The image below is the first photo I ever had professionally printed. "Stray", June 1, 2001. It's not award-winning, but I cherish it. I took it a little over a year after my dad's passing, on a photo walk in downtown Little Rock, AR. I really struggled with handling my upside down world during that time, but somehow in the chaos of the aftermath, I signed up for a community photography class with my aunt Donna. I know I've always wanted to be behind a camera.
But for the last 18 months, I've kinda been having an identity crisis. And because my work is personal (vocation = avocation), it's felt a tad existential. I haven't known exactly how to best navigate the path I've chosen and at 41, I feel an urgency that's unprecedented. Yet I see others' clarity of vision and end up in a spiral of comparison. It's been really frustrating, highly confusing and exceptionally lonely. I share this honestly should anyone else feel this way.
Where do I fit in this world of animal welfare? What am I trying to say? Why am I holding back?
I'm still unsure but what opinions and work I do have (a few years worth!), I gotta let out and trust the answers will come. Perfectionism is a pain point for me but overthinking is overrated. Time to share, the animals are waiting.
That said, “Stray” feels a fitting intro into mid-April’s outreach clinic put on by Yaqui Animal Rescue, ironically held at Donna North High School in Donna, Texas..
Vet techs and high school student volunteers bring dogs and cats into the building during an inaugural veterinary outreach clinic put on by Yaqui Animal Rescue in collaboration with Donna North High School. Donna, TX. April 12, 2025.
A year in the making, the two day clinic helped 146 animals in desperate need of spay, neuter & basic wellness care. Many were brought in via rescuers, others from locals in the community that for various reasons, be it socio-economic or cultural, had sought little veterinary care for their cats or dogs. It was a microcosm of the overwhelming reality facing companion animals, not just in the Rio Grande Valley, but everywhere.
From a weeks old puppy with a maggot-infested wound (found at a dump site we visited a day earlier), to a puppy mill bred dog with underlying congenital issues and compromised community cats - this is what I see. It's a reality that can split the soul.
Clockwise from top left: pre-op cats wait in a quiet space adjacent to the main classroom, Dr. Stacey Thomas performs a dental check during a wellness exam, Dr. Thomas and a volunteer tech take vitals on a Pomerian dog post-neuter, Dr. August Murphy and a vet tech perform pre-op exams on cats, a months old puppy with a maggot-infested wound received immediate treatment upon arrival, Yaqui Animal Rescue director of development Becca Chavez holds a dog in the lobby of the high school during early morning drop offs. Donna, Texas. April 12-13, 2025.
But, I also see the genuine effort and care and the widespread effect it has on a community as a whole. Watching my friend @thefarfetchedvet who led medical efforts and the whole crew give every ounce of themselves to the care and betterment of these cats and dogs' lives was a privilege. The humans who work in rescue have galaxy-sized hearts and spirit that defies all psychological odds. I know they are part of my why.
Maybe that's all I need to know for now.
The vet team worked to revive a community cat named Oleg, who crashed post-op. Efforts were unsuccessful and his passing was felt by all. Donna, Texas. April 13, 2025.
Thank you @yaquianimalrescue @beccaisabel7 for allowing me this first entry into your world in the RGV, see you soon. ♥️
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