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Bret Tobar Mr. Buscher Period 3, Service Learning 12/09/13

Introduction
For ! service "earning #ro$ect % vo"unteered at the &i"d"i'e (are )ssociation *&()+ at ,211 Patro" -d Mc("e""an, (a"i'ornia. The &i"d"i'e (are )ssociation *&()+ is a vo"unteer. based non.#ro'it co unit! organi/ation 'ocusing on the rehabi"itation o' in$ured ani a"s

dro##ed o'' b! either b! govern ent agencies or concerned citi/ens. 0n average the &() is brought about 1,000 or#haned, in$ured or sic2 ani a"s #er !ear and 3ith the assistance o' vo"unteers, edica" care and aid is #rovided to each one o' these creatures in ho#es that the! can

one da! be re"eased. )s #art o' ! #ro$ect % a"so engaged in a sort o' #ub"ic advocac! ca #aign ai ed at

educating the #ub"ic on4 the i #ortance o' #reserving "oca" ecos!ste s and the environ ent, 3a!s the! can "essen their i #act on the environ ent, the va"ue o' 3i"d"i'e rehabi"itation and 'ina""! 3hat the &() has to o''er. This 3as acco #"ished through a inc"uding4 #osting '"!ers on co unit! !riad o' di''erent venues

essage boards around 5acavi""e and Sacra ento,

3riting a "etter to the editor o' the 5acavi""e -e#orter and the 6avis 7nter#rise *both o' 3hich sti"" a3ait #ub"ication+, ta2ing an ad out in #resentation/s#eech to ! grand other8s ne3s#a#er, giving a

! church and !outh grou#, #assing out '"!ers and as2ing #eo#"e to sign

s a"" #"edges to environ enta" conscientiousness. &hi"e actua""! at the site % did about an e9ua""! i #ressive variet! o' tas2s enco #assing4 3or2ing 'ront des2 and ta2ing in'or ation on inco ing 3ounded ani a"s as 3e"" as ta"2ing 3ith the #ub"ic, 'eeding and edicating in$ured

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ani a"s in the triage and nurser! roo s, c"eaning the aviaries, assisting in veterinar! #rocedures *such as suturing or s#"inting+, and c"eaning and stoc2ing cages.

Why I Chose this Site

% origina""! chose the site because % 3as interested into going into hea"thcare 'or a career, #articu"ar"! "oo2ing at veterinar! "i'est!"e and 3or2 o' a veterinarian edicine. )s such % 3anted to get a s a"" taste o' 3hat the ight "oo2 "i2e through this vo"unteering #osition. )s 3e"" % edicine thus % chose a ! enta" and

3anted to get a 'ee" o' the e otiona" strain that co es 3ith a career in

site 3here % 3ou"d be around sic2 and d!ing ani a"s and there'ore cou"d eva"uate e otiona" 3e"".being and see i'

! #s!che cou"d hand"e dea"ing 3ith this 'or an occu#ation.

)u:i"iar! reasons inc"ude the 'act that %8d a"3a!s been a tad bit o' an environ enta"ist and a"3a!s 3anted to encourage #eo#"e not necessari"! to agree 3ith a #articu"ar #o"itica" vie3 *as % see environ enta" #o"ic! #ushed ore as a #artisan issue+, but si #"! to be a3are about their to co e 3ith 3a!s as to ho3 the! ight "essen

e''ects on "oca" ecos!ste s and encourage the

their i #act on their environs and "eave a better 3or"d 'or #osterit!.

Experience at your Site

) t!#ica" da! at ! site consists o' a veritab"e cornuco#ia o' di''erent tas2s a"" assive #riorit! "ist. ;everthe"ess, each da! % 3as t!#ica""! su#erseding each other on a

res#onsib"e in aiding direct"! no "ess than ten di''erent ani a"s4 this care cou"d consist o' 'eeding, edicating, observing, re"easing, oving and c"eaning their enc"osures. Further ore ! co3or2ers, 3ou"d ight inc"ude

3henever so eone ca e to our door 3ith an in$ured ani a" %, or one o'

3or2 'ront des2 3hich entai"ed "istening to 3hatever the #erson had to sa! *3hich

ho3 the ani a" got hurt/ho3 the! 'ound the ani a"+ and then 3riting do3n the ani a"8s in'or ation into an inta2e "og and into individua" #atient records. )'ter 3hich the ani a" 3as

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usua""! escorted into our triage roo , 3here 3e 3ou"d #er'or

a #h!sica" e:a ination o' the

ani a", t!#ica""! 3e 3ou"d begin "oo2ing 'or things "i2e ino#erab"e 'ractures, e:tensive e aciation or nerve da age. Fro the #h!sica" e:a ination 3e 3ou"d u"ti ate"! eva"uate the

#atient8s "i2e"ihood o' being rehabi"itated, i' the outco e "oo2s good 3e8d #re#are an enc"osure 'or the and deve"o# a edication schedu"e4 ho3ever, i' outco e "oo2s 'air"! #oor 3e a! $ust

euthani/e the

to end their su''ering 9uic2"!.

