Sara Dinnin is an animal care technician for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
When did you begin working at the College of Veterinary Medicine?
I started working at vet med back in 2008 as extra help, then was hired as a full-time caretaker in 2014.
Describe your role at the college.
I am a large animal caretaker, so I take care of the cleaning of the stalls, wards, surgery suites as wells as the outside pastures and pens. I feed both client animals and our teaching animals, and give out treats to our wonderful teaching animals. I do herd check daily to make sure that our teaching animals are well taken care of. I also get to help doctors and technicians when needed with patients. I’m always willing to lend a helping hand!
Have you held any previous titles or responsibilities at the college?
I worked in housing for five years before coming back to Vet Med.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Getting to meet and work with such wonderful doctors, technicians, staff, and students. Oh, and getting to work around ANIMALS all day…
Complete this sentence: My most memorable day at work was…
…I don’t really have a memorable day, I have lots of great memories. Probably too many to mention. But, I will say that Vet Med is like family to me! I have met so many wonderful people here and have such great memories that I’m sure will last a lifetime.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband, hiking , fishing, gardening, antique shopping, and spending time with all my animals.
What is something your co-workers may be surprised to know about you?
I grew up in a very small town in West Virginia. My parents owned a huge farm with just about every animal a little girl could want. In high school, I worked on a dairy farm before and after school…..nothing like going to school smelling like cow poop!
What is one thing on your bucket list?
Buying my own farm and having lots of animals.
Do you have a favorite restaurant or place in the Champaign/Urbana area?
My favorite restaurant hands down has to be Seven Saints. I love their tomato bisque soup and their goat cheese salad.
Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?
One thing I definitely could not go without would be my caffeine in the mornings. It wouldn’t be very good for my coworkers!
Do you have any pets?
I have two wonderful dogs that keep me on my toes: Cali Sue, a four-year-old golden retriever, and Gus, a nine-month-old bernedoodle. I also have two cats, George and Nala; two Holland lop bunnies, Oliver and Paisley; and eight chickens (I will not list all their names 🙂 ).
