Animals deserve respect

A short speech by a young veterinarian Liis Uusaed “One World, One Health” i.e. a lecture about how animals affect people’s welfare, did not get much attention on October 6 on the higher education institutions and enterprises cooperation festival.

This speech was not the most attractive, the most innovative or even the kind that would change or boost Estonian economy. Liis Uusaed admitted that not a single entrepreneur has contacted the Animal Clinic of the Estonian University of Life Sciences regarding that speech, but that does not mean anything yet.

One health

“I am delighted that so many people at the cooperation festival heard about that idea, and hope that the next time they notice an animal in the wild or buy a milk carton from the store, they will think more about the role that animals play in the modern world and in society,” she said.

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Estonia university representatives and entrepreneurs met in Tartu, and the event was made special by 34 short presentations or lift speeches with which the researcher could reach an entrepreneur while in the same lift.

Liis Uusaed / Photo: Sille Annuk

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Uusaed’s speech was logically understandable and clear. It was about a global concept, where human and animal health and welfare, as well as, the entire surrounding environment are connected as a whole. The aim is to ensure safe and healthy food for all, reduce the spread of diseases, and act in an environmentally friendly and economically beneficial manner.

So Uusaed talked about the importance of the health and welfare of farm animals, pets, who have become full members of the family, and also wild animals because veterinarians are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of injured wild animals, decreasing diseases and in species protection.

And finally about science, because the cooperation between veterinarians and doctors of humans increases when researching such diseases for which the mechanism is similar on humans and some animal species.

Yesterday, at 13 o´clock began Liis Uusaed’s workday at the Small Animal Clinic of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, where she had to work at the reception and then remain on call until morning.

Long working hours

Work in a veterinary clinic is organized very similarly to the work of hospitals; the troubles of animals are also the same as humans.

It may be a pet that unluckily fell or got in a traffic accident or a cat that was brought to the clinic for swallowing a rubber toy, or a dog that has stomach and intestinal inflammation. Or a healthy dog, who is called to an animal clinic because it’ll be a blood donor to another sick dog.

Some of the veterinary clinic’s staff takes a pet with them to work. Liis Uusaed says that she too grew up having a dog, but now she has no pets because she is committed to becoming a very good veterinarian. Long hours in the clinic would not leave enough time for a pet.

Liis Uusaed can speak a lot about why animals are important to humans. Starting with why we certainly notice a man with a dog coming up the street, but may not notice a man without a dog, up to the point that researchers of Estonian University of Life Sciences are tracking with care and love clone animal Augustiine who will give birth to her first calf next year.

Augustiine is not a transgenic animal, and she gives no benefit in regards to medicine milk, however, monitoring her development allows researchers to develop the cloning technology further.

“I think people are more emotionally opened when they have an animal,” said Liis Uusaed. “That’s the reason why children progress in reading more or why they are not afraid of the dentist chair when there is a dog in the same room. Or why people at nursing homes are happier when there is a dog living there. “

Aime Jõgi

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