I was 27 years old and just completing my second year in vet school when my elementary school opened a time capsule which had been sealed 20 years prior. There it was, scrolled in the messy, awkward printing of a child, “I want to be an animal doctor when I grow up”. It was true, unlike many of my friends I always knew what my destiny would be, because as veterinarians- for most of us it’s not just what we do, it’s who we are.
I have been a veterinarian for 16 years and I truly cannot imagine being anything different; however, what I did not realize when I was 7 was that a rewarding, yet challenging career had been chosen for me. I would like to say that my days are filled with purring kittens and smiling puppies- some days are like that and we truly embrace those days. The reality is that many days are heavy with emotions. I often enter the exam room with a pit in my stomach to deliver the news that every pet owner is dreading. I watch children and parents cry- I cry with them! I watch seniors say goodbye to their best friend and hear them when they tell me this is their last pet. Parents confide in me that this pet was who saved their child from the depression and anxiety of being bullied at school and convey that their loss is staggering. My children cannot count the hockey games that I have promised to be there for, only to get caught up in an emergency and show up well into the third period. I am bitten and scratched and retain the scars to prove it! I have watched the suicide rate in my profession soar as the emotional stress becomes too much for some. Despite working nights, weekends and holidays some accuse us of not caring. The truth is that’s all we do- is care, and often too deeply!
But… as the weight of the day lifts, I am always reminded of how truly blessed I am to be part of this profession. I develop bonds with my clients and patients that most professions would never experience. I’ve watched families grow, I’ve laughed, I’ve smiled, I’ve been humbled, I’ve cried and I’ve embraced. I do my very best and at the end of the day I know I have made a difference because I am a veterinarian and I am proud of it!