%' our ne3 #atient has not been euthani/ed, 3e 3ou"d no3 "i2e"! ta2e a cro# and/or 'eca" s3ab o' the ani a" in order to eva"uate i' the! are su''ering an! in'ectious disease such as tricho oniasis, coccidiosis or a !east in'ection. These s3abs 3ou"d be eva"uated under a icrosco#e and i' indeed the ani a" a##ears in'ected a round o' antibiotics *t!#ica""! a o:ici""in+ 3i"" be added to their 'ro a 'e3 da!s to a 'e3 edication schedu"e. The #atient 3i"" then s#end an!3here

onths at our 'aci"it! recovering unti" the! are either dee ed suitab"e

'or re"ease or un.re"easab"e. <n.re"easab"e ani a"s are either ado#ted, used as #art o' the &()8s educationa" outreach #rogra or euthani/ed. -e"easab"e ani a"s, ho3ever, are ta2en to their orning, and re"eased. ain"! #ub"ic advocac!, that is, % ai ed to

natura" environ ent, t!#ica""! in the &hi"e not at ! site

! 3or2 consisted o'

educate the genera" #ub"ic on ani a" rehabi"itation and their i #act on "oca" ecos!ste s. This 3as acco #"ished through a u"titude o' di''erent venues as out"ined in the introduction, ere"!

restated this invo"ved4 3riting "etters to the editors o' the 5acavi""e -e#orter and the 6avis 7nter#rise, #utting an add in u# on co unit! ! grand other8s ne3s"etter, #assing out '"!ers and #inning the ! church about environ enta"

essage boards, giving s#eeches to

conscientiousness and #assing out s a"" #"edges on re aining environ enta""! vigi"ant *s#eci'ic #a#ers 'ro these tas2s are attached in the visua"s section+.

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Evaluation Reflection
&hi"e % thin2 ! su#ervisor certain"! "e't an e:ce""ent eva"uation, % thin2 it is so e3hat regrettab"e that she didn8t s#ea2 about the #ub"ic advocac! 3or2 % did in addition to 3or2ing at the &(). Though in her de'ense she 3as never around to see ho3 % did that #ub"ic advocac! 3or2 so she 3ou"dn8t be ab"e to re'"ect on ;everthe"ess % thin2 a o' the #ro$ect 3as initiative and co regard b! 'orcing ! 3or2 ethic 'or that #articu"ar #art o' ! #ro$ect.

a$or 3ea2ness she identi'ied that 'o""o3ed ! sh!ness

e throughout both #ortions

! sh!ness. <"ti ate"!,

ani'ested itse"' in a re"uctance to ta2e e in this

unicate and educate others, though % thin2 the #ro$ect he"#ed e to get outside o' ! co 'ort /one and #ut

!se"' out there. )dditiona""!

the interest and dedication she identi'ied, as a strength % thin2 3as recurrent throughout both #ortions o' the #ro$ect4 it 3as ! interest in edicine cou#"ed 3ith ! dedication to3ards

he"#ing ani a"s that conc"usive"! "ed to3ards and gave

! di"igent 3or2 ethic *both at site and o'' site+

e a sense o' #ur#ose in a"" the 3or2 that % did.

*visua"s insert see ne:t #age+

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Personal Growth
7ar"ier in the !ear, 3e too2 the =ung t!#o"og! test 'or 3hich % received the resu"t %;T= *%ntroverted i;tuitive Thin2ing =udging+. )s e"aborated in the #ersona"it! t!#e #age, the %;T= >"ive in the 3or"d o' ideas and strategic #"anning. The! va"ue inte""igence, 2no3"edge, and co #etence, and t!#ica""! have high standards in these regards, 3hich the! continuous"! strive to 'u"'i"".? <"ti ate"! % sa3 this #"a! out in and "earn as ! service site 3here % a"3a!s strove to understand ! do3nti e % 3ou"d tr! and brush

uch as % #ossib"! cou"d4 'or e:a #"e, during

u# on bird anato ! b! reading di''erent ornitho"og! boo2s or read through di''erent #har aco"og! charts tr!ing to 3or2 out the Further ore the "onger % s#ent at ! site the echanis ore o' action and dosage in started to ! head.

