Veterinary Technician Week 2024: When It Is & How to Celebrate
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National Veterinary Technician Week is a beautiful holiday that is celebrated every third week of each October, which means this year it is from 15th to 22nd October. It is a celebration for all veterinary technicians nationwide—these people work to save the precious lives of our pets, and we should be grateful each day to have them.
In the article below, you can learn more about this fantastic holiday and how you can celebrate it with your local veterinary technician.
History of National Veterinary Technician Week
The National Veterinary Technician Week or Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week is a week that celebrates the noble profession of vet technicians. Vet Tech week is a holiday celebrated nationally, in the US only. The history of veterinary medicine started in 3000 BC with the first veterinary practices and the first-ever veterinary school in Lyon, France. Claude Bourgelat founded the school in 1761, which is when veterinary medicine officially began its course.1
Initially, the veterinary profession was centered around horses only and later spread to livestock, cattle, pets, and eventually exotic animals. National Vet Tech Week was first celebrated in June 1993, when the National Association of Veterinary Technicians passed a resolution to make this holiday celebrated every third week of each October.2
When Do We Celebrate Veterinary Technician Week?
National Veterinary Technician Week is celebrated on a different date annually, every third week of each October, making this date vary and change yearly. Whether you celebrate this holiday each year in honor of all the veterinarian technicians or you intend to celebrate it for the first time this year, it will feel amazing to acknowledge these heroes’ hard work. In 2022, this holiday was celebrated from October 16th to October 22nd.
Below you can find future dates of Veterinary Technician Week, so you know when to expect it and prepare for the celebration.
- October 15th to 21st, 2023
- October 13th to 19th, 2024
- October 12th to 18th, 2025
The Importance of Celebrating This Week
While this holiday may not seem as relevant to most people, imagining the hard days and sleepless nights vet technicians experience constantly truly deserves all praise. When you only think about a technician, somewhere in the world, working restlessly to save the life of a pet, you can begin to imagine the trouble these people go through. They have an abundance of sleepless nights behind them and countless hours in the clinic, healing the broken bones and illnesses of our beloved pets.
This holiday shows gratitude to the devoted technicians and raises awareness of their everyday struggles—they often have to sacrifice their safety to help an aggressive animal in need.
How Is National Veterinary Technician Week Celebrated
There are plenty of ways to celebrate this wonderful and joyful holiday, and below, you can find some of the most common ways to honor it.
- Do your research: Ask around and do some research about all the hard work veterinary technicians have to do daily. This way, you will show your respect towards their profession and let them know you value all their hard work.
- Raise awareness: Spread the word about Vet Technician Week to your friends, family, or colleague. Chances are these people have pets and visit the clinic frequently without being aware of this holiday week. Let them know how they can participate in honoring this holiday.
- Praise veterinary technicians: Each time you go to the vet clinic and a vet technician assists you, make sure to be vocal and let them know you see them and the effort they put in.
- Be gentle and compassionate: While a technician’s job is to help each pet that arrives at the clinic, usually, these people work long shifts without the time for a nap or proper meal. The least we can do as pet parents are compassionate when we interact with vet techs and show our support for their profession.
- Get to know your vet technician: Next time you go to the vet for a routine check-up, invest time to get to know your veterinary technician. Ask about their interests and hobbies outside of work. Show genuine interest and create a friendly atmosphere. They are human, after all!
- Send a personalized gift: Once you learn a few basic things about your vet tech, you can buy them a present that you know they’ll enjoy. If you happen to know the date of their birthday, surprise them with a thoughtful gesture.
- Offer to assist them: If you are waiting to get your pet checked and you notice your vet tech has got their hands full, offer to assist them with anything they may need.
- Recommend them to your friends and family: If you have been offered exceptional and thoughtful help from a vet tech, tell your friends and family and recommend their services. This could help the technician build a trustworthy reputation among the clients.
- Share your positive experience on social media: Another thing you could do to honor your amazing veterinary tech or the entire clinic is to praise them on social media. This could help many pet parents find a reliable clinic and help the clinic gain a great reputation.
Final Thoughts
Once you inform yourself and learn about National Veterinary Technician Week, you will appreciate this profession much more. These people are heroes who save dozens of pet lives daily, all while balancing a personal life of their own. Being a veterinary technician takes a lot of courage, patience, and strength, and honoring their calling once a year is the least we can do.
Featured Image Credit: 4 PM production, Shutterstock
