Featured image: Alexandre Contreras — DVM 360’s 2022 Vet Tech of the Year
On March 19, 2022, WIF welcomed Alexandre Contreras, our first vet tech speaker, to the YVI podcast. We are pleased to honor him during National Veterinary Technician Week (October 16-22, 2022).
Contreras expanded upon his career as a veterinary technician to become an entrepreneur and inventor. He recently launched a nonprofit called PetTrio Charity and is giving back to the field through this organization. He graciously granted us an interview about PetTrio, which we are pleased to share below.
AYVI: PetTrio Charity is the latest of your numerous accomplishments in the veterinary field. When was the organization founded?
AC: PetTrio Charity was incorporated in May 2022 and granted tax exempt status here in Florida.
YVI: What are PetTrio’s mission and vision?
AC: The main goal of the PetTrio nonprofit is to make a social impact in the world of animals by being involved in the three core values surrounding and affecting the animal world: care, advocacy, and support. These are ambitious plans that will require the support of others who are as passionate about animals as we are.
We can totally bring this great social impact to life. It’s a win/win for everyone involved, and most importantly, it’s a win for OUR FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS “for the greater good of today and the goals of tomorrow.”
YVI: What inspired you to found the organization?
AC: I always told myself that when I become successful with my invention, KlipTrio, I would give back to the profession and to the younger generation of animal care givers that gave me a career to begin with. Even though KlipTrio hasn’t been released yet, I wanted to start building toward that.
KlipTrio Nail Clipper
PetTrio Charity has been a vision of mine for the last two years and now it’s all coming together.
YVI: In what geographical area(s) do you operate?
AC: I’ll be operating out of Miami, Florida with the hopes of expanding nationally one day.
YVI: Do you currently have any active projects or programs?
AC: I have my first huge project right out the gate. It’s to renovate an existing Veterinary Assisting program at Robert Morgan Educational Center, a local high school in a truly underserved community. They have the space and potential to have a state of the art classroom.
I’ve been speaking to the students there through their entrepreneurship program for the past two years and they loved the idea of making their classroom look and feel like an animal hospital setting. So I’m hoping to put that plan together and present it to the Miami Dade County School Board this year and see what we can get done.
This project will definitely require donors. I feel when the school board sees my vision and hears from the students and staff, we’ll make it happen.
Watch Alexandre Contreras talk about the value of the role of the veterinary technician HERE.
YVI: We enjoyed your inspirational podcast session with the students from P.S. 160Q in Queens, NY in March 2022. Do you have any plans to work with youth through PetTrio?
4th grade girls from P.S. 160Q
Francis Scott Bishop Magnet School of the Arts
AC: I definitely want to work with youth, seeing as I’m speaking with them at Robert Morgan. My hope is to show them that with persistence and passion dreams do come true. I hope to roll out volunteer opportunities with PetTrio Charity once I get things in order and I’ll definitely be turning to youth for that.
YVI: What do you plan to accomplish during the first five years of PetTrio’s existence?
AC: Accomplishing the rollout of Robert Morgan’s Vet Tech program will be a huge milestone for me and PetTrio Charity. Once this is done, I want to see about bringing this type of vet tech program aboard to show other people the incredible field of veterinary medicine. I want to show that you don’t only have to be a doctor == you can be an entrepreneur and innovator in this space.
YVI: With whom do you envision collaborating to achieve these goals?
AC: Anyone or organization that shares my values and vision of making PetTrio Charity as big as the PetcoLove, Maddie’s Fund, and PetSmart’s Charity of the world. That’s my 10=year plan. I want to leave a legacy behind for my sons to carry on if they chose.
YVI: Congratulations on the two awards you’ve won this year – Veterinary Heroes™ Vet Tech of the Year from DVM360 and the and Bridge Club Bright Minds 2022 awards! How will these accolades contribute to the development of PetTrio?
AC: It was such a huge milestone and honor for me to receive these awards! I’ve busted my butt to put my name out there and my story and word of mouth started to spread. These two organizations saw something in me and my story and I’m truly thankful for that.
This recognition will continue to spread to PetTrio Charity once my website goes live later next month.
YVI: Any final thoughts?
AC: Just that I’ve been through some dark days to get here. Went through and suffered secretly through depression, anxiety, and the imposter syndrome, and kept moving forward because I knew I was trying to do something bigger than myself, bigger than I ever imagined.
I’m thankful for my family and close friends who cheered me on. Regarding the ones that doubted me, I thank and forgive them because I forgave myself for letting them gear my path. So If you have a dream and an ambition go after it and don’t look back.
Forward and onward!
