Animal Love In Puerto Rico

Miss Meow https://www.fiverr.com/missmeowsays 5m 1,190 #animallove

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

As cliché, as it sounds, my life has been full of ups and downs. The up moments have guided me to a better understanding of life. The down moments keep me focused and perseverant. I am who I am because of where I grew, because of my choices, and the cultural influences around me. Looking back at my childhood, I remember all the fun times at the beach and rivers. But, I never paid attention to the severe situation Puerto Rico was going through. Over 1 million animals live in the streets, 70% of them had a home. Thousands of students went on strike when the government decided to close some public universities to sell them to private companies. And what I think is the worst of them, Puerto Rico geographic position makes it especially susceptible to earthquakes and hurricanes.

For as long as I remember, my parents did not raise me around animals. We only had one dog named Sandy. My father never took her to the vet; he thought that investing in a dog was a waste of money. Many families in Puerto Rico thought the same way about pets. The Human Society of Puerto Rico came to Aguas Buenas to offer free veterinary services. I took Sandy with my grandfather and made sure she got spayed and vaccinated. The veterinarian noticed my enthusiasm and allowed me to observe the surgery. I never felt such thrill and excitement. From here on, I managed to be a great student to earn my spot at the top university of Puerto Rico, The University of Mayagüez.

I wanted to overcome every obstacle possible because if I managed to be a veterinarian, I would be the first doctor in my family. I am aware that I can’t change many wrongdoings of our government, but I can be an advocate for the animals most in need in Puerto Rico.

When I started my bachelor’s degree, a whole new world opens before me. I knew I couldn’t change all the problems my little Island was facing, but I could change the life of a stray pet. I became president of a non-profit animal rescue. During my time, we developed various campaigns where we spayed, neutered, and found homes for over 100 dogs. I discovered I wanted to specialize in shelter medicine.

To get where I am today, I had to overcome many challenges I never foresaw as a child. During my second year of college, students of the UPR (University of Puerto Rico) went on a strike when the government cut funds to maintain our university. In my third year, Hurricane Maria destroyed every home, flooded every car, and killed over 5,000 people. The aftermath of Maria left many of us hopeless. I learned to live without energy service for over six months and manage to finish the semester in one month. I never recovered from the anxiety the uncertainty the hurricane caused.

Then, I became a senior at college. During the start of my semester, doctors diagnosed me with thyroid cancer. I underwent treatment and had a total thyroidectomy. It was not easy, in my shoulders, I carried the weight of graduating for the pride of my family. Now I’ll be applying for vet school, and I am excited to start a new chapter in my life. I am grateful to feel such love for animals, and I understand the needs my Island has. Hopefully, as a future doctor in veterinary medicine, I can continue educating pet owners to understand the importance of spaying and caring for animals.

As cliché, as it sounds, my life has been full of ups and downs. The up moments have guided me to a better understanding of life. The down moments keep me focused and perseverant. I am who I am because of where I grew, because of my choices, and the cultural influences around me. Looking back at my childhood, I remember all the fun times at the beach and rivers. But, I never paid attention to the severe situation Puerto Rico was going through. Over 1 million animals live in the streets, 70% of them had a home. Thousands of students went on strike when the government decided to close some public universities to sell them to private companies. And what I think is the worst of them, Puerto Rico geographic position makes it especially susceptible to earthquakes and hurricanes.

For as long as I remember, my parents did not raise me around animals. We only had one dog named Sandy. My father never took her to the vet; he thought that investing in a dog was a waste of money. Many families in Puerto Rico thought the same way about pets. The Human Society of Puerto Rico came to Aguas Buenas to offer free veterinary services. I took Sandy with my grandfather and made sure she got spayed and vaccinated. The veterinarian noticed my enthusiasm and allowed me to observe the surgery. I never felt such thrill and excitement. From here on, I managed to be a great student to earn my spot at the top university of Puerto Rico, The University of Mayagüez.

I wanted to overcome every obstacle possible because if I managed to be a veterinarian, I would be the first doctor in my family. I am aware that I can’t change many wrongdoings of our government, but I can be an advocate for the animals most in need in Puerto Rico.

When I started my bachelor’s degree, a whole new world opens before me. I knew I couldn’t change all the problems my little Island was facing, but I could change the life of a stray pet. I became president of a non-profit animal rescue. During my time, we developed various campaigns where we spayed, neutered, and found homes for over 100 dogs. I discovered I wanted to specialize in shelter medicine.

To get where I am today, I had to overcome many challenges I never foresaw as a child. During my second year of college, students of the UPR (University of Puerto Rico) went on a strike when the government cut funds to maintain our university. In my third year, Hurricane Maria destroyed every home, flooded every car, and killed over 5,000 people. The aftermath of Maria left many of us hopeless. I learned to live without energy service for over six months and manage to finish the semester in one month. I never recovered from the anxiety the uncertainty the hurricane caused.

Then, I became a senior at college. During the start of my semester, doctors diagnosed me with thyroid cancer. I underwent treatment and had a total thyroidectomy. It was not easy, in my shoulders, I carried the weight of graduating for the pride of my family. Now I’ll be applying for vet school, and I am excited to start a new chapter in my life. I am grateful to feel such love for animals, and I understand the needs my Island has. Hopefully, as a future doctor in veterinary medicine, I can continue educating pet owners to understand the importance of spaying and caring for animals.

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