In the winter of 2018, during my third month in the United States, I stumbled upon a website featuring a striking image of adorable dogs that immediately captured my attention. Due to my limited English proficiency at the time, I couldn't fully comprehend the content related to the picture. My mum directed my focus to the number displayed alongside the image, revealing that there were more than 70 million homeless animals in the United States! As I looked down at Miss. Potato, our family's beloved pet dog since 2009, memories came flooding back. We had discovered her when she was just 5 weeks old on a frigid winter night on a street in Beijing, China. She had become a cherished member of our family ever since and had even journeyed with us to America. Why can't all homeless dogs have the same fortune as Miss. Potato? This led me to set my initial goal: advocate for everyone to adopt homeless animals and provide each homeless animal a cozy residence In pursuit of this goal, I sought opportunities to work in local animal shelters and assist homeless animals. Unfortunately, COVID-19 disrupted my plans. Volunteer recruitment at animal shelters came to a halt. Undeterred, I embarked on a determined journey to improve my English skills, delving into websites and books related to homeless animals, all in anticipation of the reopening of volunteer applications. In 2022, when the shelters resumed normal operations, I submitted my application and was successfully accepted as a volunteer. Initially, I was volunteer primarily responsible of walking dogs. Two months later, with the years of reading that I've done and the animal care experiences, I successfully became a vet tech volunteer. I was filled with excitement at the prospect of helping other homeless animals find loving families. However, reality delivered a lesson. During my second week as a vet tech volunteer, I had the opportunity to care for a 5-day-old puppy who was recently discovered on the street. As the tiny creature snoozed in my lap, I gently patted its back, pondering the type of family that would be fortunate enough to adopt such an adorable creature. Suddenly, the snoring ceased; the puppy's body stiffened and fell lifeless on my lap. The veterinarian administered a dose of pentobarbital, a common medication used for animal euthanasia. This little one has departed from this world. At that moment, a stark reality hit me: not all animals are as fortunate as Miss. Potato. Unlike pet animals, homeless animals, lacking family cares, often have their basic health needs overlooked! It became clear to me that while it’s important for every homeless animal to find an adoptive family, what’s even more crucial is that, no matter where they are, their physical health conditions should be monitored and treated accodingly. Therefore, I redefined my goal: to become a veterinarian and dedicate my entire life to caring for the health of homeless animals. I dedicated all my available free time to volunteer at animal shelter; to date, I have accumulated nearly 450 volunteer hours working at the animal shelter, gaining knowledge and experience in testing for and vaccinating against diseases, operating medical equipment to conduct fecal floats, ear cytology, heartworm tests, and FeLV tests, treating and dressing wounds, assisting in surgery preparation, and monitoring animals post-surgery. When I looked down at Miss. Potato again, peacefully snoring at my feet, having recently celebrated her 14th birthday, I reaffirmed my ultimate ambition: contributing my whole life to make every homeless animal's journey as lucky as Miss Potato's, filled with love and care.

In the winter of 2018, during my third month in the United States, I stumbled upon a website featuring a striking image of adorable dogs that immediately captured my attention. Due to my limited English proficiency at the time, I couldn't fully comprehend the content related to the picture. My mum directed my focus to the number displayed alongside the image, revealing that there were more than 70 million homeless animals in the United States! As I looked down at Miss. Potato, our family's beloved pet dog since 2009, memories came flooding back. We had discovered her when she was just 5 weeks old on a frigid winter night on a street in Beijing, China. She had become a cherished member of our family ever since and had even journeyed with us to America. Why can't all homeless dogs have the same fortune as Miss. Potato? This led me to set my initial goal: advocate for everyone to adopt homeless animals and provide each homeless animal a cozy residence In pursuit of this goal, I sought opportunities to work in local animal shelters and assist homeless animals. Unfortunately, COVID-19 disrupted my plans. Volunteer recruitment at animal shelters came to a halt. Undeterred, I embarked on a determined journey to improve my English skills, delving into websites and books related to homeless animals, all in anticipation of the reopening of volunteer applications. In 2022, when the shelters resumed normal operations, I submitted my application and was successfully accepted as a volunteer. Initially, I was volunteer primarily responsible of walking dogs. Two months later, with the years of reading that I've done and the animal care experiences, I successfully became a vet tech volunteer. I was filled with excitement at the prospect of helping other homeless animals find loving families. However, reality delivered a lesson. During my second week as a vet tech volunteer, I had the opportunity to care for a 5-day-old puppy who was recently discovered on the street. As the tiny creature snoozed in my lap, I gently patted its back, pondering the type of family that would be fortunate enough to adopt such an adorable creature. Suddenly, the snoring ceased; the puppy's body stiffened and fell lifeless on my lap. The veterinarian administered a dose of pentobarbital, a common medication used for animal euthanasia. This little one has departed from this world. At that moment, a stark reality hit me: not all animals are as fortunate as Miss. Potato. Unlike pet animals, homeless animals, lacking family cares, often have their basic health needs overlooked! It became clear to me that while it’s important for every homeless animal to find an adoptive family, what’s even more crucial is that, no matter where they are, their physical health conditions should be monitored and treated accodingly. Therefore, I redefined my goal: to become a veterinarian and dedicate my entire life to caring for the health of homeless animals. I dedicated all my available free time to volunteer at animal shelter; to date, I have accumulated nearly 450 volunteer hours working at the animal shelter, gaining knowledge and experience in testing for and vaccinating against diseases, operating medical equipment to conduct fecal floats, ear cytology, heartworm tests, and FeLV tests, treating and dressing wounds, assisting in surgery preparation, and monitoring animals post-surgery. When I looked down at Miss. Potato again, peacefully snoring at my feet, having recently celebrated her 14th birthday, I reaffirmed my ultimate ambition: contributing my whole life to make every homeless animal's journey as lucky as Miss Potato's, filled with love and care.