Yellow Jacket Times - Jefferson County Public Schools

Vet Tech, and Big Ideas
Cole Neel
If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that each and every one of us have a deep passion that nothing else in our life can compare
to. For me, that passion has been animals. No matter where I've been in my life; through my darkest moments and lowest points,
they've been by my side, loving me unconditionally. Other careers have crossed my mind, and I've lived through other passions, but a
career with animals has always come out on top.
Now, saying that I want a career with animals is a pretty broad statement. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different careers that
have to do with animals. There's marine biology, vet assisting, animal grooming, animal training, careers with the military. The list
goes on and on. So, what is it that I want to do? Well as it stands right now, all signs point to being a veterinarian technician.
For those who may be confused what a vet technician is, and how it may differ from being an actual veterinarian, let me clarify. Think
of a veterinarian as a human doctor. A veterinarian has an extensive knowledge on veterinary medicine, and is legally able to do
surgeries, diagnose patients, and prescribe treatments. Think of a vet technician as a nurse practitioner of the animal world. They can
do most of what a veterinarian can do (excluding what I mentioned before, of course). However, most of the care work falls onto the
shoulders of the veterinary technician. They take samples from the animals, help during surgeries, and keep a close eye on animal
health when they are being held in the vet building. Basically, they’re the care-takers of the animal world.
There are a lot of advantages to being an actual veterinarian over a vet tech. Vets make considerably more money, probably have a
more fulfilling job, and generally have a higher intelligence. So, with all these advantages (I especially know that some of you might
be wondering why I wouldn’t go for the higher paying career), why would I want to choose to be a vet tech? Well, being a vet tech has
its advantages as well. They’re hours are less demanding (I know a vet personally who works 12 hours just about every day of the
week), vet techs jobs are less taxing (emotionally and mentally), and vet techs get to spend more personal time with the animals.
The place that really inspired me, and showed me what a true animal hospital should be like is “Shively Animal Hospital” in
Louisville, Kentucky. They have not only some of the most amazing veterinarians and vet techs in the entire state of Kentucky, but
they care more than I’ve ever seen an animal hospital care before. They all work with smiles on their exhausted faces, knowing that
while their job is difficult, it’s their lives’ passions. They refer to all the animals as “the baby”, knowing that each animal brought into
there is just as important to the owner as their own child would be. They know the value of our pets, and they treat them exactly how
they should be treated: with love and compassion.
It’s this kind of place that I want to spend the rest of my life in. Working alongside people who care about their job, and what they’re
doing. Working on something that I don’t mind spending the rest of my life doing. I want to wake up every morning and look forward
to my work for the day.
You have to follow what your passion is in life, or you’re not going to be happy. All the dollar signs in the world don’t mean anything
if you can’t wake up in the morning, looking forward to more than something than green paper in your wallet.
Animals are an important part of our lives. They keep us healthy and happy to get us through the day. However, just like us humans,
animals get sick, and when they get sick, they have to go to their own doctor. These pet doctors, these veterinarians, are what keep our
beloved pets healthy, so that they can continue to make us happy with their love. For such an important part of our lives, why does it
seem to be that there are not nearly as many programs to keep our animals healthy as there are for humans?
Now, let me elaborate a bit about what I said. When I say “programs to keep our pets healthy”, I mean programs like Passport,
Medicaid, and other insurance assisting programs like those, that will help the financially handicapped to pay for their pet’s health.
Don’t our pets deserve to be cared for, even if we can’t financially care for them ourselves? Of course we provide the necessities;
food, shelter, water, and love, but sometimes, our babies can unexpectedly get sick or injured, and we may not have the funds for it at
the time. Now, in my own experience, I haven’t found many vet offices that would allow for a “lay-away” plan of sorts, which
allowed you to pay a little for your pet’s visit over time. The very few that I’ve come across that has allowed me to do this usually
charged an extreme interest rate, which isn’t good at all. So what are we to do when our pets need medical care and we don’t
physically have the funds to pay it? Are we to sit and wait, and hope that our pet doesn’t die soon?
Now, I’m not an expert on the economy, or how it works. I’m not going to pretend that I know all the repercussions of instituting a
“Pet Passport” program and I’m not going to act like I have all this entire idea planned out, but don’t you think that this is at least an
idea that should be taken into some amount of consideration?