In my wanderings around the world I've gained experience at animal shelters, private veterinary clinics and a feral cat sterilization clinic. I'm particularly keen to assist with the latter, because helping to eliminate cat and dog overpopulation not only saves the wildlife cats prey on, but also reduces the greatest cause of cat and dog suffering in the world. Once I've learnt to be a good general small animal vet I'd love to focus on feral cat sterilization clinics.
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Kittens.
Shelter work can be tough! In 2002 I worked at two animal shelters in the San Francisco Bay area. It’s always great working with the most neglected, abused animals. I saw dogs with chains they’d outgrown embedded in their necks. We euthanized a poor dog with hundreds of maggots eating away it its chest. We removed a stack of grass seeds from deep inside the ear of a dog that had doubtless suffered maddening irritation for many weeks. It’s fantastic to make such a huge difference in the life of a suffering, sentient creature. Helping those most in need gives unbeatable satisfaction – I recommend it to everyone, whether by volunteering in an animal shelter, at a soup kitchen, writing to a lonely long-term prisoner, or in some other way. These greatest of achievements are beyond the reach of absolutely no-one.