The Animal Care Attendant Team at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals (CUHA) is among nine groups recognized as “Cornell Heroes” this year. Cornell Heroes is an annual campaign led by the Division of the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in collaboration with human resources departments in each college. The campaign is intended to shine a spotlight on some of the “behind-the-scenes” staff that make it possible for the university to fulfill its mission, and in the case of CUHA, for the hospital to practice expert veterinary medicine.

The 25 attendants on the team cover the small animal and large animal divisions of CUHA, the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital and the Small Animal Community Practice. 

Animal care attendants play a crucial role in supporting veterinarians, students and veterinary technicians. They keep cages and stalls clean, comfortable and safe for animals, and ensure that the rooms are well-stocked with food and other essential supplies. One of the most important aspects of the job is maintaining the highest standards of infection control.

“Keeping the hospital clean, and cleaned properly, is huge,” says Bethany Rendleman, licensed veterinary technician and ICU section supervisor at CUHA. Rendleman was among those who nominated the team as Cornell Heroes. In the intensive care unit for instance, patients are recovering from major surgery, illness or trauma, and some require positive pressure ventilation or other specialized care, making it crucial that the attendants maintain the facility to the highest quality standards possible.

“We have infected patients and you have to disinfect the space so that you're not passing those things along,” Rendleman says. “The animal care attendants keep our hospital disinfected, therefore keeping our patients safe, and us safe, too, because some of those infectious elements are zoonotic and can affect the humans around as well. These are people you might not think of on a daily basis, but we want them to know that we appreciate them.”

Attendants are also available to help out when an animal needs to be held or restrained for a blood draw, a bandage change or an x-ray. They might help move a cow that’s going to surgery on a rolling stock cart, walk dogs or help transport an incoming horse from a trailer to a stall. 

When help is needed, a message goes out to the entire team and anyone who is available will write back and say they’re on their way.

“We might say we have a pregnant mare coming in and we need someone to help get it off the trailer and to please get a stall ready with extra shavings and straw,” says Suzanne DeSanti, senior animal technician and one of the team’s supervisors. “Then the stall is ready and it's nice and clean. Sick patients feel better in a clean environment and we take that to heart. The animal care group takes their job seriously. They really care about the patients and helping with the process to get them healthy.”

DeSanti says that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when clients were not allowed inside the hospital, the animal care attendants would greet clients in the vestibule and take their animals where they needed to go for care. “They went above and beyond to provide a welcoming place to come into,” DeSanti says. “It amazes me every day that they do what they do and help everybody in the hospital — not only for the animals, but for the technicians, the doctors and the students. I'm so proud to be a part of this team that works so hard and has a passion for what they do.”

When things get hectic for the veterinarians and the technicians, Rendleman says she can always rely on the animal care attendants to get things back in order. “We might have a bunch of patients go home all at once, for example. I’ll just reach out to them and they’ll come and whisk through the room and get it back in tip-top shape. They always come when we call and they do a great job.”

Rendleman describes the team as unsung heroes. “When you talk about unsung heroes, they are it. It's easy for people to say that the doctor saved a life, or the veterinary technicians helped with a lifesaving procedure, but we can't do what we do without them,” Rendleman says. “We can focus on the patients because we know that the other stuff is getting done and getting done properly.”

Read about all the 2024 Cornell Heroes winners here.

Written by Christina Frank