Animal Connections

Hello everyone,

When applying to veterinary school, it is important to have animal care and/or veterinary experience in most of the six VMCAS experience categories: Small Animal (dogs and cats), Equine, Food Animal (livestock), Zoo Animal/Wildlife, Avian/Exotics (pet rodents, birds, reptiles, etc.), and Research. Until now, I had earned hours in all of the categories except for Food Animal. I was very excited when I got an opportunity to work with cattle and chickens a few weeks ago. Dr. Rogers was on vacation for the day, so Victoria and I accompanied the state vet Christiaan on his inspections. Even though I had learned a bit about these animals’ anatomy and physiology, I felt that there was a deep void in my knowledge because I had not personally worked with them. I have never, ever been a spiritual person, but since I have come to South Africa and worked with so many different species, the connections I have built with the animals around me have made realize that working with animals is more than just having the knowledge to handle and medicate them correctly. What I am trying to describe is difficult to put into words; perhaps you could say that I am have to understand their 'energy' or 'aura' in order to feel fully comfortable around them. For any new species, its energy is an unknown variable. I do not yet understand the nature of their communication, movement, motivation, and body language. My lack of understanding can feel quite unnerving because I feel like I am blind. It is like meeting someone for the first time without knowing what their voice sounds like. Therefore, when I am introduced to a new species, I always spend a few minutes watching their behavior. I observe how my coworkers approach and handle them. I try to understand what the animals are thinking and and how they interact with each other. Once I have this knowledge, I am confident and calm when I approach the animals.

As I said before, I have never been a spiritual person—I am strictly scientific, needing proof to believe anything. However, working with so many different species during the past six weeks has made me self-aware of my spiritual connection with the animal world. I not only feel compassion towards the animals I work with—I identify with them deeply. I strive to communicate with them, to comfort them, just like I connected and communicated with Annabelle, the White-Headed Vulture, and the Old Rhino. The scientific part of me is thinking: perhaps I feel this way because the water is different here. Perhaps I am a little too much in my own head. I guess I will have to keep exploring.

Sincerely,

Aria