible without God," she said. "This is so amazing for me, and I know I can't do it without God."
                     "She does play enough, trust me," Steward said. "What she doesn't do is watch television. She doesn't play video games."
                     Steward points out that Riley's business grew from her volunteer work.
                    "There are so many opportunities out there to volunteer, it's easy to find something that is their specific passion," Steward said. "It shouldn't be like a chore; it should be something they're very interested in.
                     "What you're trying to key into with these kids is what their passion is, what they will do with their life that's going to make them happy, productive, creative people."
                     "I support them in their jobs because I don't want them to grow up being entitled, spoiled little brats," Steward said. "There's too much of that in this society."
Reach Dave Munday at 937-5553.

I am fortunate to have found Dr. Ruth Roberts and her staff. They use laser therapy on my 14-year old dog, Max, who tore the cruciate ligament in his back right knee.  The injury happened almost a year ago and I’d been using acupuncture to treat his problem. When I came to Charleston in December, I searched the internet for pet acupuncture and luckily found Sun Dog Cat Moon.  Besides the laser therapy, Dr. Roberts suggested Paddling Paws where Max could swim in warm spa water, further strengthening his legs.  The combination of laser and swimming have done wonders for Max.  He is able to stand on the injured leg and is more willing to go for walks. Dr. Roberts and her staff are very caring and knowledgeable.  Besides treating Max’s leg, they have given nutritional and supplement help.  Our precious pets are very lucky to have someone like Dr. Roberts. 

Ellen McGowan

Dr. Ruth, 
I just wanted to reach out and let you know that Crosby is doing really well and we are very happy to have found you.  We have been doing the crock pot diet for over a month now and have been very pleased.  Not only is it cheaper than the food I was special ordering for him, but I feel good that he can finally have some variety in his diet without creating a major stomach problem.  Also, strangely enough, I have seen a major improvement in his teeth!  I used to brush his teeth twice a week just to keep them from looking horribly brown and since I have switched to crock pot his teeth are staying so white!  We are happy to have you in our lives.   Thanks to you and your team.

Sarah H. Schaill

Dr. Ruth, Renata,Brad,and staff, first please except my apologies for taking so long to do this. Yesterday was 3 months already that Madeline's been gone. it's funny sometimes it feels like yesterday and others it feels like so long ago. As you can imagine I miss her terribly.  The first 2 months my neighbors were giving me books and articles and Madeline stories and kids who are in college now would come by and tear up remembering when they were young and used to come to the house to see if she could come out and play. While incredibly nice it seemed to prolong the process for me. It's amazing how many lives these animals touch without our even thinking anything about it. I started to do this about a month ago and when I got to your website I noticed and started reading your stories of your personal losses and all the emotions we go through and it was very cathartic to know it wasn't just me obsessing over things. Anyway, all this is to say thank you all very much. Words really can't express my appreciation for the loving, quality of care and attention you gave both Madeline and me. All the after hours calls and emails were way above the call of duty and  I appreciate it. Sorry I missed Renata on the way out and a special thanks to her for all the attention and Brad, ignoring the fact he's a red Sox fan haha, was great.

Thank you all, Ron

Dear Dr. Ruth:

