(content warning: animal cruelty and mention of puppy mills)
Dorian " Ori " Calvin Samburg (29) is a vet and the one who helped Helena and her mom get introduced to their furry friends, Zigzag & Spiral after they came to his clinic as abandoned puppies that someone attempted to leave in the trash.
When Ori was younger he used to deeply feel for animals and he still very much does, but now has developed the necessary skills to separate his feelings of empathy for the animals for the time when he needs to help them medically so as not to suffer mental problems himself or worse - subject the pets to medical malpractice.
Ori 's father - who’s a policeman - helped the county sheriff find the person who hurt Zigzag & Spiral and also charged him with animal cruelty after spotting the mother of the puppies being held in a small cage and severly malnourished. Ori was very happy that Zigzag & Spiral now have responsible owners like Helena and her mom , not to mention one of the dogs getting training to be a therapy dog.
Ori himself was expected to be a policeman but luckily his older sister had his back when the heat went towards him for not really being interested in fulfilling those expectations. She herself was always a tomboy who liked tinkering and being a " female handyman " , while also not being opposed to doing it in pink t-shirts and make-up. She currently has her own renovation & home decor company working with her best friend , who’s an interior designer. Ori’s father was a little disappointed that no child of his ultimately got involved with the police or justice system but seeing as he’s nearing an age when he may not be the most physically fit for active service in the police, he is contemplating working as an adjunct professor and further utilizing his degree in Criminal Justice to help young people who do want to go that path.
Ori has a fiancee and soon to be wife - their wedding is scheduled to take place on April 14th - who works as a barista her own coffee shop and coffee is her passion. Her French Bulldog Snuggles , used to be a frequent patient of Ori ‘s and it eventually turned out that Snuggles’ numerous respiratory and hip-related problems were due to Snuggles’ kennel not being compliant with American Kennel Club standards and being essentially a puppy mill - which his now-fiancee was not aware of at the time but now she volounteers with Ori at the dog rescue, warns people about the risk of buying from a puppy mill and how the puppies’ health suffers even though buying them might seem like a bargain due to the lowered price being caused by lack of appropriate health inspections on the mother , father and the puppies themselves - in Snuggles’ case he wasn’t even as much as wormed and vaccinated!