Blog Refelection

When I started volunteering at the Pet Hospital it was a real eye-opener. On the first day I went a dog was being euthanized and it was pretty hard to watch. I really had no idea what it would be like. I was thrown straight into what veterinarians do on a daily basis. It was a good hands on experience and I learned so much. I learned the different shots pets get and the different medicine that gets described depending on the treatment the pet needs. I also saw a variety of injured pets and some were pretty gruesome. Also volunteering at the San Francisco SPCA was a real benefit to my future career path. I learned a lot on how to treat and take care of my pets. I also think they impacted me so much I have also changed as a person. I'm much more calm and patient. I've learned to work with people and dogs. It was great volunteering at both places and I plan to continue my volunteering at the shelter because it is such a rewarding experience. I, no matter how little the role, do help change a dog's life and increase his/her chances to be adopted. At the shelter I didn't really have one mentor, I had several that had been volunteering there for years. They are really helpful but you have to go to them for help. That's also one thing I learned; to ask when I need help instead of trying to figure it out myself. I'm really appreciative that I got started into these chances of volunteering because I love animals and it just gives me so much more experience. At the pet hospital, my main mentor was the owner, Maria Griffin, but I also learned from the vet technicians, Valerie, Emily, and Karin, as well as the veterinarian, Dr. Kelly. They all helped me a great deal in being able to pursue my passion. I had a great time being involved at both places. I've been able to handle and stomach some harsh problems that include abused animals that came into both the shelter and the hospital, this only encouraged me further to become a veterinarian.

Pet Hospital and Kittens

Today for three hours today that I spent at the pet hospital was full of a lot of cats. There were two cats in the back inside cages and one went through a de-fleaing so it was soaking wet and had a heater so it could dry. One of the vet techs brought in three kittens from her foster program and I carried them for a bit. They were adorable but troublesome too. They kept on crying and climbing all over me. One of them sunk their little claws into me and left me a scratch. I helped carry them while the vet tech cut their nails. It was interesting because I'm not around kittens much so that was a new experience that I enjoyed even though I got scratched. There was also a pit bull that came in because he had previously torn his ACL and was recovering but might have also torn out his other ACL.  I also continued to finish filing x-rays and I faxed records to the animal hospital in Hillsdale. I also helped pull files for the appointments for the next day and answered the phone.

Eventful Day

Today was a two and a half hour session. When I got there I helped an older lady bring her dogs to the car and I was also in the back of the hospital filing and organizing x-rays, separating big and small x-rays. Then I checked in patients into rooms. There was this all white kitty named Daisy who was really adorable and was super soft and calm. She wasn't like most cats who cling to you with their claws. I also helped the vet check this cat named Marley who was angry and hissing because her front paw was bugging her. The vet shaved her paw and saw she had puncture wounds from a bite and scabs. The vet tech then came in because the cat was hissing a lot and very angry. I also made copies for a client of his folders. I also helped to pull files for the appointments tomorrow. It was slow at first and even boring but began to become more busy as more clients came in. I also helped sweep the rooms and helped the owner up front with clients.

Busy Day

For the first hour at the shelter, I helped feed and walk a dog named Philo. He was a super hungry dog who ate two bowls of food, which made me wonder how often do these shelter dogs get fed. He was a complete sweetheart. I then went with puppies which included a three month old pitbull and a two month old labrador mix. They were both girls and their names were Michelle and Tipper. For about half an hour I helped show Michelle off to potential adopters.  I then walked with Tipper around the shelter. They were both cuddlers but Michelle loved to bite and chew on my apron and gloves. I then continued onto the next hour where I helped tan apron volunteers around the shelter and walked dogs from the infirmary. I played fetch with a dog named Buddy who is a chocolate labrador and I also walked Lex who is a little white dog that has a long body and short legs. He was adorable.  I also helped show off Kookie to his adopters and they absolutely loved her. It was good to see that she would go home to a caring and loving family.

Intense Day for Cats

Today at the Pet Hospital was a slow but rough day. There was this cat that had tubes inside his head from a surgery earlier that day that removed a bump of puss that he had. He had either gotten into a cat fight or got bit by a raccoon because it was a pretty serious injury. His face was pretty bloody and blood was still oozing out and it was pretty disturbing and sad because he looked absolutely miserable. There was also a cat that had been in the dryer for five minutes. I was not there when he first arrived but I heard that it was pretty bad. His breathing and blood levels were low and he was rushed to the emergency and was under intensive care. He ended up going home but was pretty quiet. Towards the end of the two hour session a lady came in to get her two cats euthanized. It's always difficult to see because owners and pets are pretty attached and it's a hard choice for the owner to make but it the long run it'a the better choice because it means your pet is not suffering. In between those intense moments I continued to work on my project of refiling all the past x-rays and answering calls and ringing in patients to their appointments. There was a labrador that weighed about a hundred and thirty pounds and she was huge. It was mostly an intense day for cats at the hospital.

Sunday Volunteering Part Two

For the next two hours I helped all around the shelter. I helped an adopter to walk a yellow-level dog who was very shy and didn't like to go on walks much. His name was Wade and he ended up getting adopted by the same people who renamed him Oreo. It felt good being able to introduce a dog to good owners who will give them a loving home. I also went to the infirmary and walked a couple of dogs. I helped introduce people to dogs who they would like. I also went into rooms with some of the dogs and trained with them for awhile. One in particular, named Buddy, was extremely sweet and gave me his paw and he also knew sit. It was a good shift but tiring after three hours.

Sunday Volunteering Part One

For the first hour at the San Francisco SPCA I was with my litter of puppies that I got assigned. They were three Labrador female puppies. There was one puppy in particular that kept on biting on my apron and my booties and gloves. She even tried to bite on my ankles. So instead of playing with the three of them, I held each of them individually. I carried them and would walk around the shelter. It's very calming just being with the puppies one on one because they are so relaxed and attentive to everything going on around them. I wish I could walk them at least around the shelter but they have to be over six months.