50 Covetrus
|
covetrus.com
Still learning and loving it
Even as a small child, I knew I would
one day work with animals. I always
seemed to have a "sixth sense" about
them — especially horses and dogs.
I drove my parents crazy going up to
any-and-all strays and hugging them.
I've now been working in this field for
30 years. In that time, I've held a variety
of roles — from small and large animal
vet tech to manager of a laboratory
animal facility and large animal hospital
supervisor. Around a decade ago, my
body was telling me I needed to get out
of Large Animal medicine. You can only
get pushed around and stepped on so
many times by horses and cows before
your body revolts!
I have done many pet-sitting and
farm-sitting jobs, groomed Icelandic
horses weekly, and worked for the local
Humane Society throughout my life.
I'm getting close to retirement age,
but I really love what I do and can't
imagine doing anything else!
Kimberly McLeod
Sanford Animal Hospital/Vetcor
Staying calm
amid the chaos
I've worked in many areas of vet
med — cat-only clinics, emergency,
specialty, general practice, high-volume
spay/neuter, and as manager of the vet
tech team for a small animal hospital.
One of my proudest moments came
early in my ER days, assisting on an
emergency surgery. The patient was a
dog who's been attacked by another
dog. Its lung was literally exposed. The
anesthesia was rocky, the stakes
were high, and I remember thinking,
"Stay calm, they're counting on you."
Thankfully, the patient pulled through.
But experiences like that remind me
why I chose this profession.
It's not just about medicine. It's about
being present when it matters most —
offering skill, calm, and compassion in
the middle of chaos. Even on the
hardest days, I know I'm exactly where
I'm supposed to be.
Jessie Kalfos
Martinez Animal Hospital
It's always a good
time to show vet
techs how much you
appreciate them.
But don't forget to mark
your calendar for National
Veterinary Technician
Week, Oct 18-24, 2026…
just in case you want to
pour on some extra special
appreciation!
Do you have a vet
medicine story you'd
like to share?
Send it to covetrus.vet/stories
for a chance to be featured in a
future edition of The Treat Jar.
