Hi! My name is Anya and I'm a first-year PhD student in English literature at UCLA. My program is competitive and demanding, and nothing could be a better break than caring for a dog! I only recently discovered my passionate love for animals. Over the summer, I worked directly within a veterinary practice. I was a kennel assistant, caring for up to 40 dogs of all sizes, ages, and breeds. Although I'd never had a pet before, I truly learned how much I loved every one of the dogs I got to care for. I enjoyed close relationships with our loyal clients, many of whom entrusted us with the care of their pets multiple times every month, building a successful local small business, and especially spending quality time with the animals. Let me tell you a few of my successes and challenges while working there. It is really a special trust to take care of someone else's beloved pet. While working at the kennel, we had several rescue pets stay with us. One of my favorites I'll call Z. I won't go into the details of her horrible past, only that her owner warned us she would probably try to bite us if we went near her, and that we should just leave food in her kennel and otherwise might have to leave her alone because she was so frightened of people. Over three days, I carefully earned her trust, and I was eventually able to get her to climb into my lap for a cuddle. This is honestly one of the proudest moments of my life. This is just one of the many experiences that impressed on me how important it is to choose the right care for your pet. Dogs are precious creatures, capable of so much love and affection, but also unable to speak for themselves. It's key to have someone you can trust implicitly to care for the special member of your family. I've also had to face a few crises. Because our kennel is attached to the veterinary clinic, we often had some sick animal friends staying with us. Keeping messes contained and sterilizing surfaces was a daily part of the job. It also sometimes required staying calm in the face of a frightened older dog, carefully coaxing her to take her dozens of pain meds one by one. (Hint: peanut butter on the back of a spoon, hide the pill in it, wave it under her nose, then scrape the peanut butter off on the back of her teeth! Takes a while but it works every time). I've also cared for literally dozens of senior and special-needs dogs: injecting medicines, giving them through the ears, pills, sprays, topical ointments, special baths, carefully tailored diets, even carrying a 50-lb geriatric golden retriever into the bathtub because he can't stand on his own and needs to be washed as he's been incontinent in the night. It isn't always a glamorous job, but even when it's dirty it's always worthwhile and wonderful to care for these wonderful, loving creatures when they can't care for themselves. There was also the day of the fire alarm-- the fourth of July, to be exact. Imagine evacuating forty-two high-strung dogs, already nervous from early morning fireworks, while the alarm blared and the puppies panicked. Luckily I was able to stay calm and take charge, guiding my coworkers to evacuate all of the animals in under five minutes, before the fire department arrived. Then with extra treats and playtime, I was able to calm them all down for a pleasant afternoon of napping. But on more ordinary days, I still found taking care of animals endlessly rewarding. Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed for a 7 AM shift: until you get to work and see the world through the eyes of one sweet pup after another. They're so excited simply to see you and go for a walk. Then there's breakfast (who doesn't love that!), baths and grooming, and just time to sit, cuddle, and enjoy each other's company. I can't wait to meet the special dog in your life- I haven't met them yet, but I just know we're going to be great friends.