Tell us about your job? I am a veterinarian and the owner of Village Vet, which has a main branch in Darling and one in Atlantis. I sat on a horse for the first time before I was even able to walk and fell in love with horses and everything related to them. The love I have for horses made me want to become a horse vet and, as I am at my happiest when surrounded by animals, veterinary science seemed a logical career choice.
When and where did you complete your studies? I studied at the University of Pretoria and graduated in 2000.
Is this a difficult industry to work in as a woman? Depending on which area of veterinary science one works in, it’s sometimes easier to be a woman, as this profession requires compassion and the ability to listen patiently – two qualities that women tend to excel in. It’s a lot harder to work as a woman in the large animal and wildlife sector of veterinary science as, physically, women tend to not be as strong as men and many farmers choose to work with male vets for this reason.
However, there are far more women graduating as vets, resulting in a shortage of large animal vets.
What is the hardest thing about your job? Having to tell a client that their pet is terminally ill and there is no treatment that will make them better and that the kindest thing to do is to put their pet to sleep.
What do you love most about your job? Knowing I can make a difference in people’s lives by applying the knowledge and experience I have to the well being of their pets.
How do you balance work and family time? This is one of the greatest challenges of being a woman vet. There are not many opportunities for part-time work and many vets do not go back to practice after having children. The hours are long and unpredictable and emergency after-hours are hugely disruptive to family time. Certainly, having a second vet at Village Vet has given me a better balance between work and family, but it is an ongoing challenge to take time away from the clinic so that I can have quality time with my partner and his daughter.
What are you most passionate about? Education, education, education. So many pet owners don’t realise how basic things such as food can affect their pet’s health. Likewise, with vaccinations and deportation. If we can protect our pets from disease and ensure good health with good nutrition, many health problems can be avoided.
What do you still hope to achieve? I would like to see the Atlantis clinic grow, especially the Community Veterinary Clinic side of things. Atlantis and surrounding areas have
been without veterinary services for too long.
