Animal Abuse

[ILoveKona]

Hello Animal Lovers,
If youguys are anything like me you probably cannot bear to hear stories about animals that are suffering or have been abused. When I hear a story about an animal being abused, it breaks my heart and I cannot stop thinking about it. How do youguys deal with hearing a sad story like that? Please don't share any abuse stories with me.
Thanks All!

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[EqSci]

Become involved! Volunteer at your shelter, foster some animals, contact some rescues and see if they need help with transportation, e-mail follow-up, even walking dogs. It won't stop you from hearing the stories, but it will make you feel like you're doing something to help. I think the horrible feeling comes from feeling helpless, and you can do many things to help!

Compassion is a good thing. Nothing ever stops the pain we feel when we know an animal has suffered, that's why we're animal lovers. But use that pain to your advantage - use it as motivation - use it to prevent abuse from happening to another animal or to help an animal that has already experienced abuse.

 

[Pomona2006]

Yes! I agree with EqSci - Get Involved!

When I've learned of animals that were abused/neglected and were being rescued, I got in my car and headed to help in whatever way possible (if things were within driving distance...and I have driven many hours to help out). Helping out makes me feel better about it and it really makes a difference.

 

[ILoveKona]

Thank you for your response!

 

[Electrophile]

Sometimes just indifference makes me as angry as abuse or neglect. Sometimes you just get so aggravated by how stupid people can be. And the sheer numbers that you can't do anything to help is pretty incredible. But I try to remember the starfish story by Loren Eisley:

One day, a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking up something and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"

The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."

"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one."

​

And then I remember Simba 1, Simba 2, Anna, Zeke, Buddy 1, Buddy 2 (who I have now as a foster), Loki, Colorado, Taqui, Ursala, Gracie, Dolly, Draco, Romy, Dutch, Elle, Ellie, Max, Champ, Lucky, Otter, Rocky, Scarlet, Shane, Buck and Lily (both who I kept), and dozens of other dogs I've fostered and helped at the local shelter and I remember I made a difference for that one.

 

[Malhi]

I love that story! I agree, everyone can make a difference.

 

[Kimberly5]

Just wanted to get everyone's opinion on the topic of animal welfare and compassion as it relates to vet school applications. Do you think it affects your application negatively if you indicate that you are interested in rescue/shelter medicine or if you are an "animal lover". I had a research associate (who wrote one of my recommendation ltrs) tell me that I because I mentioned being a pet owner, my interest in shelter medicine, and fostering in my personal statement, that I sounded like an "animal freak" which he said was exactly what admissions committees don't want in their schools.

In my opinion, you cannot be a GOOD vet without compassion for animals and a lot of love for them. As a vet, you deal with too much crap to do it for the money (which you can make in a lot of easier occupations). I think most of us initially become interested in vet medicine because we do love animals. Anyways, just wanted to get input from other applicants/successful applicants.

 

[Malhi]

I think that it is understood that everyone applying loves animals and vet schools don't want to hear that. However, I did mention it as the start of my interest in veterinary medicine and then expanded on it.

But if you're interested in shelter medicine (as a career?), I would definitely put that down. It's an upcoming field that a lot of schools are encouraging interest in these days.

 

[Electrophile]

You can be an animal freak, just probably not an animal rights freak. I had the foster coordinator who I worked with at the local shelter write one of my LOR, so no, I don't think that's negative at all. Plus if you're volunteering/fostering, that's more than just a job because your only reward is seeing the faces of the new owners as they go home with the kitten you helped nurse back to health or the lick of the dog because you went the extra mile to help with a rescue transport. I think it was helpful because in shelter medicine, it's almost more like herd health than "regular" upper middle class small animal medicine you see in a clinic in the suburbs. You see a lot of things that you may not see as much of in animals who are generally well cared for: mange, GI parasites, infectious disease, malnutrition, dehydration, injuries, trauma, severe behavior problems, etc. You also are hopefully well aware that you can't save everything and understand the reality of overpopulation and euthanasia. That's probably a more down and dirty experience than someone who's applying who's playing up their job as a receptionist and hasn't dealt with much more traumatizing than cleaning the pee from Mr. Tinkles the incontinent Pekinese in the waiting area.

