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| Jalal relaxes with canine companion. |
As veterinarians its easy to become buried in surgery and consultations and not consider the bigger picture of animals and the environment - I'm guilty of it too. So I am always interested to talk to people who take a "bigger picture" approach. Earlier this year I met Jalal, Amanda and Graeme, University of Queensland Veterinary Students who are keen to make a difference - not from the moment they graduate, but from right now.
Tell us about yourself. Where are you at and how did you get here?
Jalal: I was born in a small town called
Woombye in the Sunshine Coast and lived there for the most part of my upbringing and also spent
time living in London and Canberra too. Travelling and exploring the world has
always been a major part of my life. When I finished high school I spent 3
years working odd jobs to save up for various overseas adventures. As for now I
have found myself studying veterinary science at the University of Queensland
in Gatton.
Amanda: I
was born and lived in India for the first ten years of my life. I then moved to
Oman for a few years before migrating to Canada with my family. Along the way I
did a lot of traveling both by myself and with my parents who always encouraged
me to have an open mind of the world around me. I completed my BSc majoring in
Wildlife biology at the University of Guelph in Canada and moved to Australia
to further my education in vet studies.
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| Amanda. |
Graeme: I'm
23 years old, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba the coldest city of Canada (and the
world!!). Growing up I was always passionate about wildlife and in particular
the reptiles and amphibians around me. Given the, at times, absence of reptiles
in Canada I decided to look further abroad to fulfill my passion. So, after
completing my Bachelor of Anthropology I decided to get back on track with my
dreams to help heal animals and the environments they inhabit. I've now come
all the way around the world and am thrilled to be studying Vet Med at the
University of Queensland.
Why did you choose to become a vet?
Jalal: To be honest becoming a veterinarian
wasn't on the cards throughout my schooling years. Instead I was fixed on
becoming an international airline pilot. Once I finished high school though,
the spark for flying planes began to wear off as my values toward life and how
we live on this planet changed. I’ve always been very passionate about animal
welfare across all facets of how animals serve humans (food, entertainment,
pets, scientific testing and clothing) as well as a keen interest in wildlife conservation.
It occurred to me one day that becoming a veterinarian could help me in many
ways to aid in species conservation and to create reform in the standards of animal
welfare. It could also provide me with a credible platform to educate people of
how these issues have severe ethical implications as well as large-scale health
and environmental consequences.
Amanda: My
passion for animals, animal’s welfare and animal justice is deep rooted, to the
point where I chose to become a strict vegetarian (amidst a family of
carnivores) at the age of a year and a half. All my life I knew that I wanted
to devote my energy and time making the world a better place for all animals
(especially the non-human ones). After working at several animal related organizations/
establishments and dealing with frustrating bureaucracy I believed that being a
vet was the way I would be able to successfully fulfil my goals. After many
twists and turns along the way here I am now at the University of Queensland in
my first few years of Vet Studies.
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| Graeme with a black headed python. |
Graeme: Being
passionate about wildlife I worked for different organizations through high
school. While working at a bird rehabilitation centre I realized how useful a
vet can make him or herself in the field of wildlife conservation. Many of the
birds I worked with could have been rehabilitated with the aid of a vet but
because there was no one on site / no funds to bring someone in, most of the
birds were euthanized. These tragic experiences, coupled with the extremely
rewarding experiences of watching rehabilitated raptors fly free, helped to
show me why becoming a vet was an imperative for me.
How did you get involved in APPLE?
Jalal: I went into veterinary school with the
ambition to band together with like-minded students so we could become involved
in projects that would aid in animal welfare and conservation. Soon after
beginning my first semester however, I noticed there was a lack of any groups
or societies that targeted what I was really aspiring to achieve. In my second
week however I met two cool and enthusiastic students, Graeme and Amanda who
had travelled all the way to Australia from Canada to study veterinary science.
The three of us soon realised that our goals and ambitions of what we were
passionate about were all the same and soon after we gave rise to APPLE (Animals, People & Plants Living Ethically).
Amanda: I
was excited to experience all that Australian vet school had to offer me when I
first moved here, not just academically but to hear peoples stories, see the
passion, get involved with different groups. Graeme and I were shocked at the
lack of student involvement in terms of animal welfare groups or ethics groups
and were happy to meet Jalal who shared our interest and enthusiasm. Animals,
People and Plants Living Ethically is the goal of our organization. We want to
be involved in discussions regarding animals being used for our education from
the live crayfish to the greyhounds, and even the pigs at the piggery. I'm a
vet student today but I believe I am also a concerned citizen of the world and
I want to take responsibility for the way animals around me are being treated
for my education. This isn't an irrational concept and I was happy to see others
in our first year vet class get involved with a.p.p.l.e.
Can you give an example of the sorts of things APPLE has done to benefit the
welfare of animals?
Jalal: Our first initiative as a group was to
increase and diversify the enrichment that the greyhounds at our clinical
studies centre were being exposed too. We felt that as unfortunately the
majority of greyhounds there are euthanized and used for our education, we
could in return offer them the most exciting last few weeks of their lives
through providing cool and interesting food enrichment toys. A small group of
our members gathered together on campus one afternoon after collecting mounds
of recycling and built them toys whilst watching David Attenborough
documentaries. The day was a great success!
Graeme:
Our first project was to build enrichment for the greyhounds on campus. This
was inspired by one of our practicals where we saw the beautiful greyhounds
without much socialization or interaction with each other. Because many of
these dogs would be used in various ways for our vet education we figured we
owed them our thoughts and time. This manifested itself in a project where we
got a bunch of people together (a.p.p.l.e members) to build DIY toys for the
hounds. We'll definitely be repeating this event. We received really good
feedback and I think everyone had a great time.
Greyhounds: many people are exposed to this breed through images in the media
or by seeing them being walked with wire muzzles on. What are they like close
up?
Jalal: Grey hounds have got to be one of the
nicest, most beautiful and friendliest breeds of dog I have ever come across.
There are an overwhelming number of these dogs around Australia available for
adoption that I think would make a wonderful pet at home. I feel saddened that
they have developed a negative connotation through what I think is an
unethical, profit driven racing industry.
You seem keen to change the world. Who or what inspires you?
Jalal: For me there are a lot of things
that inspire me to change the world. We are living in unprecedented times whereby
our natural environment is being altered at such an alarming rate that many of
us are rather blind to the sort of ecological consequences that will result for
future generations. Whether it be working toward conservation of endangered
species or creating reform in industries such as live exports and
slaughterhouses, I am totally inspired and willing to do everything in my power
as a veterinarian to make a positive change in this dying planet we call home.
Amanda:
My driving force is the dream that one day animals of all shapes and sizes,
spiny or soft, feathered or hoofed, will be treated with respect. I think it’s
sad but accurate, that as humans we have been dubbed the most destructive
creatures on the planet. I believe that each of us can be conscientious of the
flawed systems we propagate and take a stand to make it change. This is the
dream that I will continue to chase professionally as a veterinarian and also
on a personal level.
Graeme: Growing
up I always found the stories of Gerald Durrell to be inspiring. They spoke of
a world which I didn't know but wanted to be a part of. His passionate and
sometimes tragic accounts of wildlife drew my attention to the precarious state
every animal (other than humans and the animals humans find useful) could or
has found itself in. Those stories really got me thinking about the power of
ecological conservation as well as single species recovery. It also inspires me
to find the magical world Durrell describes and to foster its survival against
ever increasing odds.
