Eleventh Hour Rescue: A Case Study

As important as education is, experience is a big part of the job as well… You need to have animal and clinical experience (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). So, I’ll need to volunteer at an actual veterinarian’s clinic. In the meantime, I’ve been volunteering for the past several months with the Eleventh Hour Rescue. It’s a great non-profit organization helping cats and dogs, who are on the verge of being euthanized; for no fault of their own. I’m working with poor, defenseless animals in need. I’m also dealing with people at all times, which I feel is just as important as your animal skills. You need to be able to know how to talk to people because as a veterinarian you need to be able to also empathize with that animal’s owner. At

the end of the day, you’ll need to treat the animals; as though they were your own.
Now, one might presume you want to go into the medical field based on what those professionals make financially.

As of April, of 2013, in N.J. a veterinarian was estimated to be earning an $83,000 a year salary. This is 6% higher than the average salaries for job postings. In 2016, the estimated pay was $88,770 per year. That’s roughly $42.68 per hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Though, you can’t just do it for the money. I'm fully aware, this job comes along with blood, sweat and tears. Then again, nobody ever said, “life was easy!” Life's not all kittens, puppies and rainbows. No pun intended... If you truly want to be a veterinarian, as I do. You should do it because you truly love the work and that passion you have must be coming from a place bigger than your

pocket!
As far as the geography, I live in what I call “God’s Country”. I’m surrounded by all different kinds of farms and animals. “Mother Nature” is literally all around me and calling… If anything, I feel like I couldn’t have asked for a better place to grow up in and live; than Northern New Jersey. There are several animal clinics in the area and people who share that same passion as I do for animals. I think, it gave me an advantage growing up here as a kid and having all these animals around me. It spawned that love I have for “Critters” at a very early age. That’s why, I feel so comfortable and at ease with animals because I truly feel at home.

So, what might a typical day/week for a veterinarian entail?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Dr. Crosby, my days will be starting quite early because most animals will probably be arriving from an overnight emergency facility. Therefore, requiring urgent care. If a pet needs surgery, they would be immediately admitted. Dr. Crosby says, “I like to do surgery as early in the day as possible.” Then, I’d be required to go over any of those emergency cases with another doctor. After which, I’ll need to tend to other important duties. Including prior patients and discussing certain emergency cases with their owners. Then, I would need to proceed with any scheduled appointments/surgeries. The more frequently seen appointments would include: vaccinations, neutering, spaying, teeth cleanings and sadly euthanasia. My top priority would always be that animal and making sure they are stable. So, I may need to work additional hours, nights and even weekends. At the end of my day, I’ll still be thinking of the animals and of their owners. The way I see it, a doctor's work is never truly

done!
Let’s see, what does the future look like for a veterinarian? Well, employment rates for veterinarians are expected to increase by 9% from 2014-2024. In all, that’s much more than the average for all occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). However, there are those who believe the future in veterinary medicine is uncertain, which is sad… “The field has hit some hard times”, said Dr. FOX. He also says, “The profession seems torn between serving the best interest of the animals and serving the interest of the animal owning clients.” I personally feel, it’s the animals who pay the ultimate price. An interesting fact that I also learned from Dr. Fox, is the American Veterinary Medical Association (founded in 1863) has a Veterinarian's Oath with no reference to an animal’s well-being; as" a priority of the profession” until 2011. It truly broke my heart and was one of the reasons for choosing this career path in life one day.