By: Dani-elle Dube
Woosh!
Out she dashes through the door, faster than a speeding bullet. Despite her knee-high height, the lean four-legged machine runs past the towering bodies without fear. She leaps in a single bound, lands on her target and pins them firmly to their seat. In one fell swoop, her long wet tongue glides across their face. She is their kryptonite.
Every three weeks or so, a new group of cats and dogs from the SPCA de L’Outaouais call Algonquin home. During their short stay, the students of the veterinary technician program achieve the near impossible — they earn the love and trust of an abandoned being.
Despite the surgeries and vaccinations, the animals eventually come around because of the long hours and dedication the students devote to their patients.
More than a doctor’s aid, a vet tech is a loving hand, teacher, friend, maid and chew toy, among many other roles.
The students of the veterinary technician program may be the superheroes, but who’s really rescuing whom?