When I was in sixth grade, I developed my passion for animals on a deeper level. My family always had dogs growing up, and by middle school I had three of them at one time. It wasn’t until I chose to spend one of my summers volunteering at a local animal hospital that i developed a passion for caring for animals.
It was at this hospital that I witnessed routine check-ups with families and their pets’, stray animals that were brought in to be rescued, and surgeries to save animal lives. I enjoyed that every single day brought a different type of animal or breed of dog. The days where we would lose an animal were some of the hardest experiences that I had during my time there, but I was thankful to have known the animal during its life.
There was one scenario where a family received the terrible news that their family pet has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. This is an intense form of blood cancer, and treatment options are limited. This dog meant everything to the family, but after finding out that each cancer treatment would cost thousands of dollars, they had no choice but to reject treatment. The chemotherapy would give their four-legged family member an estimated additional year of life, but the cost was just too high.
This saddened me so much. As a young person without a sense of money, I did not understand how a family could choose an option that involved their dog dying sooner. I could not understand why this family was not doing everything in their power to save their family member. It broke my heart.
I began to look into cancer treatment for dogs across the country, and what kind of damage chemotherapy does to a family’s wallet on average. It was remarkable to find out the cost of animal cancer treatment, especially since these pets are a considered a part of the family to many. It was in this moment that I learned how unfair the system treats animals and how limited the resources are.
Although I could not save this dog’s life, I hope that one day we can create a world in which families do not have to decide between taking care of their home and children, and taking care of their pets.
Thank you.