Sasha Zitnick started working at a Miami animal hospital as a kennel technician at just 16, more by accident than plan, and worked her way up to veterinary technician within six months. Years later, seven months pregnant with her third child and working 16 hour overnight shifts, she decided to build her own relief practice from scratch, since relief technician work barely existed in her area at the time. She now runs that business out of Florida, having traveled as far as Montana for relief shifts, and mentors other technicians looking to start their own relief careers. This profile first ran on Relief Rover, the relief-vet community platform that joined Hound in 2023.

In Her Own Words

Everyone has a story, what's yours? What inspired you to become a technician or nurse?

"I started working at an animal hospital in Miami at barely 16 as a kennel technician, completely by mistake if I'm honest. I was always one of those people willing to lend a hand, and I'm a sponge for knowledge. Within six months I'd progressed enough to become a veterinary assistant and technician. I've loved animals all my life and had wanted to be a veterinarian since before I could remember."
Sasha Zitnick

What roles have you had within the veterinary profession, and outside of it?

"I've worked in many general practices, specialty hospitals, dental specialty, and laboratory settings, but emergency and critical care has my heart. I've also started my own relief business based in Florida, though I've traveled as far as Montana for relief work, where I offer advice to other veterinary technicians trying to begin their relief journey. I do creative consulting for veterinary practices and technician training on the fly."
Sasha Zitnick

What made you switch to relief practice?

"Honestly, relief technicians weren't a common thing in my area when I started. No one had done strictly relief work, and with a shortage of veterinary staff at the emergency hospitals near me, plus the utter exhaustion of being seven months pregnant with my third child and working 16 hour overnights, I decided to take a leap of faith. I hoped to start a movement where technicians could use their skills, be compensated fairly for all they do, and achieve work life balance, something we all tend to struggle with."
Sasha Zitnick

Keeping it PG, what is your favorite relief job story?

"I was working alongside one of my oldest and dearest DVM friends (shout out to Rhiannon Lewis) at an ER, doing relief there for the first time. We had an obese 108 pound Lab come in with a foreign body in his colon. After some debating, we decided to try a few enemas first instead of going straight to surgery, since we didn't want to cut into the colon if we didn't have to. After the third enema, our shy pooper was refusing to give us the goods, so I suggested we sing to him. The practice manager and lead tech on duty happened to walk out and witness us in full Salt N Pepa choreography, singing 'Push It' while our large Lab watched us in utter horror. Much to my dismay, they joined in on the production. The dog never did poop, and we pulled a sock out of his colon in surgery. The end."
Sasha Zitnick

How do you feel that relief practice supports the veterinary profession as a whole?

"I feel it allows for open conversation about change. Veterinary medicine as a whole changes constantly, and relief practice allows a hospital to be fully staffed when it needs to be. Hospital trends change constantly too. It gives people like me, and many others who can't seem to stay in one place for too long, the freedom to make a livable wage without settling for one clinic or one style of medicine. There also just aren't enough of us in the workforce to staff every hospital full time."
Sasha Zitnick

What are your favorite things about being a relief tech?

"My favorite thing about being a relief veterinary technician is the element of surprise. Every clinic is as individual as a fingerprint, they all operate differently and have different work dynamics, so it's always new and exciting. You get to walk in with a fresh set of eyes and help staff who have probably been short staffed for a while before you arrived. You also get to meet some really amazing people, and potentially inspire others to become relief technicians too."
Sasha Zitnick

Techs are known for their 'Mary Poppins pockets' that seem to contain the world. What supplies or equipment do you bring with you on the job?

"When I arrive at any hospital, I have my oversized relief bag, which contains my entire life, including a calendar with all my availability for the next six months to a year. My utility belt has bandage scissors in multiple sizes, a roll of one inch waterproof tape, a pair of hemostats, and at least two pens and Sharpies. I can't tell you how much time my Batman utility belt saves me from picking things up off the floor after they've fallen out of my pockets. I've also admittedly stabbed myself a few dozen times from carrying bandage scissors in my pockets. Save yourself the heartache and get a fanny pack. They're back in style, I promise."
Sasha Zitnick

What are your least favorite things about being a relief tech?

"I think the hardest thing about being a tech in general is compassion fatigue and burnout. It affects all of us at least once in our lives. I struggle watching other technicians and vet assistants get paid less than they're worth, having to work two or three jobs just to afford to live. I struggle watching so many of my colleagues battle imposter syndrome. I also thoroughly dislike the lack of respect or understanding for what we do every day."
Sasha Zitnick

What do you look for in a practice when deciding whether to cover shifts there?

"I like getting a general understanding of what I'd be doing and what's expected of me while I fill that role. I've learned that things run a lot smoother when expectations are laid out before I agree to start at a hospital. If you don't know what you want from me, how am I supposed to know if I'm doing my job?"
Sasha Zitnick

Do word of mouth observations or online reviews factor into your decision to cover shifts?

"Not usually. Some of the most highly regarded clinics I've come to help have turned out to be the most toxic workplaces with the worst culture. I try to keep an open mind and avoid looking at reviews, so I can make up my own mind about a place."
Sasha Zitnick

Have you picked up any unique practice tips while working relief?

"Keeping a level head in a stressful situation, that's ultimately my biggest piece of advice. You're working in a whole new environment with people you've never met before, and it can be overwhelming switching from one extreme to another. You might not be everyone's cup of tea, but remember you're there for your patients and to support the hospital one task at a time. Make sure you come up for air every so often."
Sasha Zitnick

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about becoming a relief tech?

"The best advice I can give any newcomer is to stay flexible and learn to adapt. A lot of us get used to doing things a certain way because it's what we've always done, but that attitude doesn't always work when you're filling in at a hospital that does things a bit differently. If you don't know how to do something, just ask. If you're not comfortable with a certain skill, work at it until you are."
Sasha Zitnick

How has the pandemic affected your relief work?

"Although I was busier than I'd ever been during the pandemic, I chose to step back from consulting and stayed predominantly at one clinic, so I didn't run the risk of contracting the virus early on and potentially spreading it to multiple clinics."
Sasha Zitnick

What states do you currently work in? Any other states in your sights?

"My home life keeps me pretty occupied these days, so traveling outside of Florida gets a bit trickier. That said, I'm always up for an adventure."
Sasha Zitnick

Aside from English, what languages do you speak?

"I speak Spanish fluently."
Sasha Zitnick

What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?

"I have the beginnings of a small farm at home. I also have an incessant need to always be in motion. What's the next big step for me? How can I improve myself and my career? How can I be a better advocate for other technicians?"
Sasha Zitnick

Anything else you'd like to share?

"I hope to inspire others to follow a more unconventional path to live their lives and continue working in a field they're passionate about. I'm looking forward to seeing how our field grows and evolves."
Sasha Zitnick