Delaware Tech Degree Gives Grad the Ability to Help Animals

Without the start she got at Delaware Tech, Natalie Herring wouldn’t be able to provide the highest level of care to the patients who aren’t able to speak to say what’s wrong.

Herring graduated from the Owens Campus in 2002 with a degree in veterinary technology. She currently works in the highly skilled management position of ophthalmology nursing supervisor with Dr. Jeffrey Bowersox at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Delaware (VSCD) in New Castle.

“I love my specialty,” Herring said. “I like the care of my patients and I really fit my specialty. I enjoy the hospital in general. We have a really strong relationship and the teamwork is great.”

VSCD is a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital offering advanced and urgent care. The main hospital receives specialty and emergency patients.VSCD specialists are trained in the world's most advanced treatments and techniques in the specialized areas of cardiology, critical care, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, acupuncture, rehabilitation with hydrotherapy, surgery, and more.

The knowledge students receive through the veterinary technology program teaches them diagnostic and nursing procedures and equips them with a skillset that allows them to join the workforce in a veterinary hospital or clinic throughout the state. Herring’s daily duties include assisting the doctors in the ophthalmology department, making appointments, helping with emergencies, assisting in surgeries, monitoring anesthesia, and managing the nursing staff.

“I wanted to do something special,” Herring said. “I wanted to find something that would be above and beyond what a tech would do.”

A 2016 inductee in the Distinguished Alumni Walk of Success at the Owens Campus, Herring has continued to go above and beyond to improve her knowledge in her field, as well as help others receive more educational experience. She has organized and served as president (since 2011) of the Veterinary Ophthalmic Technician Society (VOTS), and created the Academy of Veterinary Ophthalmic Technicians (AVOT) which provides networking, continuing education, and support for veterinary technicians working in ophthalmology. AVOT recently received credentialing, which now recognizes ophthalmology as a veterinary specialty by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America.

Herring has been a guest speaker for several local and national veterinary ophthalmology workshops and seminars, served as instructor of canine agility for the Wilmington Kennel Club, and authored several articles and created educational videos. In the community, she helped provide free or reduced eye exams for the animals of residents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and across Delmarva, volunteered as surgical technician at Delaware SPCA’s spay and neuter program, volunteered at the Brandywine Zoo with Dr. Bowersox, and assisted in coordinating the “Fearless Friends” event hosted by VSCD.