All in a Day's Work

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I work for the professional associations of both the veterinarians and the animal health technologists in my province. These talented and caring people do remarkable work, and their work isn’t limited to companion and farm animals. Sometimes, the clients of veterinarians and AHTs are a real wild bunch.

Meet Huey, a wolverine with a toothache. Huey is a resident of the Assiniboine Park Zoo and he’s about to get a root canal whether he wants one or not.

Click here to watch a video of Huey's root canal. He may not be happy about his dental surgery, but he'll feel a whole lot better after it's all done. Have a speedy recovery Huey, and good luck with your next root canals!

Because I love animals, I’ve always thought that being a veterinarian would be a great job. If you weren’t in your current profession, or if you weren’t a writer, what job do you think you’d like to do?

Puppy Love: The Office Edition

My dog Lou

I work two part-time jobs, one as a bookkeeper for a provincial veterinary association, and one as secretary/admin assistant/bookkeeper for the provincial animal health technologists association. Both associations have a common goal; to look after the health and welfare of animals.

So it probably comes as no surprise that one of the questions I was asked when I interviewed for the job with the animal health technologists was whether I had a pet. Of course I do! My dog Lou is the love of my life. Before we had Lou, we had cats for over twenty years. And before that, when I was a kid growing up on the farm, I was surrounded by animals.



Indigo

 As much as I love Lou and all the other pets I’ve had, I’ve never considered bringing any of them to work with me. That wasn’t even an option. But my current colleagues, and our employers, think that happiness is a warm puppy. And it might even make the office a more enjoyable place to work.

So let me introduce the four-legged colleagues that I share office space with.

Michelle started bringing Indigo with her to work shortly after she began working with us this past summer. Indy is a laid back kind of girl. She’s also a big girl. Being a Mastiff, she has a huge head and a wide chest. Indy is not what you’d call a high energy dog, which is a good thing because at her size she’d be pretty hard to handle if she was a bundle of energy. But she’s a sweet, affectionate pooch, who loves to come to visit me a few times during the day for a little scratch and some loving. Michelle found Indy at the Humane Society.



Huey



Huey was recently adopted by Andrea from animal services (aka “the pound”), which meant that he was found running loose without any identification. He is absolutely adorable! Andrea started bringing him to work to give her three cats a break; apparently they didn’t take it well when he moved in. We think he has some kind of terrier in him, perhaps Jack Russell terrier. But whatever breed he is, he’s got a big heart. I love Huey for the enthusiasm of his daily greetings. Nobody else is that happy to see me in the morning!



Winnie



Winnie is the youngest member of our little menagerie. Simone got her at animal services. At only a few months old, she’s still in the puppy stage, so she sometimes gets into a bit of trouble. For instance last Friday, we were all working in our offices and we could hear Winnie chewing on what we thought was her bone. Turns out it was Michelle’s shoe. Winnie loves to play and she enjoys a nice scratch and a cuddle. Though she still has a lot to learn, she’s a beautiful girl, and so smart. She’s going to grow into a wonderful companion.

Though none of these guys are purebreds, they’re fantastic dogs, proving that wonderful pets can be found at shelters. And they make pretty good employees too!     

Do you have a pet? I’d love to hear about him/her. Have you ever had the opportunity to take your pet to work?