 

[Pomona2006]

...in shelter medicine, it's almost more like herd health than "regular" upper middle class small animal medicine you see in a clinic in the suburbs. You see a lot of things that you may not see as much of in animals who are generally well cared for: mange, GI parasites, infectious disease, malnutrition, dehydration, injuries, trauma, severe behavior problems, etc. You also are hopefully well aware that you can't save everything and understand the reality of overpopulation and euthanasia. That's probably a more down and dirty experience than someone who's applying who's playing up their job as a receptionist and hasn't dealt with much more traumatizing than cleaning the pee from Mr. Tinkles the incontinent Pekinese in the waiting area.

Electrophile - you make me smile! Most of my experience has been with a shelter vet and I must say reading what you wrote about shelter medicine meant a great deal to me as that is the field I am hoping to go into! For whatever reason, I have come to see what I do as "normal" but you made me realize (once again) that it is unique and special in its own way.

So thank you for what you wrote!

 

[missy25]

Hello Animal Lovers,
If youguys are anything like me you probably cannot bear to hear stories about animals that are suffering or have been abused. When I hear a story about an animal being abused, it breaks my heart and I cannot stop thinking about it. How do youguys deal with hearing a sad story like that? Please don't share any abuse stories with me.
Thanks All!

I agree with you 100%.
It makes me feel horrible when I hear a story like that and I get real quiet and I wish I can do something for that animal.
But sometimes I just cry.. Everyone has a way of getting their emotions out.

 

[david594]

I started helping out at the local animal shelter recently and I have to say I really feel like it brought small animal medicine full circle for me.

I started out working in a medium size wellness clinic seeing your typical wellness cases.

I then got a job working weekends at an emergency hospital. There I saw some of our wellness clients with actual emergencies when we are closed or some of the specialty cases we referred there.

Then finally at the animal shelter I am seeing animals being given up that I have seen at both my other jobs. Like a dog with a broken leg seen at my wellness job referred to the emergency hospital for ortho surgery. They had the consult but didn't do the surgery and gave the dog up a couple weeks later to the shelter. Or another recently adopted dog seen a couple weekends in a row at the emergency hospital for fights with the other dog in the household that ended up being given back up to the shelter.

Or going the other way seeing the recently adopted healthy kittens from the shelter that come in for their first wellness exams. Or the not quite so healthy ones where we see the recently adopted kittens at night at the emergency hospital because their URI has gotten so bad the little bugger has stopped eating.

The experience at the shelter has done a whole lot more for me than I would have expected and is something I would definitely recommend for others.

 

[DrKsomeday]

I agree with david594 the work I have done in shelter medicine really brings things full circle for me. I still have folks tell me the stories but those that know me well understand how those stories bother me. I also don’t let them lie at just a story. I think that is what separates us from going from pre-vet to vet. Getting out there and doing something about the story. Yes, you can’t “fix” the world or save every animal but when you hear a story if you do nothing then you know how it ends. If you try, well the outcome could be completely different.
As for the application debate to include or not…. For me I included all of my work with shelters, rescues, and non-profits this go around.
Last application cycle I down played it and during my file review with CSU I was told that the biggest comment reviewers made on my application was that they wanted more depth. Why I got involved, how it impacted me, what I’ve learned, my specific role/job, how I plan to use a DVM degree in my work in the future, etc.
When I explained why I had down played things and my concerns I was told that was an old mindset and that the field of shelter medicine is expanding. That it is considered a nitch and one that needs new comers with innovative ideas to work in. I was also told similar to what Electrophile said, it showed this file review person that I realized how tough it really is and tenacity to still want to enter into such work with the hope of brining change.
So hopefully including and being more direct will land me a seat this year.

 

[sumstorm]

I would definitly include it, and if it is a field your interested in, share and explain.

I would avoid the generic 'I love animals' statement as a reasoning behind anything. Why? because it is generic, inarticulate, and unexpressive. I can assure you from personal contact that some dog fighters will profess how much they love the dogs they fight. Most of us have seen people who 'love' thier pets while leaving them on a chain with less than adequate resources. On the other side, many of us know a cat owner who 'loves' thier cat so much they won't restrict thier food, despite a grade IV heart murmur and diabetes while the cat is as round as a ball.

I have working dogs; I do search and rescue. I love my shepherd enough to put my life in her hands routinely. A better way for me to express that love is: I take great pleasure in a connection with my shepherd that feels profound; where she and I share the responsabilities of our search task and depend on each other to survive and help another survive. Which sounds better and gives you a more complete idea?

I would suggest finding a clearer way to express what it is that you love about working with animals. If that is the challenges and such of shelter work, go for it. I wouldn't downplay any experience that is relevant to my development, just express what you gain and learn from it as clearly as possible.