Being an Animal Care technician is similar to being a nurse. When our shift starts, we are assigned a certain number of “patients,” which for us means dogs and cats, to provide care to throughout the day. Each technician makes sure the pets have clean linens for bedding, special dietary food if needed, a warm, clean and dry living space, walks, clean litter pans, and lots of mental stimulation (through toys, tender loving care and playtime). We also must constantly monitor their physical condition and report any medical or behavioral symptoms to the appropriate veterinary or training staff. And like nurses, if samples need to be collected for assessment, we do that too.
For many of the dogs and cats at the Richmond SPCA, their time here is a lot like a hospital stay. Their paperwork is completed by members of our admissions team and they receive a thorough medical intake examination by one of our veterinarians. For those with no known medical or behavioral conditions requiring treatment or rehabilitation, they might be ready within a few days for spaying or neutering. If they show no signs of infection or illness, then they move up to the adoption center and soon unite with a loving new companion. For these pets, their stay is relatively brief. We enjoy getting to know them while they are in our care, and we are delighted to see them find a new home.
Other dogs and cats might not make the same quick transition into a permanent home. While hospitals have limits on the length of a stay due to rising costs and limited space, here at the Richmond SPCA we have some pets who are with us for a more extended period of time. As a proud no-kill shelter, we make a commitment to each and every animal in our charge to provide a safe and nurturing environment to them until they get adopted. For some of our more long-term residents, it can take several weeks or months before they meet their perfect match.
For our animal care technicians, the relationship is no longer that of patient and caretaker in these cases. They become our dear friends. Our family. The formation of this relationship is the most rewarding part of our job. Every day I’m excited to come in and see Bruno’s smiling face. I make an extra effort to cheer up Marsha who always looks a bit glum until you take her out for a walk. When these more long-term residents finally find a new family, it's bittersweet in a way. We are so excited that they found a great home, but at the same time, we’re saying goodbye. Goodbye to a friend.
Timothy Joyner is the assistant manager of animal care at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.
I am a dog lover. Every, dog I have had was adopted, SPCA, a humane society, and some just followed me home and never left. I find myself sometimes visiting the SPCA just to see their sweet beautiful faces. I am convinced of one thing...Humans don't adopt dogs, they adopt us.
Posted by: Robin Sebastian | March 04, 2011 at 02:44 PM