Careers in Animal Welfare: Life as a Vet Tech featuring Rachel Chertoff
Vet Tech Appreciation Week is here! If you’ve been thinking about entering the animal welfare industry, becoming a Vet Tech might be the perfect fit for you.
At Cincinnati Animal CARE, we are the community safety net for over 8,000 homeless cats, dogs, and other animals who enter our doors annually. Ensuring their health and well-being is a top priority and every single animal receives a thorough physical and medical assessment by our dedicated medical team. This team is not only our largest staffed department but also one of the most vital!
At the heart of our medical team are our Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs), who play an essential role in the daily care of our animals. We’re lucky to have two incredible RVTs on our team—Amanda Gilbert, our Medical Director, and Rachel Chertoff, who passed her boards and got her license last year to be an RVT.
To get a better understanding of what it takes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, we sat down with Rachel to hear more about her journey, the responsibilities of her role, and any advice she has for those interested in following in her footsteps to become a registered vet tech.
Rachel’s Pivot Towards Animal Welfare
Growing up with dogs, hamsters, and birds, Rachel always had a passion and love for animals. Her heart dog was a Boston Terrier named Rudy who was found as a stray. He brought her nothing but joy and happiness and such a sense of purpose and fulfillment in life. But when he started to have some health issues, it left her with certain questions unanswered and took her down a rabbit hole of medical articles and physical therapy videos.
“When covid hit, I decided to make some changes and pivot my career like many others,” said Rachel. “I decided it was time for me to pursue a career that I had always thought I wanted but didn’t think I could emotionally handle previously in life – to be a vet tech.”
Rachel’s Day to Day as a Vet Tech
Rachel’s role at Cincinnati Animal CARE involves a wide range of duties, from assisting in surgeries to administering medications, and ensuring that each animal in our care receives the medical attention they need. With so many animals coming through the shelter every year, the job can be challenging, but Rachel is passionate about making a difference in each animal’s life.
“The possibilities of tasks are actually quite endless because we never know what can walk through the door,” said Rachel. “But I get to work with such an amazing team and we work together to accomplish some really incredible things.”
The tasks in a typical day as a vet tech at the Hamilton County animal shelter could be anything from:
- hospitalizing a sick animal
- prepping for amputation surgery or high volume spay/nueter surgery
- managing medical appointments for the day
- Providing medical assessments for dogs where all the new dogs receive a physical, additional vaccines, heartworm tests, microchips
- Providing medical assessments for cats including physicals, FeLV tests, and microchips
- Administering booster shots
- Responding to critical emergency cases for animals that comes in and ready to handle that with our amazing team!
“I’ve recently been doing more cold laser therapy for some dogs with specific injuries,” said Rachel. This is a new addition to the services CIncinnati Animal CARE can provide to our population of animals.
“I guess you could say a task is a little additional cuddle time with some of our dogs as well,” says Rachel.
Advice for Aspiring Vet Tech’s
For those considering a career in veterinary medicine, Rachel has some advice:
“Go for it! It might seem daunting or overwhelming at first, but you’re not the only one thinking that. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s the hard work that you look back on and are so proud of doing!”
Rachel emphasizes the importance of both education and hands-on experience. While classroom learning provides the foundation, getting out in the field, working in a shelter or clinic, and gaining practical experience is crucial to building the skills necessary to thrive in the industry. Her journey to becoming a registered vet tech was not without its challenges, but Rachel is proud of the path she’s taken and the impact she’s able to make at Cincinnati Animal CARE.
“Having an animal with an unknown history come in so sick or broken (both physically and/or mentally) and being able to help them heal (or in emergency situations keeping them alive), to be able to bond with them and create a connection, to see them become a dog or cat again and then be adopted into a loving home – what could be more rewarding? Helping another life to feel loved and that they are cared for is absolutely incredible.”
We are so proud of Rachel and all the hardworking members of our medical team who keep our animals healthy and thriving. For those considering a similar career path as a vet tech, Rachel’s story is a reminder of the dedication and passion it takes to care for animals in need.
Interested in joining our medical team at Cincinnati Animal CARE? View our available job postings and apply now!
