Student Experiences: The Big Fix

Submitted by Lauren Bynum, Texas A&M University

One of the reasons I first became interested in veterinary medicine was because of the time I spent volunteering with SNIPSA, Spay Neuter Inject Protect San Antonio. SNIPSA is a group that rescues, fosters, and adopts dogs out of shelters and holds large scale low cost spay/neuter operations out of San Antonio. It’s also the rescue organization from which I adopted my own dog, a foster failure Great Pyrenees named Riley. In high school, I volunteered at SNIPSA adoption events where I loved on the animals as we helped them find forever homes, and I worked the check in desk at quarterly “Big Fix” events where 400+ animals were spayed or neutered in a single day. I enjoyed my time helping out at check in or at adoption events, but I always longed to be a part of the actual surgeries. 

Now that I am a veterinary student with several years of technician experience, I was given the opportunity to work as an anesthesia technician at the last Big Fix I attended. I will admit—the fifteen hour day was quite long. My sore feet at the end of the day can confirm this. But getting to be a part of the action after years of watching from the outside of the surgery room was so worth it. Assisting the veterinarians as they neutered faster than we could even prep the next pack was intimidating, but so inspiring. They put my five cat minute neuters on my shelter rotation to shame! It quickly became impossible to keep track of the number of patients I’d worked on as the hours passed. Being in charge of running anesthesia was also a huge confidence booster. Learning about anesthesia and running cases on a rotation, under supervision, is one thing. But having a veterinarian trust you to keep their patient asleep and pain free as they focused on solely the surgery was a whole new level of responsibility that truly made me feel prepared to be a veterinarian myself in not too long. 

The veterinarians volunteering at SNIPSA came from all over Texas, and some even from out of state. Some were shelter veterinarians, some private practice, some mixed animal, and an equine vet was even there helping out! The planning and organization required to put this event into motion, to staff it, and to keep the day running smoothly can’t be understated. Even lunch was meticulously planned, which all the doctors and technicians were grateful for—long days are much better when you have a near constant supply of fajitas and brownies available to you at all times. Despite the long hours, morale was high, as we all shared a common goal: to save the animals. Spaying and neutering pets to reduce shelter overcrowding is one way we as future veterinarians can have a direct impact on animal welfare. I plan to continue doing this through SNIPSA, and I cannot wait to graduate so that I can give back to the animals of San Antonio and to the organization that helped inspire my love of veterinary medicine.   

SAVMA PHCOC: Serving Island Dogs

By: Kelle Keyles

I am a student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine currently doing my clinical

year at The Ohio State University. I have brought my love of the island animals and knowledge

of St. Kitts and Nevis’s severe lack of resources back stateside with me; I want to continue to

help support the animals of the island through many different facets. The first way is by sending

mostly donated supplies to St. Kitts and Nevis, having it be picked up by students or locals and

distributed to the local veterinary clinic. During my time on the island, which was almost 2 years

consecutively due to travel restrictions during COVID, I learned how the local clinic and

veterinary staff provide care to the local population. The entire clinic is run by one local woman

who is the technician and one veterinarian, with the addition of local volunteers from time to

time. It was a privilege to see first hand how they used minimal resources to cater to the local

animals in need.

My wife lived on the island with me and was hired by the first and only physical animal shelter

on the island. She worked as the foster and adoption coordinator and kennel attendant for about a

year which allowed us to take in some animals from the local clinic that were abandoned or

surrendered there. Once at the shelter we were able to get them into foster and adoptive homes.

The local animal population on St. Kitts and Nevis are severely underserved, often resulting in

owners having to surrender their pets. The stray population on the island is also very high and the

limited resources makes it difficult to control the population and get them proper medical care.

