What it’s like to report for someone else

I get by with a little help from my friends. Along with serving as Pet Connection’s Associate Editor, I am also an independent consultant. As a result, I’m constantly juggling simultaneous projects. Two, sometimes three clients at a time.

So in January, when Christie sent me an email from the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando saying she knew of someone who needed my services, and asking was I interested, I thought at first she was referring to some kind of training consulting.

I was pleasantly surprised to find AAHA (the American Animal Hospital Association) needed help to plug a writing hole. AAHA is very well known, widely respected, and they have a loyal readership (though they have a paid membership, and we don’t). AAHA was in search of a short term fill-in for their online newsletter. One column a week for a month or so, with a different deadline than my news wraps, so I could stagger the workload. There would be a big difference, though. Instead of the general public, the audience is strictly professional–  veterinarians and clinic staff. How different is that from my usual Pet Connection beat? Very. This is reporting for the industry, so a whole different tone was called for –  no attitude, no snark, and humor wasn’t necessary. Yucks would be a no-no. Just the facts, ma’am.

Was I up for that? Absolutely. My journalism career began (mumblemumble) years ago at Syracuse University, and way back then, “real journalists” would rather chew off their own arms rather than express an opinion or a point of view. Deciding that part was up to the viewer or reader. We just tell you what happened. Working for AAHA would be refreshing, much like renting a manual transmission car for a business trip after years of owning automatics. Sure it’s different and you’re using muscles you haven’t used in a while, but manual is more fun. And the muscle memory is always right there. My biggest concern wasn’t about the subject matter. I could do that part. I was worried about working with a different editor. Face it, the Pet Connection team is lucky. Very lucky, in fact. Gina and Christie are as good as it gets, and writing for (and with) them is a treat our staff doesn’t take for granted. Adjusting to someone else is easier said than done.

Turns out it was no problem. AAHA is great to work with, and I enjoyed the interviewing and reporting. My first column was about a diet control patent for a product some pet owners will appreciate, when it gets to market. Next, good news for vet techs. They don’t get paid much, and they’re terribly underappreciated, but at least they have good job prospects! The following week was a piece about informing the American veterinary community of an analysis of the future of their Canadian counterparts –  from the Canadian vets’ point of view. The effect of the internet, the economy, and more. I was surprised at — and pleased by — some of the results.

The last column (this week) is the one I’m the most excited about. A groundbreaking study is being launched by the Morris Animal Foundation. For the very first time, there will be a longitudinal survey to identify the causes of cancer in animals, notably retrievers. We all know there are certain breeds prone to particular cancers. And we know what those cancers might be. But what causes the tumors? Genetics? Nutrition?That’s what the $25 million research project is aiming to find out, tracking 2,500 golden retrievers throughout their lives. It’s not hyperbole to suggest this has the potential to be as big for animals as the famous Framingham Heart Study has been in creating a new paradigm for the treatment of heart disease in people.

My AAHA stint is over now. They are hiring someone who can work from their office outside Denver, which we agreed was a non-starter for me. Was it an easy gig? No, but was it worthwhile? Absolutely. It was fun, too (yes, I think writing can be great fun), and I have new respect for an organization I only knew previously by reputation.  I can’t say “I’m back,” since I never left. Pet Connection is home, and always will be. Keep your eyes open, though. You never know where my byline might appear next.

Photo credits: AAHA logo, American Animal Hospital Association. Newhouse III, syracuse.com. Lila, David Greene.

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