March 28, 2018

On the Loss of a Dog

"When you lose your dog, there's a hole in your heart as big as the sun. Your head aches all the time and you are so empty inside because you are half the girl you used to be."
From 'Chasing Augustus' by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Run, Chicken, Run

Few people know that Army veterinarians perform ‘sanitation audits’ of food production establishments both in the US and overseas.  A sanitation audit is a very professional way of saying that you look into every nook and cranny of food production. It includes walking through the facility, observing the food-making processes, and reviewing paperwork all while taking notes and asking questions to later write a report.  When assigned overseas, Army vets have the additional duty of inspecting slaughterhouses.  Here in the US, the USDA inspects the slaughterhouses (thank you, USDA!).  Inspecting slaughterhouses has been among the worst part of being a Vet. It’s even worse than emptying anal glands.  The slaughterhouse inspections begin with the animals coming off the delivery truck and end with the packaged goods that my grandmother referred to simply as ‘dead chickens’.  [I’ve mentioned earlier that my family was practical when it came to animals.  They were.  Right down to the honest language.]  Vet school helped me prepare for slaughterhouses by providing the knowledge to identify sick animals, to recognize abnormalities in their bodies, to think critically, and to understand what is and is not humane.  All of these…