Charolais heifer x charolais bull calving = difficult.
+ heifer in body condition score five out of five (ie FAT!) = very difficult
+ started calving a few days ago = rotten + maggots
+ thunderstorm = 3.5 hour foetotomy in the middle of a paddock + a cold, wet, bruised and very smelly vet.
Oh and while you're here... can you check my horse as well?

A small piece of folded paper with a love heart scribbled on the front. Inside is a hand-drawn picture of a blonde haired girl patting a cat, and the heavy handed script of a child.

"Dear Misty,
Thank you for being a wonderful pet"

Sometimes the smallest things remind us why it's worth the extra hours, the abuse, the tears, the stress, and the fears. We are not alone. They care too.

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.