1/11/2024 0 Comments Kqed tv daily scheduleMark Primiano Veterinarian Kathy Gervais works 12-hour days, not only caring for animals, but also helping humans emotionally cope with a sick pet. "You have to wait by the phone, you have to be ready to refresh your browser. "Getting your dog in to see the vet is as competitive as trying to buy Coachella tickets online," says Laura Vittet, whose golden retriever, Gertrude, is 1 1/2 years old. At the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' veterinary hospital in San Francisco, so many vets and technicians have left that the clinic has had to cut back its hours, says veterinarian Kathy Gervais.ĭog owners say they've had to wait months for vet appointments or drive to vets far from home to get care. The overwork and short staffing of the pandemic has affected veterinarians as much as it has other doctors and nurses, and dealing with the constant moral dilemmas and emotional output is driving many to burn out. The resulting spike in pet health concerns has been straining a corner of the medical world that doesn't get as much attention as doctors and nurses: veterinarians. Others, working from home, started paying more attention to their existing pets' daily routines, noticing symptoms like vomiting or coughing. "I always say, dogs are people, so I love him," says Yves Dudley, looking on as her 9-month-old collie-schnauzer mix plays in the grass.Īcross the country, 23 million families adopted a new pet in the first year of the pandemic. Her owner, Diana McAllister, feeds her home-made treats from a blue Ziploc bag, then pops one into her own mouth.Īnd after spending two years at home through the pandemic, it's clear that for a lot of these owners, their dogs are their children. About 40 dogs run around, chasing balls and wrestling, as their owners coo and '90s hip-hop bumps out of a portable speaker.Ī Chihuahua mix named Honey lounges on a bench wearing a blue tutu and a string of pearls. At the park near Duboce Triangle in San Francisco, 5 p.m.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |