The reasons veterinary nurses, technicians, assistants and kennel staff enter the veterinary profession are usually pretty straightforward. In fact, it’s almost a single answer: Because they love being with animals of all shapes, sizes, and breeds, and they want to help improve their lives and quality of care.
The days can be long and compassion fatigue and burnout are real stumbling blocks to sticking with this career choice. The job is physically and emotionally exhausting. Work-life balance can be tough to achieve.
So we weren’t sure what the response would be to our recent Facebook poll: Do you participate in veterinary volunteer work?
More than 300 Facebook fans responded and they were nearly evenly split — 50.5% said “yes” and 49.5% said “no.”
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One out of four Americans volunteer and three of four Americans help their neighbor, according to a study performed by The Corporation for National & Community Service.
Individuals between the ages of 35 and 54 are the most likely to volunteer their time, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Learn More About Veterinary Volunteer Work
Volunteer work allows veterinary professionals to grow while serving the profession and the animals we all love. Want to read about some veterinary volunteer work opportunities? Read Changing Animal Welfare on Native Reservations, Volunteering for Disaster Response, and ASPCA and the Arms of Angels.
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