Providing more than Veterinary Care

When Amy Reck, class of 2009, graduates from the CVHS, she’ll be taking with her more than a degree in veterinary medicine.

In September 2005, the first-year student from Pittsburgh, Pa., was still adjusting to the move to Oklahoma when she helped Dr. Katrina Meinkoth at the Stillwater Humane Society. It didn’t take Reck long to find a new friend to help make the transition a little easier.

Tululah, 2½-year-old Labrador mix, had been a resident for about 1½ years, says Reck. “She had a hygroma (water filled cyst) on her elbow about the size of a golf ball, and she was thin. I think the growth might have been caused from lying on hard surfaces. Within two weeks, it went away.” She says Tululah has gained 20 pounds and is really happy.

When classes finished in May 2006, the shelter hired Reck to assist Meinkoth on her weekly visits to care for the animals. “We do blood tests, treat any sick animals and keep all vaccines up to date,” says Meinkoth. “The veterinary students who help me care for the animals usually manage to adopt something without any encouragement from me.”

Reck, too, is taking more than training from the experience.

“When I initially looked at Tululah, Maverick was her next-door neighbor,” Reck says. “When I saw he was still there, I knew there was no question that I would adopt him. They interact well, and he needed a stable home.”