“Let me say sorry and excuse me while I hit you with some long late-night thoughts after being told by someone, ‘How are you still working? You’re not essential, you just work with animals. That could never amount to helping humans.’
It’s not often you get to see behind the scenes when you leave your pets in the care of a vet and staff. It’s also not often that a coworker will have the chance to snap a photo like mine did for me without knowledge, but it is by far my proudest work picture. Anyways, here’s a peek…
When someone finds out what I do, it always comes with, ‘Aw, I bet you get to cuddle all kinds of puppies.’ While this is true, it’s not always rainbows and fairy tales. I sit next to my patients and give them pep talks before big surgeries. I sit with pets coming out of surgery and pray over them to wake up safe and have a speedy recovery. I sit next to their humans as they say their goodbyes. I try to hold it together myself so that I can be strong for a family that I don’t even know because they are mourning their fur baby.
I witnessed what some would call borderline animal abuse because an owner couldn’t take 10 minutes to comb their pet’s hair before it became so matted that it gets painful. I have to break emotional barriers every single day because my career of choice is not only physically but emotionally and mentally exhausting. I work 10-12 hours each shift, spending more time with your pets than with my own kid some days. When I’m not at work physically, I am there mentally because if I’m not there I feel like I’m not doing my part to save another pet.
Your aggressive pets that come in. Yup, I love on those too once they are muzzled. I get on their level and do what I can to make them feel safe. I do my best to let them know I’m here to help them, not hurt them. Your little ankle biters that ‘never bit anyone?’ Guess what, they bite. But I still do what I can for them simply because I somehow understand their fear.
What I’m trying to say is, remember when taking your pets to the vet, we love your pets as our own. They may not be humans, but in my eyes, they are worth every minute of exhaustion, every tear shed behind closed doors, every scar from a bite or scratch. It is all worth it to a proud veterinary technician. So yes, I am essential. So are my coworkers and so is the vet I work for. Remember this next time your pet is sick or breaks a bone and a human doctor can’t help. We are just as important.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Victorial Pundt, and originally appeared here. You can follow her journey on Facebook. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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