Animal Aid: Flashback to my vet tech days

A million years ago, I worked full time as a veterinary technician. I started when I was 18, got trained on the job, and proceeded to work at a couple of hospitals for the next 13 years. (The photo above is from my time at Lancaster Animal Hospital) However, it didn't pay the bills, the hours were long, and one day I was given an opportunity to have a job in a different field...photography. And so I took a chance, and left one career for a completely different one, and haven't looked back since.

When I came to India last March, it was to volunteer as a vet tech for the month at Animal Aid in Udaipur...I was kinda missing the hands on work and animal interaction, and I even left the cameras at home to help me concentrate on the volunteer work!! However, they were so well staffed and had it all figured out, that my vet tech skills languished in the oppressive heat and I spent a month picking ticks off of dogs. Not exactly a challenge for me. I left feeling a bit useless and defeated.

The next visit to Animal Aid (in October) was to help with photography, a skill that the owners actually needed for marketing purposes. Ah! Something I can DO!! I spent 2 weeks going out with the ambulance, at the hospital, and had a ball doing it.

This is my 3rd time to Animal Aid, and I am in India for 3 months this time. I started out doing some video work, but also made time for fun and traveling around. So last week, I go flying off to Kolkata, and when I get back, everything at Animal Aid has changed. One of their vets (and about 5 of the vet techs) had QUIT. They walked out, I think it had something to do with a salary dispute.

The point is, I come back from the trip and...they actually need me! To do VET TECH stuff! Wow. I am loving it. For the last 3 days, I have given injections, started IV's, assisted with surgeries, managed paperwork and schedules for dog care, and started to re-organize their inventory. The project had begun when I was gone, but once the staff walked out, it wasn't exactly a priority...the animals come first.

So I am trying to take everything they have (medications, injectable drugs, bandaging, suture material, surgical instruments, vitamins, etc) and sort thru it...chucking the expired or unidentifiable things, collecting the remainder, and sorting them out in a logical fashion.
This photo is from the Lancaster Animal Hospital, when I worked there oh-so-long-ago. Laurie was in charge of inventory, but we both helped with keeping things organized. Anyone that's ever worked with me knows JUST how obsessive I can get about organizing on a large scale. :)