First off, I would like to warn you that I am NOT computer Savvy, and this is my first time creating a blog - so please bear with me!!
I would like to start with a brief bio of myself (vain, I know) so that you may have more confidence in who is caring for your pet while you are away.
I grew up in the greater Toronto area, with two animal loving parents. My mother was a strong animal rights advocate, defending everyone from seals suffering annual slaughter to the squirrels just trying to get a nut. My father was always bringing home orphaned and injured wildlife/stray animals, and eventually became a volunteer for the Toronto Wildlife Centre, where I later also became a volunteer.
Growing up, I had all kinds of pets including two large dogs, many small breed dogs, cats, and rabbits. As a youngster, I was a member of the 4H Rabbit Club of Ontario, breeding and handling Angora rabbits. I even won a trophy at the county fair!
To my ecstatic delight, at about 10 years old my parents signed me up for two weeks at a summer zoo camp at Orono's Jungle Cat World. There I had the opportunity to handle all types of exotic animals such as tiger cubs, lions, monkeys, coyotes and snakes. I attended Zoo Camp for two consecutaive years.
At 13, I auditioned and was accepted into the Etobicoke School Of The Arts, majoring in Visual Arts. I completed my required volunteer hours at The Toronto Wildlife Centre, where I was responsible for operating the emergency hotline. At TWC I learned basic medical terminology of veterinary medicine, learned emergency response for the widely varying and often obscure situations that our native critters get themselves into, and had the oportunity to work alongside admirable wildlife volunteers.
After completing high school at ESA, I attended George Brown College for Business Management. While attaneding GBC, I worked as an office coordinator for an architectural design company, Tartaruga Design. I soon decided the office world was not for me, and opted to persue a career in the animal industry.
Having no idea where to start, a friend of mine - a pet crematoruim operator, ironically - informed of a job posting he saw at one of the veterinary clinics his company serviced. It was for a receptionist/vet assistant at a Scarborough Vaccination Clinic. I was hired and began my career in companion animal care at Animal Vaccination Service at Kennedy and Eglinton. From AVS I was hired at the big brother clinic, Toronto Central Animal Clinic, downtown Toronto, and I juggled back and forth between the two clinics, often working at both clinics in one day. The veterinarians at both clinics taught me an immesurable amount of information, and allowed me to assist in many surgeries and procedures. I was able to attend seminars on veterinary products, seminars via VSPN's website, operate a K-Laser for laser therapy, administer medications orally, subcutaneously and through intravenous. Eventually I was working independently overnight when the clinic extended it's hours to offer 24 hour emergency services.
While at TCAC and AVS, I became a foster parent for the Toronto Humane Society, caring for 'special needs' dogs - dogs with disabilities or behavior issues. I also fostered dogs with Adopt-A-Dog-Save-A-Life, and Happy Tails Dog Rescue.
Eventually I left TCAC and AVS, and worked for a short period at Willowdale Animal Hospital, which I was so highly impressed with that it is now my regular clinic as well as my emergency clinic for my own pets and my clients.
I decided to leave the veterinary industry as I noticed I was becoming desensitized to the pain and suffering of the patients.
From Willowdale I was hired and tained at an east end dog walking company, where we picked up and drove a pack of between 10-15 dogs to a large property in Bowmanville where we walked for hours with the dogs off-leash. Here I learned about pack mentality and how to maintain control of a large pack off-leash.
Phew, I may as well have written a novel!
**Please follow the links below for additional information on the companies/facilities and organizations listed above:
http://www.junglecatworld.com/
http://www.4-hontario.ca/
http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/esa/
http://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/
http://www.georgebrown.ca/
http://www.tartarugadesign.com/
http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/
http://www.adoptadogsavealife.com/
http://www.happytailsrescue.ca/
Also check out:
www.vspn.org
www.monstarsmastiffrescue.ca/\
www.casameow.com
www.neo-paws.com
