When asked what
she wanted to be when she grew up, every little girl went through a phase where
her answer was a veterinarian. This was me. I waivered from veterinarian, to
lawyer, to teacher, but I always came back to it—being a vet—although it
waivered, it always prevailed.
My aspiration to
become a veterinarian really was substantiated as I was pressured to apply to
colleges and really think about my future. I had always loved animals
(naturally, because who doesn’t use that as a reason to become a veterinarian?),
but when thinking about it, I hated history. I loved writing, but what was I
supposed to do with that? I had a love-hate relationship with art. I was decent
at it, but it was too time consuming and I quickly grew bored of the tedious
and nit picky projects. I always loved science though. Chemistry was chemistry,
and biology was biology, but what I really loved was anatomy.
I was fortunate
enough to take Mr. Hill anatomy at a little private school in Sumter, South
Carolina, the smallest “larger city” I had ever had the pleasure and misfortune
of living in. Hill anatomy was the dreaded class of the junior classes. It was
hard, tedious, complicated, and confusing, and to top it off, it was taught by
Hugh Hill, which put the class on a whole new level of difficult. But I
succeed. I conquered the textbook form the 70’s, the pop-tests, the bonus minor
100s, the “now people,” the cellular respiration test, and the fetal pig (which
was awesome!). I was one of the few students who were able to finish with an A
in the class, because I loved anatomy. The body is an amazing vessel. It moves
beautifully, it functions smoothly, and the processes, the checks and balances,
the defenses the body has, have all evolved from nothing into the delicate
network of systems that function as one cohesive whole.
Living a life in
service the human race seems rewarding. Working to save and heal, to make a
difference in the human race, well, that would be cool. But I was never
interested in dealing with my own kind, hence why I’m at Clemson for animal and
veterinary sciences. As a high school graduate, and a future college student, I
had my path set. I would attend Clemson to major in animal and veterinary
sciences and hopefully, gain acceptance to a vet school to earn a degree in
veterinary medicine. I loved animals and was fascinated by the functions of the
body, so it seemed well suited for me. But it wasn’t until I was employed by
the local SPCA that I really discovered my calling.
As a child, I
was a PETA person (*gag*). I was all into stopping the fur trade, going vegan,
discontinuing the use of hormones, saving turkeys on thanksgiving, and no kill
shelters. I was very passionate about no kill shelters and stopping euthanasia.
I wanted to end the “massacre” of innocent animals that had no play in getting
turned into kill shelters. I found it barbaric, and at one point aspired to own
the largest no kill shelter in the nation. And so there I was, filling out my
application for my summer job at my local animal shelter, answering questions
about my opinion of euthanasia. Of course I answered honestly saying that I
understood why it was needed, but looking back now, I didn’t have the slightest
idea of the truth.
That summer I
watched hundreds (yes, HUNDREDS) of helpless animals get turned the shelter,
and for a wide range of reasons—stray, can’t afford, won’t hunt, too big,
aggressive, moving, doesn’t get along with other pets, digs, having a baby,
allergic, injured, destructive, too old, owner hospitalized, food
aggressive—and from this I quickly learned. The media shows what it wants to
show. It targets your emotions, tugs at your heartstrings, aims for your
wallet, but the media often leaves out the truth. That summer I learned the
truth.
There is a major
overpopulation of cats and dogs in the United States. They cannot all be fed, a
human cannot love them all, they cannot all live under a protective roof, they
cannot all survive. It is impossible to feed all of these animals, it is
impossible to vaccinate them all and give them the medical attention they need.
The over population alone is a huge contributor to the amount of animals turned
into shelters every year, and a lot of people fail to realize this. The public
also fails to properly defend against this problem. Due to money concerns,
people refrain from spaying and neutering their pets, greatly contributing to
the excess amount of animals. Often times, people cannot afford the medical
attention their animal needs and resort to abandoning their “beloved pets” on
the side of a road or in a box under a bridge, adding to the stay animal
population. Impulse purchases, job opportunities, lack of funds, or new family
members also contribute to the large intake of animals at shelters. All aspects
of owning a pet are often overlooked when actually acquiring one. People fail
to realize the total cost, the lifespan, the time commitment, the medical care,
and the living arrangements needed for owning an animal.
The media and
organizations like PETA claim to advocate for animals, but they hide the
problem behind the solution. In regards to euthanasia, it is a necessity.
Pretty? Ideal? No, of course not. But it is humane and quick, and surly better
than starving on the street or dying a slow death from the lack of medical
attention.
This idea really
conflicts with many people’s beliefs and ideas of what animal welfare is. I was
prime example, especially when discussing euthanasia. However, my whole view
was changed and to think that I once was against euthanasia kind of blows my
mind. After having the amazing opportunity of working at the animal shelter and
becoming educated on something I thought I was educated on, I found out why I
really wanted to become a veterinarian. I wanted to advocate for animals. I
wanted to give them a voice. I wanted to educate the public on the real
concerns, and not what the media could make money off of. I wanted to prove all
of the misconceptions of animal welfare wrong, and explain what was right.
And now I’m
here, about to start project 4, a research project. And what will be the subject
of my project 4 research paper? Duh. I will be proving wrong the most popular
animal welfare misconceptions I have come across—the food animal industry,
vegetarianism, and animal shelter practices. And while I know some people will
always hold onto their beliefs, I hope that I at least am able to enlighten
someone on what the truth really is“.”
 |
| Contrary to popular belief, cows are fantastic cuddlers! This is Tilly and me at the Clemson University's Livestock show, which was Tilly's last show! She earned second place in confirmation and first in my heart! |
No comments:
Post a Comment