Behind the Scenes, Ahead of the Curve Meet Brooke Klaseen, Our Vet Tech
Most pet owners already know their furry friends make life better, but according to a new study, the value might be higher than anyone realized. Some researchers say it’s close to $100,000. Researchers in the U.K. aimed to measure how much happiness dogs and cats bring to people’s lives. Using data from more than 700 people, they found that owning a pet can boost life satisfaction as much as getting married or landing a massive raise. In economic terms, it’s the emotional equivalent of earning nearly $93,000 more per year. To determine whether pets actually improve happiness, rather than the opposite — happy people are more likely to have pets — the team factored in things like age, income, personality traits, and family size. They also used a clever workaround: They asked people whether they look after their neighbor’s house while they’re away. That behavior is linked to pet ownership but not directly to happiness, which helped researchers isolate the impact of pet ownership. It’s not just a fun fact, either. Experts say findings like this could affect everything from housing laws to public health programs. If pets fight loneliness and lift people’s moods, it might make sense to rethink rules that prevent pet ownership in some apartments and assisted living facilities. While the researchers focused only on cats and dogs, the message came through clearly. Pets matter, maybe even more than we thought. And if you already live with one and know how they benefit your well- being, the science now backs you up. That wagging tail or soft purr might be worth more than you ever guessed. New Study Says Pets Are Worth Plenty THE $100K REASON TO GET A PET
Brooke Klaseen loves helping our doctors care for our pet patients. As an elementary school teacher for most of the year, she is an expert at planning for success. “I enjoy making preparations and trying to think of all the things that are going to be needed for whatever procedure we are doing, from routine wellness exams to surgeries,” she shares. “I try to think of every possible scenario.” Brooke is accustomed to helping others with animal care. Growing up on her parents’ cattle ranch near Hotchkiss, she worked alongside her father tending their 250 head of beef cattle. She assisted with branding, pregnancy checks, and administering vaccines and medications. She rode miles on the back of her dad’s four-wheeler to check on cows during calving season, seeing the new babies and making sure the mother was doing well. “Ranching is a 24/7 job. There is no downtime,” she says. Fortunately for us, Brooke likes to keep busy year-round. She began working part-time at Surface Creek in 2019, when she was a student at Western Colorado University. Since beginning her teaching career in 2022 at Garnet Mesa Elementary School in Delta, she has continued to work with us on her summer breaks. As a vet tech, Brooke assists our doctors with surgeries, sets up the operating room, and administers and monitors anesthesia. She has learned numerous other roles during her time with us, from making appointments to checking in patients. She says her communication skills help pet parents feel confident about caring for their pets at home. Brooke also loves just hanging out with our clients’ pets. As cute as the baby calves on her family’s ranch are, she prefers dogs and cats. According to her, “Cows just aren’t lovable like that.”
Brooke can only be with us for the summers, but we are glad she is here!
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