Staff Spotlight: Dr. Corrine Fry
Dr. Corrine Fry (pictured with her dog Ezlo) is one of the shelter’s veterinarians and has been with the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County for two months. In that short time, she’s done so much to help the pets in our care! Learn more about Dr. Fry and what’s it’s like to be at the front lines of our life-saving work!
Q. What made you want to work here?
A. I wanted to focus on helping animals who are in desperate need of an advocate for their health and well-being.
Q. What is your favorite part?
A. Seeing the transformation we can achieve from the time we take in animals to the time they go to their new home.
Q. What does a day in your life at the shelter look like for you?
A. It will vary depending on the week. The veterinarians here have 2-week rotations of medicine and surgery. On medicine weeks, I see a mix of animals in the shelter who are ready to be cleared for adoption, sick or injured animals staying within the shelter while they receive medical attention, and appointments for our foster pets that need follow-up visits to ensure we are making progress with their care. It is not uncommon to have sudden and urgent cases come in either through a Good Samaritan or from our numerous local Animal Control officers. Hence, the veterinary department is very good at remaining flexible and focused in the face of chaos! Surgery weeks are a bit more predictable, and usually, one day a week is dedicated to special procedures that aren’t routine spays and neuter surgeries. Some of the special procedures I’ve done in the two months I’ve worked here are eye removal, several dental extractions, and a limb amputation. It definitely stays interesting here!
Q. Any special stories you’d like to share?
A. There was a cat who came in, Link, who had awful-smelling discharge coming from the left side of his mouth. He would not allow much of a physical exam without injectable sedation, though he was sweet if you only wanted to pet him. Once I sedated and examined him, I found that he had severe dental disease and numerous places where we suspected infection underneath the gumline. After we did full-mouth radiographs (x-rays) and removed all of the affected teeth, he became a new guy! He even let me open his mouth to recheck his extraction sites (something he would NEVER have let me do before without sedation). That really spoke to how much his pain affected his ability to be himself, and I was so glad to see the lovebug in him be able to thrive.
Interested in a career with the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County? Check out job opportunities here. Want to volunteer or foster? Learn more here!
