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Meet Grace! She has been volunteering in the hospital for more than a year and has volunteered more than 90 hours of her time. Grace is studying pre-veterinary medicine, and loves getting to be in the hospital. Grace, we are so thankful for you! Thank you for making Mission apart of your educational pursuits. You truly make a difference!!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a Junior in college and am studying pre-veterinary medicine. My dream job is to work part time as an equine veterinarian and part time as a horse/rider trainer and dressage judge.
Why do you volunteer with Mission Animal Hospital?
I started volunteering at Mission Animal Hospital as a way to gain experience working in a veterinary clinic as doing so will improve my college application to vet school. I do enjoy working at Mission though, it is interesting to watch the clinic run and observe the different cases that come through.
What's your favorite volunteer task in the hospital?
I like cleaning surgical instruments best. I'm working on learning all their names and uses (I don't know many yet though, chem is taking up most of my study time!)
What do you do when you're not volunteering here?
I love riding horses, which is my main hobby. I have been riding since I was six and my favorite equestrian activities are eventing and fox hunting. Anything to do with horses is interesting to me and I hope to be able to work as an equine veterinarian and perhaps a trainer or judge at some point in my life. Besides horses, I also enjoy piano, poetry, archery, and any activity with animals.
Do you have any pets?
My favorite pet is my German Shorthaired Pointer, Jack. I also own three outdoor cats named Zelda, Pippi, and Duchess. I hope to get some bantam chickens soon and my favorite breeds are Silkies, Dutch game bantams, and d'Uccles (the Mille Fleur variety). In the past, I've owned guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, fish, a horse, and many cats.
Tell us about a pet that had a big impact on your life.
My dog Jack has probably had the biggest impact on my life. I have owned him since he was a puppy and he was a very frustrating dog until about age 6 when he finally calmed down. Being a hunting dog, Jack had tons of energy and was destructive and disobedient during his younger years. I'm very glad I decided to keep him, however, because for the last 5 years he has been a wonderful friend and companion. He is the most affectionate, intelligent, and expressive dog I've known. It just took 6 years to get there!
What's the most memorable moment in your time volunteering with Mission Animal Hospital?
I think the most memorable moment was watching 3-4 vet techs trying to sedate a very large, fluffy, and anxious dog for surgery. The dog was not feeling very amicable and the techs had to wrap him in a comforter before they could administer the sedative. I was impressed by their patience and tenacity!