It didn’t take long for Maddie Moree to jump right into the fray. On her first day as the new veterinary social worker in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, she was called into action by a somewhat reluctant hospital worker.
“They knew it was my first day and were very apologetic about calling me,” Moree said. “But that’s why I’m here. I must be available on a moment’s notice and be very flexible.
“I can always catch up on the other stuff.”
In her new role, Moree is responsible for a variety of tasks including crisis intervention with clients, following up with clients’ post-euthanasia, staff training, and supporting the hospital’s staff.
“I’m not anyone’s therapist,” Moree said, “but I am that person in between where they are, and where they need to be.”
An Iowa State graduate, Moree spent the past several years in a job drastically different from her appointment in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. She worked for the City of Frisco (Texas) Police Department, focusing on the mental health of the department’s employees, as well as serving as a crisis negotiator.
“I loved my job, it was very challenging,” she said. “That job taught me how to stay calm in stressful situations and I’ve found if I’m calm it bleeds over to others.”
Despite being happy in her job, the Iowa native and her husband wanted to move back to the Midwest. But it had to be the right opportunity.
Then she found the veterinary social worker position posted at Iowa State.
“I wanted to find a job that I was just as passionate about as I was in Texas,” Moree said. “Being able to build a program from scratch as well as being a huge animal lover made this a job I couldn’t pass up."
“I’m very excited to see what this program can turn into,” she continued, "and I'm anxious to get into the trenches and make this a successful program.”
September 2023