I’m an essestial worker who has been at work every day during the pandemic. I’m a veterinarian. I and my coworkers have been trying to keep each other safe while still providing a necessary public health service. We are not exposed like those who work with human patients, but we still must take precautions.
Like most other veterinary clinics in the US, we instituted curbside service for our customers in order to remain open. We cannot have a waiting area full of people chatting about their dogs and passing germs. We cannot have families packed into small exam rooms, worried about their sick pets and breathing on us. We must use PPE to protect ourselves, but in the most judicious ways so that we don’t use supplies that might go to those in human hospitals.
So we conduct most of our business by phone. We ask all the pertinent questions about your pet while you sit in the parking lot, then we meet you at the door in our PPE and bring your pet inside while you wait outside. Once a veterinarian examines your pet, an assistant or tech calls you back with the exam results, to ask more questions, to get permission for necessary tests, and to convey the doctor’s treatment recommendations. While that is going on the doctors are charting their exam findings, calculating drug dosages and preparing prescriptions, typing out instructional handouts, etc.
Once we have finished all the treatments and tests the patient needs and input charges in the computer, the receptionist calls you again to take credit card payment by phone. Then the assistant brings you back your pet, and your medicines, and your instructions, and your receipt, and goes over any questions you might still have.
This is the new reality of taking your dogs or cats to the vet in most of our cities and suburbs. We explain it when you call for an appointment, when we call to remind you of your appointment, and when your arrive at our parking lot. It will be this way for *months* yet to come. Until we feel safe again exposing ourselves to the public, and the public to one another.
The only exceptions we make are when families have to say their final goodbyes. In the veterinary hospital we can still let one or two loved ones be there when a pet must be let go. We insist you wear a mask. We can no longer hug you or let you cry on our shoulder, but someday again we will.
The meanness and the vitriol we have had to endure from some of our clients is heart breaking and soul shattering. Those clients in our very red state who insist this is all fake news and we have no right to keep them out. Those who trusted us with their pets before, but somehow think that because they can no longer watch us, we for some reason would treat their pets with less kindness or gentleness. Those who can’t believe that toe nail trims are not urgent care. Those who cannot believe there’s a law that prevents us from dispensing medication without seeing their pet. Those that have been coming to this clinic for 25 years and think they should get priority (there are* hundreds* of you, thankfully, who have stuck with me that long).
They aren’t just curt or a little rude. My receptionists are getting cussed out multiple times per day. Clients accost my assistants as they go outside for another pet, and scream about the unfairness of it all. They’ve even blocked the door so they could keep up the tirade. We are accused of not caring about the patients, or being in business just for the money, or trying to drive up the bill. People threaten to take their business elsewhere, and we’ve encouraged a few of them to do just that.
We are advocating for *your* pet, and we are by far not the most expensive clinic in town. I wouldn’t have been in business this long if I were that kind of a jerk.
We’re soooo tired. Bone tired. Yet we can’t sleep well. We’re seeing fewer patients because the phone wrangling is slowing us down. We have fewer staff because some of our workers have health conditions that make COVID a likely death threat for them. We’ve had a couple staff burnout — they just couldn’t take the extra work or the anger from the clients any more. So we work much harder than before. We don’t get to smile and laugh and chat about family or compare gardens with our clients any more. We have to try to keep each other upbeat. At least we still get lots of dog kisses and the occasional purr.
We know how much stress our community is under. We know people have lost jobs and gotten sick and a few in our area have lost loved ones to this. But for Pete’s sake folks, we have to stop taking our frustrations out on each other! I’m sure many other service and retail businesses are getting hell from their customers for taking fewer customers or insisting on masks or taping lines on the floor or keeping their doors locked between clients.
Stop it! Think before you yell at people for taking precautions to try to save lives! Learn to adjust. Be considerate of others. Settle in for the long haul. Wear a damn mask in public. We’ve got to learn to work together to get through this crisis. We can do it!