Once upon a time, not so long ago, in a place closer to your home than you care to imagine an unsuspecting vet walked into an animal shelter. 3 hours later the same vet hurried out of the building with red eyes, mascara stains running down her cheeks and the deaths of nearly 30 healthy, happy, playful animals on her concience.
Death is a part of our job, we all know that. It makes us unique. Cops, soldiers, abbettior workers... There aren't many jobs where you're trained even encouraged to kill, and even then for most people in those professions deaths are not a regular occurance. Maybe one day a cop will have to pull the trigger, or a soildier gets deployed to a war zone, but for the majority life will flow peacefully by. For the unlucky few, councilling, mental health leave, compensation. Whatever they need to make all the memories and the nightmares go away.
I spent 3 hours murdering society's unwanted and forgotten animals then headed back to the clinic to discuss how to de-flea and worm your dog. I cried myself to sleep for 3 days.
This week I go back. And next month. And the one after. And the one after that.
Fairytales don't have happy endings, they have morals to teach a lesson. Maybe one day society will listen and there will be no need for me to go back. But maybe one day isn't soon enough.
And people wonder why vets seem so jaded? Well put, Hood.
ReplyDeleteAnimal lovers, animal killers. We are the ones who devoted our lives to saving animals and we are also the ones who must end their lives - and carry them with us for the rest of our own. Thanks, Red, for the insight.
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