FAST FIVE: Celebrating vet tech Jennifer Abraham during National Vet Tech Week

Meet Jennifer Abraham, a veterinary technician at the Kootenai Humane Society. Jennifer has lived in Post Falls most of her life. She has an AAS in veterinary technology from theCollege of Southern Idaho and has been a veterinary technician for 19 years.

Generation:

I am Generation X. I remember when phones were on the wall, playing “The Oregon Trail” and “Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” in school, recording songs from the radio onto a cassette tape and having to wait until Saturday mornings to watch cartoons.

Career and community involvement:

I’ve worked at a couple veterinary hospitals since graduating from CSI in 2001, but I’ve been at Kootenai Humane Society for a little more than seven years. I work mainly with cats, treating any that are sick and also making sure that each and every one is current on vaccines and gets spayed/neutered. A big part of my job is keeping track of all the kittens that we have in foster care, making sure they come in for their vaccines, deworming and when big enough, spay/neuter. I also do the check-in for our spay/neuter clinic.

Parental status:

I have a wonderful 7-year-old son who likes to help me with any foster kittens that I bring home. I also have four cats, a bearded dragon and several fish.

1. What motivated you to become a veterinary technician?

I have always loved animals so I sought out a career that would allow me to work with and help them.

What do you enjoy most about your job, and what are a few lessons you’ve learned along the way?

I enjoy getting to know the animals that we have at the humane society and knowing that we are helping to find them loving forever homes. While they are living here, we love them and care for them just like our own. I have learned that a lot of animals take time to adjust to their new environment. We spend a lot of time working with their individual likes and dislikes to find their personalities in order to find the best home environment for them.

During National Vet Tech Week, which is Oct. 11-17, how can people show appreciation for those who care for their pets?

A smile and politeness goes a long way. We also like to hear how the animals are doing and especially getting pictures of them in their new homes.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I also wanted to be an astronaut growing up. My aunt used to work for NASA and I was fortunate to be able to see the space shuttle land.

Why are animals a valuable part of our lives, and what do you love most about them?

Animals show us unconditional love. They are great stress-relievers. I love that when I go home and sit down to relax, my oldest cat that I bottle raised 12 years ago will come and sit and snuggle with me. My other cats will come too, but I know that I can depend on him to be there no matter what.