Volunteer Spotlight: Sammy

Meet Sammy! She has been volunteering in the hospital since June and has volunteered more than 41 hours of her time. Sammy is in high school and wants to be a veterinarian in the future. Sammy, we are so thankful for you! Thank you for making Mission apart of your educational journey. You truly make a difference!!

Why do you volunteer with Mission Animal Hospital?

 I volunteer at Mission Animal Hospital because I want to be a veterinarian when I’m older. I started to look around for different animal hospitals to volunteer at, and I came across Mission. As I looked more into Mission, I started to like them more and more. With their affordability, and their belief that every family should have a pet and every pet should have a vet. I thought Mission would be a great fit for what I wanted to learn.

What's your favorite volunteer task in the hospital?

My favorite volunteer task at the hospital is going out to lobby and cleaning things. I like this because when I’m out in the lobby, I sometimes interact with the patients. It’s really fun to get to have conversations with people while they’re waiting in the waiting room or getting to see all the cute animals waiting to get care.

What do you do when you're not volunteering here?

I am a high school student so when I’m not volunteering at Mission, I’m either doing homework, doing other school related activities or hanging out with friends and family.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, I have a 12 year old dog named Lala. 

Tell us about a pet that had a big impact on your life.

The pet that had the biggest impact on my life would probably be Lala. I choose Lala because one she’s the pet that I’ve known the longest and two as I got older she became more and more important in my life. Over Covid Lala was always there when I needed a break from reality, she may be 12 but she’ll always be my puppy.

What's the most memorable moment in your time volunteering with Mission Animal Hospital?

The most memorable moment I have had volunteering with Mission Animal Hospital would probably be my first shift. I was still new to everything and it was my first Solo shift so I didn’t have anyone to make sure I was doing things right. I was by the sink , cleaning some of the surgical equipment when one of the doctors pointed out to the other doctor that there was a severed leg just laying next to the sink that I was cleaning at. It was a very memorable and eye-opening experience.