Dedication Can Solve Any Problem by Glenna

Dedication Can Solve Any Problem by Glenna - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

Costa Rica is a wonderful country, but in some places, many people live in poverty. My mission trip, with my church, was geared to help some of these people, but I also was rewarded the time to serve a local veterinary clinic. It was here at this small, local clinic that I realized what I was put on this earth to do. That far away country opened my eyes and let me gaze at wonders and tragedies caused by human nature and inspired me to take action.
The day I went to volunteer at the small veterinary clinic, the veterinarian was expecting a mother cat and her seven kittens to be spayed and neutered. The veterinarian showed me to the back room, where he would perform the surgeries with my help. He allowed me to closely watch his every move, while we both made small talk. I began to easily predict each procedure he would begin, until we came to the mother cat. He began the surgery like each of the other kittens, but stopped when he found the cat’s ovary. The reproductive system’s physical features looked very unlike that of the kittens. It was larger of course, but it was also irregular in form. I had just assumed at the time that it was because of her age. However, the veterinarian informed me that the cat was in the early stages of pregnancy. I was shocked. The female had just had several kittens and was now going to go through the stages of pregnancy again. I thought that after this event the veterinarian would not spay her and tell the owners. Yet, he proceeded in the surgery. He told me that if he allowed the female cat to go through with the pregnancy, the kittens would be born into an unhealthy life.
Costa Rica’s poverty level made it hard for many people to get medical help for themselves or their family. If the owners could not afford medical treatments for themselves, they would most likely not be able to care for the kittens if they were to get sick. Furthermore, the owners already had eight cats and probably would not be able to find good homes for the unborn kittens, much less money to neuter and spay them. This would lead to an increase in the cat population in the local town which would again lead to the poor health for future cats. The veterinarian believed he was doing everyone a favor by proceeding with the spay and at the time I believed him.
My volunteering experience in Costa Rica challenged how I viewed animal welfare. It allowed me to acknowledge animal welfare in America and how animals were being treated. When I got back to the United States, my experience from Costa Rica launched my love to serve the animal community. I don’t want any animal to have to get through the hardships of pregnancy over and over again, nor do I want anyone to be bombarded with litters that cannot be taken care of. I knew that life for animals can be hard, just like any human, but I knew that with a little help, animal welfare can improve in America and around the world. I just had to start dedicating myself to the cause.