My story of how I’m living my purpose through weaving my life around animals. and finding ways to upgrade all of the lives I cross paths with.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to animals and I like to think they’ve been drawn to me. As I was growing up, my bed was lined with stuffed versions of all my favorite animals (mostly various tiger stuffies). My favorite pastime as a child, in addition to reading and dancing, was exploring in my backyard; digging up earthworms, searching for bird and bunny nests. Even at school during recess, I was religiously digging for worms on the playground. Sometimes my classmates would join me, but being on my own some days did not stop me.

This past year I got to see Jane Goodall at the Chicago Theatre. At that time in my life when I attended her lecture, I was working with Great Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo, and to see the Chimpanzee expert in the flesh, a living legend, was so inspiring. Every time she spoke I was awestruck at her wisdom, her wit. This phenomenal woman has truly lived. She has given so much to this earth, for all creation under the Sun. She mentioned her passion started with digging up earthworms as well. I know it’s minuscule, but it was very validating that our curiosities seeded in the same way, and it further encouraged me to not dull my ambitions.

My goal is to work in wildlife conservation and most of my career has been in exotic animal care at accredited zoos and sanctuaries. Every day, I go to work and cater to these animals as if they are my own. After a couple of years of experience, I’ve finally been able to articulate my purpose in this line of work: to advocate for the individual animal. I truly cherish each individual I have the honor to care for, and strive to make every day a good day for them.

My day consists of a lot of cleaning, feeding, enriching, observing, data collecting, diet prep, training, administering meds, and more. Accredited animal care facilities prioritize welfare to their utmost abilities so we make sure the animals’ needs are being met and more. Each individual and each species has their own specifications. Every day is a new day in any line of work with animals- you never know what you’re going to get.

I’ve used the skills I’ve attained in the animal care field to improve my own pets’ lives. Before I leave for work every day, my dog and cat get multiple forms of enrichment to keep them stimulated and busy. Species specific enrichment is so important for animals because it lets them use their natural instincts and tests their determination and intelligence. It helps with releasing energy (which my dog has a lot of.) I’ve heard Dr. Bhatt say, “Empower your dog to be a dog,” and I feel I am doing exactly that when I allow my dog to scavenge through enrichment spread out in my apartment for hours each day. 

My Experience With Dr. Bhatt and Arya Animal Acupuncture

At the traditional vet where I used to take my dog, there was no sense of intimacy. It felt cold and impersonal. I didn’t know vet clinics could be more than that. Todd, my dog, hated going there more than I did. But we would go because we didn’t know we had another option. 

I found Arya Animal Acupuncture a few years ago while I was job searching. I ended up getting a different job and working at Lincoln Park Zoo for a year, but I kept Arya in my head for my own pets. Eventually, I brought my dog here and loved it even more than I thought I would. Walking in to this inviting environment and meeting with Dr. Bhatt for the first time, with her casual comfy outfit and ready to sit on the floor with me and my dog, I was immediately at ease. Hearing her speak, so intelligently and confidently, and seeing her so ready to take care of my boy- I was genuinely tearing up at my first appointment. I immediately trusted everyone at Arya with my baby, my soulmate. I wanted their input on anything and everything about him. I had always wanted to upgrade his lifestyle and didn’t know where to start. Then I came here and it was the beginning of it all. He’s 9 now and dare I say the healthiest he has ever been. 

I am now currently working part time at Arya Animal Acupuncture and part time at Brookfield Zoo. Working as a patient care assistant at Arya has shown me there are strong relationships and senses of trust needed from the animals in veterinary medicine, similar but different to animal care. In vet med, we spend so much less time with our patients than their parents, but need to provide that immediate sense of comfort so the animal can relax and comply for their treatment. Seeing how gently, gracefully, and swiftly Ashley draws blood, I can assure you that your animal is experiencing the least amount of stress possible. We also include a lot of complimentary snuggles and treats so the experience can be positive for them. Weronika has mentioned “we know our patients in and out” and at Arya they truly do- remembering the ailments of hundreds of patients and the preferences of the animal and their family so their experience here will be as personalized as possible every time.

Building Trust and Relationships With Animal Patients

In animal care, we have time to eventually gain that trust, so the animal can be voluntarily involved in their daily needs: participating in their own healthcare like blood draws and ultrasounds, shifting to and from areas for exhibit maintenance, participating in training sessions to continue ensuring their voluntary involvement, etc.

The protocol for the relationship becomes a little more necessary if for example the relationship is with a porcupine who we can’t directly approach and restrain like we do to our domestic animals. Imagine a training session where a tiger voluntarily puts her hip up to the mesh for a “side” cue that we have practiced hundreds of times, eventually chaining it with a “touch” cue where her hip is touched by a pole while she chooses to remain pressed up to the mesh. Imagine being so confident in this behavior that one day the tiger does it for the trainer while the vet is present so the vet is able to voluntarily administer one of her vaccines. Also imagine that the tiger gets highly rewarded with a lot of beef chunks for this. This was one of my proudest moments with one of my favorite tigers. She was so desensitized to her hip being touched that she did not even acknowledge the needle. 

Learning Integrative Veterinary Medicine For Optimal Animal Health

I’m trying to make the most of my time here at Arya Animal Acupuncture. I’m learning to be part of the healing process from a new context [Integrative Veterinary Care]. I’m trying to take away knowledge, skills, and perspective to be a more valuable caretaker for my own animals and the animals I will come across in the future. The same way I have upgraded my own pets lives, I’m constantly trying to bridge my knowledge to upgrade the lives of all the animals I care for- whether that means finding new ways to enrich from the zoo, or learning how to do a proper ear cleaning from the vet, and even from experiencing my own animals and their needs. I have a general idea of what I want my career to lead to, but I’m always open to where life will take me. All I know is until then, I want to gain as much perspective as I can, and touch every life I come across with a little bit of healing, comfort, and love.

About the Author

Michelle is a Patient Care Assistant here at Arya Animal Acupuncture. She joined our team in November 2023. Michelle also works at Brookfield Zoo, and gets to provide care and training for many exotic critters.