Evening in the Yukon looks like high noon where we are from. The sun pouring down through the silver-green leaves of the quaking aspen and calling long shadows from the squatting shapes of the construction trailers. We're in a loose circle of office chairs and stacked lumber and a pair of cream-coloured huskies have finished their evening meal of chips and peanut butter and are just winding in and out of the chairs, soaking in the attention that only fifteen veterinary professionals can give.
The air is thick with flying ants and laughter, the scent of peppermint oil dabbed behind ears and swiped over sore necks. A half-dozen half-eaten bags of chips lie scattered around between water bottles and travel mugs. It's hard to believe that it's been barely four days since we came together in the driving Whitehorse rain, old friends and new sharing more laughter over pizza and drinks (later that night the sun breaking through the clouds, a good omen I think). The bond feels like family. The stories are meandering and punctured by shrieks of laughter, memories brought out and turned alive by the energy in the air.
The last three days have been a whirlwind of activity the way only a remote spay/neuter trip can be. Huge puppies with an uncertain lineage -- bull terrier or golden or Pyrenees or -- and small white puppies, just a couple of weeks old, sleeping in a stuffy room filled to the brim with every team member who needed a cuddle. Our prep team starts out slow as we learn our routine of sedate, IV, clip, scrub, induce, intubate, move -- but soon enough we're working like a well-oiled machine. The surgery teams fall into a routine of their own, and recovery, and admissions and drug table keeping it all running.
Dogs come and go, going from nervously scooting through the doors to stumbling drunkenly home a few hours later. A single cat arrives and in the space of thirty minutes goes from awake to sleep to awake again, only minus a couple of important bits. Endless mountains of food are dished up morning noon and evening from the ladies in the kitchen, huge portions and still going back for more, just one more bannock for the road. Even the teardown just a few hours ago goes smoothly and easily as the orderly hospital turns back into an auditorium in the space of an hour. Everything packed into the black-and-yellow totes and stacked back into the truck -- and just like that, we're done.
written by Rose Tubman-Broeren
We were so happy to have provided services for 174 animals during our time in the Yukon. Thank you to all our Aeroplan donors for helping our volunteers get to where they are needed to give access to veterinary care to animals that would otherwise not have it.