The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 24

VETERINARIAN’S PERSPECTIVE
SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER
Humanity must prevail during these uncertain times of the COVID-19 crisis
By Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, M.S., DACAW
Professor, Clinical Animal Behavior
University of California School of Veterinary Medicine
As I first sat down to write this, we had been ordered to shelter-in-place
for the past three days, watching in horror as to what was playing
out in other countries. It was like those nightmares one has, where
something is chasing us, but we can’t run, let alone walk, away from it.
As a fan of horror movies, the other pop culture image that popped in my
head was of the teenager creeping up the stairs in a dark, empty house to see
what is making the noise. We scream at the TV to STOP! We plead with
them, telling them of the danger that lurks upstairs. This is my life, screaming
at the TV to tell the beachgoers in Florida to GO HOME, or at the kids
in my neighborhood climbing on play structures at playgrounds in groups
that are obviously not related (FYI, the scream never escapes my lips). This
contrasts with “Kids are not likely to get sick” and “I
paid my money to go to the beach for spring break,
so I’m just going.”
It is important to understand that anger is a part
of the grieving process. Grief for the loss of loved
ones. Frustration with the lack of freedom to go
about our days as typical. Depression that we
cannot see our friends and family. Anger that we
may have lost our methods of making a living,
of deposits on vacations, of the inability to host a
pool party.
22 Building Better Trainers Through Education
Photo: Shutterstock