Celebrating Vet Tech Week: Honoring the Unsung Heroes of Animal Care

By Michelson Found Animals

**MFA’s CEO Brett Yates with the CAMP team (and some happy clients) at a Pet Wellness Day hosted by MFA’s Better Neighbor Project**

Vet Tech Week (celebrated annually in the third week of October) is a time to recognize and appreciate the invaluable contributions of registered veterinary technicians (RVTs). These dedicated professionals play a crucial role in providing compassionate and effective care to animals.

The Importance of Vet Techs

Veterinary technicians are the backbone of many veterinary clinics. They perform a wide range of essential tasks, including:

Assisting veterinarians with examinations, surgeries, and treatments
Providing patient care and monitoring vital signs
Managing laboratory samples and performing basic laboratory tests
Educating pet owners on proper care and preventive measures

Without the expertise and dedication of vet techs, it would be impossible for veterinarians to provide the same level of care to animals.

The Need for More Trained Vet Techs

The demand for qualified veterinary technicians is growing rapidly. As the number of pets in households continues to increase, so does the need for skilled professionals to care for them. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of vet techs in many areas due to a lack of educational opportunities, affordability, pay structures, and other systemic factors.

Our Commitment to Training More Vet Techs

At Michelson Found Animals, we are committed to addressing the shortage of veterinary technicians. We recently made a $1 million donation to the Community Animal Medicine Project (CAMP) to support the construction of a new facility that will train more vet techs to support pets in Los Angeles. This facility will also be equipped to train veterinary technicians in High-Quality, High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) support.

HQHVSN clinics play a vital role in reducing the number of unplanned pets, and ensuring that all animal advocates have access to affordable spay/neuter services. Vet techs are essential to the success of these clinics, and we are proud to support their training and growth opportunities.

Highlighting a Remarkable Vet Tech: Hilda Medina

One of the many talented vet techs we are proud to work with is Hilda Medina. Hilda works at CAMP as an RVT and is also the founder of her own nonprofit organization, Hectic Paws. She is also a Vet Assistant Lab Instructor at the American College of Healthcare and Technology, training the future of the industry. Hilda is using her experience as an RVT to train students in the field, providing them with valuable hands-on experience that complements their classroom education.

On left: Hilda bottle feeding a kitten with her organization Hectic Paws. On right: Hilda providing care to a pup with CAMP Clinics. You can always find Hilda at our Better Neighbor Project Pet Wellness Events.

This year, Hectic Paws received a grant of $7,500 from MFA’s Better Neighbor Project to support new pet clinics hosted primarily in Huntington Park, CA. These clinics are used to provide hands-on training opportunities that are otherwise not available for veterinary students from the American College of Health and Technology.

“When I started in this field, I never thought I would grow and love what I do. I started cleaning cages to restraining animals, then actually working at a full-service hospital in the ICU dept. Now I teach and help students get into the field. I now have my own nonprofit organization, Hectic Paws, where I am able to take my students to get their hands-on training with all types of pets. My goal is to give back to the community and to help the homeless with their pets. I take in all bottle babies and find a forever home when they survive. It’s my passion, and I want to do more for these babies and, of course, for my students… It’s a Hectic Paws world.”

– Hilda Medina, Veterinary Technician at CAMP Clinics, Founder of Hectic Paws & VA Lab Instructor at American College of Healthcare and Technology

Hilda’s passion for animal wellbeing and her commitment to training the next generation of vet techs and assistants is truly inspiring. She is a shining example of the positive impact that RVTs can have on the lives of our pets.

Let’s Celebrate Our Vet Techs!

This Vet Tech Week, let’s take a moment to celebrate the incredible work that vet techs do every day. Their dedication, compassion, and expertise are invaluable. Thank you for all you do to make the world a better place for animals.