The PAWssion Behind the Work

If you’re an avid animal lover, you’ve probably watched a few pet grooming and veterinary videos online and thought, “they must be living the dream!”. I mean, who wouldn’t want to work with cute and cuddly animals every day, right?

In this article, we get to see a glimpse into what it’s like to be an animal doctor through the eyes of Dr. Kurt Adrian Ocampo, attending veterinarian and co-owner of RESPONSIVet Animal Clinic!

RESPONSIVet Animal Clinic is a 24/7 emergency clinic for your pets located at the boundary between Bulacao, Talisay City, Cebu and Pardo, Cebu City. They offer consultation services, vaccination, grooming, and even boarding for your fur babies. They opened in December 2021 and are currently thriving with their partner clinic, Vets for Pets, which recently opened last April in Mabolo.

Before Dr. Ocampo practiced his medical profession in this clinic, he first taught as a college professor for three years. “When I was in high school, being in a family of teachers, my first choice was also to be in the academe,” he said. “But for some reason when I was in fourth year high school, I had a passion towards animals all of a sudden. I think that was the time when the show of Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, was at its peak. I became an avid fan and that prompted me to study veterinary instead of education.”

Dr. Ocampo has had his fair share of experiences with pets growing up, too. His earliest memory with a pet was of an aspin his family had back when he was in first grade. Since then, they’ve had a few other dogs living in their household. He also tried taking care of exotic pets like snakes and turtles!

“Perhaps Cesar Milan’s show just reignited my passion towards pets when I was in high school,” Dr. Ocampo explained. “By that time, I only had one year left to decide [my course] before I go to college, so I really made the decision when I knew there was only one school back then that offered veterinary medicine.” He finished vet school in six and a half years and got his license a year after.

Putting up the clinic happened at a surprisingly quick pace. After talking to a close friend who is also now co-owner of the clinic, then visiting the site the next morning to inspect the area, and a couple more business-related deals here and there—the vet was up and running within just a few weeks!

There is no typical work day schedule that Dr. Ocampo strictly follows. Since their clinic offers 24/7 emergency services, he must always be ready to come and treat his patients even at the break of dawn. “Ideally, I need to come [to the clinic] at 9 AM, but it’s not always that I come here at that time. If there is an emergency, I’ll only be able to come here much later in the morning. And then I usually go home around 7 or 8 PM,” he said.

Dr. Ocampo gives this pupper a vaccine dose.

Dr. Ocampo also shared his first experience of treating a chicken as a patient at ResponsiVET! He narrated that the experience brought back memories of the very first dog consultation he did a few years after he got his veterinary license. What a long way he’s come since then!

However, it is not always rainbows and sunshine when working with animals on a daily basis. As an emergency clinic, it gets difficult to always be present for your patients when you are feeling tired and worn out. “The hardest emergency cases are those when my body is really tired but I need to get up from bed, drive back to the clinic, and give my client and patient my full and utmost attention,” Dr. Ocampo explained. “However, the fulfillment afterwards is always invaluable.”

Dealing with the death of patients was also one of the most difficult challenges Dr. Ocampo had to face during his first months as a practicing veterinarian. As he matured in the field, he was able to develop empathy, which made it easier for him to talk to his clients about the tough decision of letting go of their beloved pets.

Despite not being in the academe anymore, Dr. Ocampo is still able to teach in his own little ways at the clinic through the interns he is working with.

Janica Pahayahay, one of the pioneering interns at ResponsiVET, shared how her time at the clinic helped her have a better understanding of what it’s really like being a veterinary technician and secretary at a vet clinic. “Working at ResponsiVET has helped me a lot with my academics. Being a vet tech intern and a secretary is tough, but I am grateful that I can combine both duties into one, allowing me to guide and advise my fellow interns and secretaries on what to do and what not to do,” she said. Pahayahay is currently a secretary intern in the clinic.

She adds that she is also grateful to Dr. Ocampo for being a “good kuya, barkada, teacher, and doctor” to all the interns in the clinic. “He just puts so much patience in everything he does,” Pahayahay expressed.

If there’s any advice Dr. Ocampo wants pet owners to know, it is to always remember the why behind getting a pet. “Why are you having this pet? You have to make it clear to yourself why you got a pet in the first place,” he said. “Once you’ve determined that, next is to make sure you’re able to do the responsibilities of a pet owner, specifically deworming, vaccination, and proper trimming and grooming. Remember to always provide food, shelter, and water to your pets too.”

And for those looking into pursuing veterinary medicine, his tip is simple: “As long as you love what you’re doing, everything will fall into place.” Passion and determination surely worked out for Dr. Ocampo!

Be sure to check and visit ResponsiVET Animal Clinic’s Facebook page!