I just want to share with you, your staff and clients what a wonderful experience I had with your services. I don’t usually take the time to write these kinds of things, but feel that a simple “thank-you” is not enough.
I fostered a dachshund named Biscuit, who right before taking him in, began dragging his rear legs. Additionally, he could not voluntarily urinate. Knowing that this breed is particularly prone to back issues, I took him to two conventional veterinarians, who informed me that surgery, if not performed within 24 hours of the injury, is not too effective and results are uncertain. He had a herniated disc. I was told that he may never walk again. I started him on prednisone for the inflammation, and Rimadyl for the pain while palpating his bladder frequently every day. I was told to keep him immobile for at least 3 months and hopefully I would see some improvement. Although I tried to make him as comfortable as possible, poor Biscuit was confined to his crate day and night. It was heart-wrenching. This is a dog that anybody could fall in love with, even those who don’t like the breed…he is very easy-going, well-mannered, listens well, never complains, and loves attention, toys, and his bed! I was determined to do all I could for him. That is when I heard about Dr. Roberts and her acupuncture services.
I took Biscuit in for his first appointment, and felt like a long-time customer. I don’t mean to sound cliché by saying that the staff was attentive and caring, because they were more than that. Dog lovers can distinguish other dog lovers, and it was apparent that the staff seriously cared about their canine clients. I watched as Dr. Roberts calmly performed the acupuncture treatment on Biscuit - right on my lap where he was most comfortable. She was so calming and gentle that Biscuit fell asleep! But the biggest surprise came a day later when Biscuit began wagging his tail. That was only the start of what was to come, because another day later, he began to walk on his own! Yes, he was understandably wobbly, but walking nonetheless! Not only that, but he began to voluntarily urinate again. In just 2 days! Unbelievable. Everyone was absolutely amazed. Shortly thereafter, I discontinued the prednisone and Rimadyl, and started Biscuit on Eastern herbs for hip strength. He was getting stronger and happier every day. I consider it a miracle.
It has been several months now, and Biscuit is as happy as could be. I have taken him for 3 treatments since – I think he likes it. He cannot jump up (a good thing for dachshunds anyway), but that’s about his only limitation. He is still a little wobbly, but I don’t think he realizes it…he runs and plays like nothing every happened.
My hope is that dog owners who encounter this type of problem will consider this treatment instead of giving up. For one thing, it was certainly FAR less expensive for sure, but the results were what mattered to me. I don’t believe that even if I had opted for surgery, the results would have been nearly as good.
So THANK YOU DR. ROBERTS for giving Biscuit the quality of life he deserves!

- Kristin M. Fronimo & Biscuit

I am so thrilled with the love, excellent medical care and exceptional attention that my beloved four-legged receive at Sun Dog Cat Moon.  Natural care is very, very  important to me and I am relieved to know that I can count on Dr. Ruth.  I will trust her advice as well if she feels that conventional meds are appropriate. (although I prefer to go with natural whenever possible!) I feel so confident to have my little ones in her care that I have already referred several folks to her.  The support staff is also extraordinaryl

Marti Chitwood, RD, CCN

Dr. Roberts and her staff are beyond excellence of any veterinarian that I have ever experienced. The quality of care and the results my dog has received are completely satisfying.
I have an 11 year old German Sheppard (Shelby) with arthritis and hip displasia. Dr. Ruth Roberts introduced acupuncture and laser treatment that has made a significant difference for Shelby. She is getting around better. Going up and down stairs, in and out of the car with more ease. She is no longer experiencing the daily pain in her back hips.
Her overall improvement started a year ago when I used the food therapy Dr. Roberts recommended. This was acquired after a series of questions were answered about her personality and more. Shelby had an ongoing autoimmune condition over the last 5 years. This affected the lining of the mucosa. Her nose had a large red area that has now gone away. Her coat is much healthier and shinny. She no longer is dealing with yeast infections, I attribute this also to the food therapy.
Shelby is very comfortable going to Sun Dog Cat Moon. She likes the attention from the friendly and caring staff. This is the first veterinary clinic that Shelby has been to that she is so spoiled during visits and it feels good knowing I am giving her the best care that is out there!

Monica Mulkey (Charleston, SC)

“Get the baby gate!”  We scurried, but the pup waddled right over to our Great Dane and crawled on his head.  He had entered our home and our lives with the aplumb for which he would be known.  Once trim and sassy, he would boom out his beagle bay, and I was so proud.  Dexter’s days went by and he grew old, with all the physical ailments that entails.  My vets and I, one Eastern, one Western, poured over possible replacements, because I was moving to Charleston.

“Go with her, she knows Chinese herbs well, and has had good training,” one vet told me, and that is how we met Dr. Ruth Roberts.  We came to Charleston, and Dexter found a corner in Dr. Roberts’ office where he was comfortable.  And then I was amazed.  Everyone came to his corner – he didn’t go to a table.  During that first session Dr. Roberts spent two hours with Dexter, gracefully bridging between Western and Eastern medicine, giving him a physical, giving him acupuncture, prescribing Western medicines and Eastern herbs.  We also received his well-loved crockpot diet.  Dexter improved steadily and now is receiving non-invasive laser treatment – in his same corner, of course. Once again we go beagling around and there is often a spring in his step.  I believe Dr. Roberts and her staff have added time to Dexter’s life.  Good time.  They will never know just how grateful I am for that. Karen Reidy Mt. Pleasant, SC