2020 In Review

As 2020 comes to an end it is the perfect time to reflect on the events of the past months. As I look back and think about what I was doing last year at this time I could not have imagined how we would have to rethink and adjust our ways in the coming months.

Let me start by saying how grateful I am to work in an industry that was considered essential! I was fortunate to be able to come to work daily, do the job that I love and help our clients cope in a time when our everyday normal activities changed. Yes, I could come to work daily but we had to adopt measures to ensure the safety of our staff as well as our clients. I will admit that the first couple of months were filled with uncertainty as we did not know much about Covid. We chose to be “curbside”. That meant that during the Spring that was filled with Spring showers we were standing outside a client’s car, taking the pet’s history and then taking the pet inside to provide the needed care. Spring moved onto summer and we went from spring showers to summer’s heat. And, we stood outside our client’s cars, taking histories, etc. Finally, in July, we felt comfortable allowing the majority of our clients to enter our building but with measures set up to provide safe social distancing.

I am fortunate to work with an amazing staff! I would like to point out that we have every decade covered from teens to 60s. I will not say which of us fall into which decade but we have them covered! That being said, our staff pulled together and provided care for our patients and worked many long hours. With our new protocols in place each appointment took a bit longer with our front office spending more time talking to clients on the phone explaining our new protocols. Our techs and assistants reached their step goals daily performing the curbside protocol. Our doctors had to adjust their pet side exam routines to accommodate our new normal. We worked together long hours to provide care for our client’s pets but we still found time to celebrate within our clinic. I found that lunches and treats were very appreciated by our staff.

Our staff, along with many of you, found that 2020 was not what we planned. We missed out on many things that we always look forward to every year. Our kid’s sports, proms, graduations, weddings and family celebrations were not able to be celebrated. But there were some silver linings. We slowed down. We sat down to family dinners. We were not leaving work in a rush to get to some activity. Yes, we missed those events but hopefully found something of value instead. We saw new puppies and kittens, we saw clients that we had not seen for a few years and we were able to spend more time with our own pets!

I want to thank our staff and clients alike for being able to adapt to our new protocols. One of the best things about working in veterinary medicine is being able to care for pets but also building bonds with our clients.

There is no way I could have predicted what 2020 would be like. I am grateful to work in a place where by doing our “jobs” we are able to help people cope with the stresses of functioning in a pandemic. You cannot underestimate the comfort and joy of being greeted every time you walk in the door with your fur babies’ unconditional love!

By Tammy Campbell, RVT