TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — After the pandemic pet surge across the country, studies show there’s a nationwide veterinarian shortage.
That makes it critical to keep cultivating veterinarians already here in Southern Arizona.
The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary in Midtown Tucson is giving hands-on experience the next generation of vets while giving its more than 200 cats a healthy life.
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Inside Tucson's high-demand cat shelter and sanctuary
The Hermitage has a full-time veterinarian come in for surgeries and treatment once a week, along with interns and externs from the VCA Valley Animal Hospital and Emergency Center, Pima Community College, Pima Medical Institute, Carrington College and PIMA COUNTY Joint Technical Education District (JTED).
Sabina Dayal just finished veterinarian school, but she’s still learning as an intern with the VCA Animal Hospital, located nearby on 22nd Street.
“We see a lot of cases here. They have so many cats and kittens here [at the Hermitage],” she told KGUN. “You see a lot of different types of things at shelters versus what comes into a normal emergency hospital.”
In her year of post-grad school, Dayal gets a couple of two-week rotations in the organized chaos of the Hermitage medical room.
“You get to do a lot of spays and neuters, which is really helpful for surgical experience,” she explained. “I feel like it was hard to get enough surgical experience in school.”
At least a quarter of the cats living at the Hermitage have special needs, and sometimes need extra medical care or attention.
For example, a black cat named Noa has cerebellar hypoplasia, a neurological disorder affecting her motor functions. She often has trouble walking or moving, but is otherwise healthy. The disorder means she will need extra assistance being fed or moved.
Some special needs cats come from across the country and sometimes as far as Puerto Rico.
“They’ll send them here to us knowing that if they don’t get chosen for adoption, they can live their lives here and it’s just like a home,” said Tiffany Johnson, a certified veterinary technician and Medical Supervisor at the Hermitage.
“It’s everything to us and to me, the fact that we’re able to take these cats in and save them from euthanasia that’s unnecessary, because they have quirks or they have medical needs that are a little bit extra,” she added. “We can take care of that here.”
The Hermitage functions as a sanctuary for the cats and a real-world classroom for veterinarians-in-training. Dayal says even after finishing school, it’s valuable experience to have.
“Working with animals and trying to help them get better has always been important to me,” she said.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
