From Gus's Perspective

4-Legged Friends

I am a set of eyes; I sit upon a shelf above a sink in the Munford High spay and neuter clinic. Some days are calm and other days are hectic. Many students hangout in the lab and many furry animals take a good nap here. A lady named Mrs. Hammond and her working crew of vet interns take really good care of this place. Many veterinarians come through here and teach the students how to handle animals, how to treat certain illnesses, and even how to prepare for surgeries. Many responsibilities are taught and kept up with. During surgery days, I get to see veterinarians eye-to-eye when they scrub in and silently thank them for making an impact on these kids at such a young age. Many questions are asked, and demonstrations are made.

On surgery days, you can see a lady named Mrs. Lee bringing in many cats, and sometimes dogs, to get treated for sickness and/or spayed or neutered. She's always making phone calls and making sure that every animal that passes through here gets the treatment they need. She even treats the interns to a sonic drink when days are crazier than normal. This program is so thankful for her and without her they wouldn’t be able to make this impact on the community. Mrs Hammond is the mastermind behind all of this. She charts every cat, controls all of the drugs properly, gets her students involved, and pushes them to be the best they can be every day. Although stress sometimes weighs her down, she keeps going. When things need to be done, she gets them done; when a student needs help, she helps that student. Her interns are so thankful for her, and I can see them working every day to better the clinic.

Many cats come through here and although some may not have a pleasant visit, they all get loads of love. The interns give them name tags and always cry out “aweeee” when they see a cat they love. Shots are given and lessons are learned. All of the interns come together and work in an assembly line to make sure every cat gets prepped, receives surgery, recovers, and loved before they leave to get adopted. Cats are checked up and down for skin issues or any underlying illnesses. When the animals awake from their slumber, many laughs are heard, and pictures are taken. The cats have no clue what's going on but if I had to guess, they love the attention and affection. At the end of the day, it takes a village to be able to keep this clinic alive and growing. I’m glad I'm a part of it.

by Jayda Gilliland