I subscribe to several gun channels on YouTube. One of them is Demolition Ranch. It is run by a great guy named Matt Carriker. Occasionally he will mention in some of those Demolition Ranch videos that he is a veterinarian, and that he has another channel called Vet Ranch. Until recently, though, I'd never checked out the Vet Ranch channel. I was bored one night a couple weeks ago and decided to see what it was all about. I was instantly amazed with what Dr. Matt (as he refers to himself in the Vet Ranch videos) is doing for these animals, and now I want to share it with you.
WARNING! These videos show images of graphic wounds and surgeries. But don't worry, it gets better.
How it all began
From VetRanch.org:
Vet Ranch, Inc. was founded by Dr. Matt Carriker in 2014. It all started when he received an after hours call to euthanize a stray dog that had been hit by a car. After picking up the dying pup from a dark road and taking it to the clinic, Dr. Matt saw a glimmer of life in her eyes and made the decision to try to save her rather than euthanizing. He pulled out his trusty iphone and began to film the process of bringing the sweet black lab back to life.
Here is that video.
It seems that initially, based on what he says towards the end of the next video, Dr. Matt had intended to try to help these animals on his own, without accepting donations. I think he thought the ad revenue generated from both the Demolition Ranch and Vet Ranch channels, possibly along with some of his own disposable income, would be enough to do what he wanted to do, but he quickly learned that that wasn't really feasible. It's a good thing, too, because the amount of good that he and the other vets are able to do now, with all of the support from viewers, is tremendous. Below is the case that kind of brought to Dr. Matt's attention how daunting this new endeavor would be, and that asking for and accepting help can be a great thing.
Meet Jax.
Since starting the Vet Ranch channel, and then the non-profit organization, Vet Ranch, Inc., Dr. Matt has teamed up with three other vets to be able to help more animals that would otherwise almost certainly be euthanized. Dr. Wendy and Dr. Dave, along with Dr. Matt, all work at separate vet clinics outside of San Antonio, Texas, and Dr. Karri owns and operates a vet clinic with her husband, who is also a practicing veterinarian, in the Ft. Worth, Texas area. Dr. Wendy, Dr. Dave, and Dr. Karri all record their own videos, which are sent to Dr. Matt, who then edits and posts them to the YouTube channel.
Occasionally an animal will be brought directly to the clinic by an owner and surrendered, as was the case with Jax above, or brought in by a good samaritan, but most of the animals featured are pulled from high-kill shelters, sometimes within an hour of when they were scheduled for euthanasia. Some of the animals saved from death need tons of expensive medical care, however, it's amazing (and sad, when you think about it) how many of them just need some antibiotics, a few good baths, and a little TLC. The transformations are truly remarkable.
Moving forward
I explained in a previous post about how I had to give up my cat when I moved from Houston to DFW. The apartments I currently live in have a no pets policy that I'm not brave enough to break, or I'd have already adopted another cat months ago. I've wanted a dog for a very long time, but I work too many hours to properly care for one. I do look forward to the day where I have the time and proper living arrangements to rescue a few of them.
My motivation for sharing this post is to bring attention to what I think is a great cause. Stray animals on the street always make me a little sad because I feel like I can't do anything for them. Taking them to a regular shelter almost always means they will be euthanized, and no-kill shelters are often full and under-funded.
What I hope to accomplish with this post, aside from just raising awareness, is to hopefully give any charitable animal lovers another option for donation. I don't really live above my means, but I have stretched myself a little thin financially, and therefor I'm often stingy with my disposable income, and charity is usually the last thing I'm thinking about on payday. But then I get to watch videos like these and feel guilty about the beer I'm drinking and my car and motorcycle sitting outside in the parking lot.
My immediate intentions are to donate whatever actual cash payout I make from this post directly to Vet Ranch. No matter the amount this post makes, I'll add $50 out of pocket. As for my future intentions, I plan to volunteer my time at a local animal shelter. Sometimes just spending time with the animals and showing them some affection makes a huge difference in their lives. Especially during recovery from a traumatic injury and surgery. A few months ago my overtime was cut at my job, so I took on a side job on the weekends, and I've only had about 4 days off over the last 6 or 7 weeks. I only work 4 days a week at the main job, so once the overtime picks back up and I'm able to quit the side job, I'll have more disposable income so I can make cash donations myself, as well as plenty of free time to volunteer at a local shelter.
How to Donate
If you would like to donate directly to Vet Ranch yourself, you can do that here. If you'd like to help, but would also like something tangible to show for your efforts, and that would also show your support to others, Vet Ranch teamed up with Magpul (awesome!) to create shirts, and a portion of the proceeds go directly to help save animals' lives. You can purchase a Vet Ranch shirt here.
I'm was already huge fan of Demolition Ranch, and now Vet Ranch as well, but Dr. Matt also has a third channel, called Off the Ranch, where he very recently started vlogging about his daily life with his wife and children. The channel actually isn't new, but it was dormant for years while he grew the other 2 channels. The first video uploaded to the channel is one some of you may have seen before.
Even if you choose not to donate personally to Vet Ranch, hopefully I've inspired you to find and champion a cause that you find worthwhile. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for helping me support something I care a lot about.