A lifetime in veterinary medicine

Nila Kelly always knew that she would be a veterinarian. As a child, she was taught that boys should become doctors and girls should become school teachers, so that they could be at home with their future children: a model that she swiftly rejected. Motivated by her interest in problem-solving and affinity for animals, she refused to settle for anything less than her dream of going to veterinary school. 

She achieved this dream in 1969, graduating with a degree in Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University in Indiana, USA. That summer, Nila moved to San Diego, California, seeking summer sunshine and hoping to work in either ophthalmology or with zoo animals—two areas that she particularly enjoyed during her studies. Yet San Diego Zoo selected a doctor who had experience working with indigenous animals of Africa for their internship that year, and Nila was also rejected from the ophthalmology residencies to which she applied. (Although she suspects that this was due to male ophthalmologists’ hesitancy to train a female resident.)

While these rejections disappointed her as a young vet, she now views them in a different light. She reflects that, “If I hadn’t gone into general practice, I wouldn’t have met all the interesting people and animals that I have, so I don’t feel that I’ve missed out on anything.” She worked under a skilled surgeon during her first few years of practice allowing her to learn advanced techniques beyond what a general practitioner was usually trained to perform. Throughout her career, she has been able to successfully take on complicated surgical cases that would typically be referred to specialists.

After a number of years in private practice, she became the county veterinarian for Orange County in 1986. She served on the county’s Infectious Disease Board and assumed new public health responsibilities. She explained that as county veterinarian “you were responsible for knowing about any zoonotic cases that could pose a threat to humans” and notifying the board of relevant details. These zoonotic diseases could include rabies, leptospirosis, and sarcoptic mange among many others. In her opinion, “animal control is an essential part” of any society, as street dogs and cats are unlikely to receive veterinary attention and therefore are a health hazard. Often, says Nila, the vital role that veterinarians play in defending human health as well as animal health “isn’t as well-known, because it isn’t advertised”. However, their efforts benefit the community far beyond the animals they treat.

During Nila’s time as county veterinarian, the homeless animal population was very high, despite the fact that the state of California requires that all adopted animals be spayed or neutered before leaving the shelter. Up to 100 dogs and cats were euthanised per day simply because of the large population. She found that “euthanising healthy, adoptable animals that simply don’t have homes, or even worse, because the owner doesn’t want them anymore” was the hardest part of the job. Some of the most surprising situations she encountered in private practice were when a family would bring in their pet to be euthanised simply because they were moving or had inherited an animal that they weren’t interested in caring for. When asked how she deals with these difficult situations as an advocate for animal welfare, she responded, “You have to be a stable person to begin with, and compartmentalise what happens at work. I put it in a box in my mind and don’t dwell on it—otherwise it can lead to a lot of depression.” 

In 2006, she felt ready to commit to a practice of her own and purchased Irvine Valley Animal Hospital. She was its sole veterinarian and worked alongside a handful of employees and their official greeter, Vader the Maine Coon cat, serving the companion animals of Orange County and their owners. She recalls that with some more challenging cases, she “would do everything that you were supposed to do clinically, and the patient still wouldn’t respond.” She says that’s why she frequently reminds people that “nothing is 100% in medicine”. Despite these more frustrating aspects of practice, being able to bring a suffering patient back from the brink of death to the delight of their human family makes all of the difficult times worth it. Irvine Valley was not just an animal hospital, but a community of people centred around providing quality medical care for animals, supported by the skill and hard work of one dedicated doctor.

To students pursuing a career in healthcare, Nila advises them to “be sure that this is what you want to do, because a significant portion of your life will be given to your work. You will have to give a lot, physically and emotionally.” Although dedicating one’s life to working for the health of others is a demanding path, Nila has loved her career and feels that she has “learned a lot and done a lot of good” through the years. After 50 years in medicine she is still in practice, doing the work that she felt destined for as a child.

Dr Nila Kelly was interviewed on 3 January, 2022.