! neuroticis

ani'est itse"' in an

unnatura" desire to diagnose in$ur!4 3henever an ani a" 3ou"d co e in 3ith an un2no3n etio"og! *cause o' a a"ad! or in$ur!+ ! ind 3ou"d a"3a!s race through the ost "i2e"! and

"east "i2e"! causes and co e u# 3ith a "ogica""! sound diagnosis *even i' it 3as not re"evant or necessar! 'or treat ent+. 0ne o' the careers the =ung t!#o"og! test gave edica" doctor, 3hich % a #ursuing a e under the %;T= #ersona"it! t!#e 3as

#ossib"! #"anning to beco e as one o' the #ossib"e venues 'or this #ro$ect % deve"o#ed so e o' the e otiona"

edica" career. <"ti ate"! % thin2 'ro

aturit! to dea" 3ith stress and death that 3ou"d co e so e3hat 're9uent"!, as 3e"" % again "earned to get out o' ! co 'ort /one in he"#ing and hea"ing #atients.

Reflection/Personal Thoughts
<"ti ate"! % thin2 ! #ro$ect 3as success'u", to an e:tent, because so uch o' ! advocac! 3or2 rested u#on education, it is so e3hat hard to ob$ective"! easure that and sa!

that % have addressed so e set goa" #er'ect"!. ;everthe"ess % personally 'ee" that % have thro3n a "ot o' e''ort into ! #ro$ect and have to a degree at "east ade #eo#"e ore a3are about

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environ enta" and rehabi"itation issues and even i' % didn8t achieve so e arbitrar! goa" % sti"" can ta2e #ride in that. Thus % thin2 % tru"! gras#ed the #oint o' the c"ass in that, at the end o' the da!, % 3ent out into the co unit! 3ith so e degree o' initiative and atte #ted to change so ething e as it

'or the better. )s 3e"", as a'ore entioned the #ro$ect 3as a "earning e:#erience 'or 'orced e to ature e otiona""! and 3or2 #ast

! o3n sh!ness in the #ursuit o' so ething and ! ind behind it.

the aid o' others, 3hich sho3ed to

e 3hat it is #ossib"e i' % #ut

% 9uite en$o!ed 3or2ing at and 'or the &()4

! co3or2ers 3ere cordia" and 9uite itted to the sa e va"ues % a

3e"co ing o' ne3 vo"unteers. The organi/ation itse"' 3as co and as evidenced b! their

ission state ent 3e are both 3or2ing on the sa e sort o' #ub"ic

advocac!/education, >&i"d"i'e (are )ssociation, %nc. is dedicated to the rescue, re.habi"itation, and re"ease o' "oca" 3i"d"i'e. &() is co it.ted to educating and instruct.ing the co unit! in

the res#ect, a##reciation, and care o' "oca" 3i"d"i'e. &() is #"edged to the

anage ent and

#reservation o' 3i"d"i'e habitat.? @onest"! % can thin2 o' no criticis s 'or either the site or the organi/ation % 3or2ed under even though % ad itted"! didn8t get the chance to eet ever!one

3ho 3or2ed 'or the &(). &ere % given the o##ortunit! % certain"! 3or2 'or the &() again, in 'act % a #"anning on 3or2ing 'or the in co""ege, i' % re ain in the area 'or #ost.secondar!

education4 the on"! reason %8

not continuing it ne:t se ester is because % "ac2 the trans#ortation

necessar! to get to Mc("e""an ever! 3ee2. Aoing in to the #ro$ect % rea""! didn8t 2no3 3hat to e:#ect, #robab"! because % hadn8t co #"ete"! ironed out the 3ho"e uch % 3ou"d en$o! 3or2ing 3ith antici#ate ho3 easurab"e goa" idea4 neverthe"ess % didn8t antici#ate, ho3 ! co3or2ers and 3or2ing in rehabi"itation. % a"so didn8t

uch % cou"d gro3 as an individua" as a resu"t o' this #ro$ect as a'ore entioned

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and % didn8t 'oresee ho3 disconso"ate % 3ou"d be to discontinue vo"unteering there even i' 'or a short hiatus.