Ashley Moore Rabren recently got new responsibilities at Andalusia Animal Clinic after completing her veterinary tech certification.

Rabren, who first worked with Dr. Toby Atkinson as a high school student, now takes care of much of the behind-the-scenes work at the clinic. She doesn’t diagnose, prescribe, or perform surgery. But she takes care of X-rays, anesthesia, injections, and many other of the behind-the-scenes tasks

“Dr. Toby encouraged me to do this,” she said. “I had worked with animals for a long time. I started with him in high school, and I worked at the vet school while I was in Auburn.”

The 2007 graduate of Andalusia High School earned a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences at Auburn, and was working in her field in Birmingham.

“I missed home,” she said.

When she and her husband, Emory, moved back, she went back to the clinic, and Atkinson encouraged her to pursue certification as a veterinary tech.

The certification requires two years of pre-requisite courses and two years of vet tech work. She was able to complete her coursework on line, and do clinicals at the clinic.

“I went at it a little backwards,” she said, although she believes the animal science classes in her bachelor’s program helped with the vet tech classes.

“In theory, you would be able to do the pre-req classes at LBW and complete the certification just as I did.”

Dog baths, and taking care of the kennel on weekends were among her responsibilities as an employee in high school.

“But his office was smaller and we were never as busy as we are now,” she said.

She would recommend that or similar experience for anyone considering a career working with animals. Having been exposed to medical procedures made science classes easier for her, she said.

The Rabrens are the “parents” of four dogs, two cats and two horses. She is the daughter of Edy and Jerry Moore.