Veterinary care for small animals is already limited on the island as most of the local

veterinarians work with the agriculture department with the livestock and large animal

concerns.Since leaving the island for my clinical year at The Ohio State, I have been

brainstorming ways to continue to support the animals of St. Kitts and Nevis and help provide

them with veterinary essentials such as dog food, cat traps for spay/neutering feral cats, and

donated medications. In conjunction with sending down resources to the local veterinary clinic

on island, Ponds Veterinary Clinic, we have also been flying out puppies rescued from the streets

or abandoned at the local clinic We have partnered with a local vet student run rescue in Ohio, as

well as a Ross Alumni who works for a rescue in Pennsylvania . These are the two primary

locations our island dogs go when they come to the states. We have imported a total of 14 dogs

so far to the United States and we continue to keep contacts and options open for transporting

more dogs in the future.

I am able to continue to supply resources to the local clinic and continue to fly dogs off island

with the collaboration of Ross University Veterinary students on island. They help by

volunteering at the local clinic, picking up packages and pallets sent down, as well as fostering

and being flight buddies for dogs being flown off island. Students have been fundamental in our

ability to provide more assistance to the island while living in America. Students coordinate with

us to rescue and provide them with health care and a foster home, as well as prepare them for a

flight to one of the rescues we partner with. Students have been willing to help pick up shipments

from customs and distribute them to the local clinic and local community members in need. We

hope that with each experience they have learned that there are ways to continue to help the

island even from America that they will be inspired to do the same when they leave. St Kitts and

Nevis is a beautiful country, with some of the greatest people and they deserve to be able to

provide their animals with the best medical care. The stray animals living on the street deserve

loving homes and access to adequate medical care too. We are proud to still remain a part of the

community of students and locals that help the animals on the island and will always work

towards growing and changing for the better for them. We have since started a non-profit to

continue our support of animals and locals on the island, called Penelopes Rescue Mission.

April PHCOC Newsletter Quiz

Happy Friday Vet Med!

Here's a great opportunity to learn something and win some $$$! Take a peek at the April Newsletter from SAVMA's Public Health and Community Outreach Committee! Take this quick quiz for a chance to win $25!  

Click HERE for the ARTICLE!

Click HERE to take the QUIZ!

SAVMA Honors National Women's History Month & International Women's Day

 

SAVMA is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women's Day.  In 2020, women made up 64% of employed veterinarians. While there are numerous notable women throughout veterinary history and present, we highlight a few firsts:

• Dr. Elinor McGrath is considered the first woman to practice veterinary medicine after earning her DVM from the Chicago Veterinary College (1910).
• Drs. Jane Hinton and Alfreda Johnson Webb are considered the first Black women to earn DVMs from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine (1949). Both women also became the first Black members of the Women’s Veterinary Medicine Association.
• Dr. Ethel Connelly was the first Native American woman to graduate with a DVM from Colorado State University (1989). She continues to serve the animals and people of the Blackfeet Tribe.

Image Descriptor: The text states, “SAVMA Honors National Women’s History Month 2021. Images of Dr. Jane Hinton, Dr. Alfreda Johnson, Dr. Elinor McGrath, and Dr. Ethel Connelly are presented on right side.

Sources: MedVet, AVMA, Today’s Veterinary Practice, Colorado State University

CDC Public Health Essay Contest

The Public Health and Community Outreach Committee (PHCOC) has organized an essay contest to award 10 awards of $200 to individuals who attended the 2021 CDC Veterinary Public Health Q&A Panel. This contest is meant to encourage interest in public health and support those considering a career in veterinary public health. In order to be eligible for this scholarship, the student must be a SAVMA member in good standing attending an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine. 

The biennial CDC Day was held virtually this year as a Q&A Panel featuring veterinary public health professionals on January 11th, 2021. Essay applicants should have attended or watched the recording of the webinar.

Students must answer the following question in 500 words or less: Describe what you learned from the CDC Public Health Panel and how this is important to you and your future veterinary career.

Apply at this link by March 1, 2021. If you have any questions, please email savma.phcoc@gmail.com.