Christiane Reutel is a veterinarian based in La Banda, Argentina.
Born and raised in Freiburg, Germany, Reutel grew up near the Black Forest, a majestic mountain range in southern Germany that attracts visitors from around the world.
“Tourists come because of the rich history of the city,” Reutel says of her hometown.
As a teenager, Reutel immersed herself into her studies, becoming a bookworm and learning multiple languages along the way.
At the same time, Reutel never envisioned she would become a veterinarian.
“I actually didn’t even grow up with animals,” she notes, but during one of her literary forays she learned how important veterinarians are to a functioning society, and just like that, her career course had been mapped out.
What ensued over the following years were intensive courses at university, which in combination with her passing several exams, led to her earning her veterinary license.
For the next fifteen years, Reutel practiced veterinary medicine in a variety of different locales in Germany, but one day, her career, and her life, was upended when she met a beekeeper from Argentina.
The two eventually got married and opted to relocate to his native country.
“He did not speak very much German, and so things were difficult for him in my country, but I was a pioneer and very adventurous, and I had no problem with moving to Argentina,” Reutel contextualizes.
“I also think I was going through somewhat of a mid-life crisis.”
She says this rather facetiously, but to that point Reutel had worked tirelessly as a veterinarian, investing countless hours into helping ailing animals while also refining her own skillset.
“I worked a lot because I love what I do, and if there is a sick animal that is brought to me, I have a hard time saying no,” explains Reutel, who has worked in Peru and Hong Kong, done veterinary acupuncture in California, and also animal castrations in Spain and Italy.
Her reputation may have preceded her, but despite her vast background as a veterinarian, when Reutel arrived in Argentina, she was not immediately granted a license to practice veterinarian work.
In fact, it would be another seven years before Reutel secured the necessary licensure to become a veterinarian in Argentina.
“During those seven years, the clinics I worked at kept me hidden in the back,” she says with a laugh.
“I also did labs and took x-rays.”
For context, Reutel’s arrival in Argentina was back in 2001, when veterinary technology in the country was less developed and she had less tools at her disposal.
Yet, despite not being outfitted with the same technology that she would have had she remained in Germany, she still learned new and effective ways to treat animals, most notably because Argentinian veterinary practices were different from those in her homeland.
“German medicine is different from American medicine, but the medicine that they use here [in La Banda] is close to what they practice in America,” Reutel shares.
Outside of her work as a veterinarian, Reutel, who is now divorced, adopted a young boy.
Right away, she taught him German and brought him along on many of her trips back home.
“I wanted him to be able to communicate with my family,” she says of a hope that did indeed come to fruition.
Plus, in 2015, Reutel was granted her veterinary license by Argentina’s governing body, so she opened her own business, which enabled her to do what she loved all along, which is help animals who are in need.
“I like feeling useful,” Reutel answers when asked why she remains in La Banda when seemingly she could work anywhere in the world.
“At one point, there were a lot of veterinarians who were looking for work in Germany. It was a horrible situation. And in California, there was a lot of emphasis on becoming specialized in a particular niche of veterinarian work. But here, I’m making a difference, and doing so in a place that needs me, and I feel good about that.”
In a city like La Banda that is very homogenized and devoid of much foreign presence, Reutel is a rare breed, but the city has also taken her in and treated her as one of their own.
Even better, over the years the quality of veterinary care in the rural city has vastly improved, to the point where Reutel feels comfortable recommending other veterinarians to clients, if need be.
“The situation has changed and there are a lot of competent veterinarians in La Banda. It’s not like it was when I first got here,” Reutel explains.
Looking ahead, Reutel has no plans to leave Argentina, a country currently embroiled in political unrest that has only been exacerbated by runaway inflation.
In that sense, it would be easy for Reutel to exit her home of the last twenty-plus years, to retreat to the comforts of Germany and begin anew, and although she will still frequent her homeland, it’s highly unlikely she will ever permanently leave a city and a community that have given her so much purpose.
“It took a long time, but I’ve built a life here,” Reutel says of La Banda.
“When I first got here, some people didn’t like me because I was very honest and straightforward, but over time I began to adapt to the way people communicate here, and I think they adapted to me a little bit as well.”
Adds Reutel, who may be the most interesting veterinarian in the world:
“I’ll always be here for the animals and the people of La Banda if they need me. It’s hard for me to say no to those who need help because I don’t want to see any animal suffer.”
Moreover, Reutel has also begun to establish a framework for what her business will look like when she one day cannot perform to the same level she currently does.
This will include mentoring future veterinarians who embody her values and will be able to seamlessly take over.
And unlike some masters of their craft who shudder at the thought that their time may be up, Reutel is satisfied.
When I ask her what she would like to accomplish before she eventually retires, her response is simple:
“I am accomplished.”
Before remarking:
“Really though, I’ve done a lot, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done. And as I gradually phase myself out of this work, I want to teach other people how they can have the same, if not greater impact on animals and their community.” QS
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