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.