Fourth-year veterinary student Bertie Lau joined WSU veterinarians, technicians and fellow students in providing basic care for 66 horses rescued from a neglect case in north Idaho. Lau discussed the unique learning opportunities the experience provided and the value of partnerships between veterinarians and animal rescue organizations.
What was your role in helping to provide care for the rescue horses at the Lewiston Livestock Market?
Since the horses had a limited medical history, we wanted to provide the horses with some basic medical care to get them ready for adoption. My role was to complete a basic physical exam, give the first dose of a 5-way vaccine, deworm, and microchip.
As a veterinary student, how important is it for you to get experiences like this in the field?
There are not a lot of opportunities to handle so many animals in one day and outside of the clinic setting so it was a good experience to see how resources at hand are managed especially since we only had what we brought with us. It was also enlightening to see how the veterinarians and technicians adapted to an environment outside of a clinic since the stockyards weren’t necessarily equipped like a medical facility.
How does working alongside faculty veterinarians in the field help prepare you for your future career?
Working alongside faculty and rescue workers was a great privilege because they were each so knowledgeable of their respective fields that you learn things that you probably won’t find in a textbook or PowerPoint presentation.
Why are partnerships between WSU and rescues like Idaho Animal Rescue important?
These partnerships are important because of the community it builds. Veterinarians and animal rescuers do different things but we both ultimately want what is best for each animal and it felt good to be able to come together to do that.