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Caring for Critters
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Written by Nicole Larkins, Reporter
Small Animal Care, taught by Sue Trent, is a relatively new class here at Dobyns-Bennett. In this class, the students get to interact with small animals and learn how to give them the proper care. The students learn about the animals’ nutritional needs, diet, behavior, and how to check the animals’ health and heart rate.
This class was added because “there is a growing number of students who want to be vets and other things that involve caring for animals.” says Trent. Most of the students who are taking this class hope to pursue a career in being a veterinary, owning a pet shop, or working in animal research. “It fills the career need,” says Trent.
The students in this class seem to be enjoying it immensely. “I get to touch the fuzzy animals, I love it! Not only do you get to learn stuff, but you get to interact with the animals.” exclaims senior Whitney Calhoun. “We learn about a variety of small animals,” says Trent. These include, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets, gerbils, fish, frogs, geckos, iguanas, rabbits, and birds. Each student will spend one week learning how to take care of each animal. Some of the jobs that are included in this class are to make sure that the animals have clean food and water. They will also clean the animals’ cage and spend twenty to thirty minutes each day with them.
The animals that are being cared for are animals that have been donated to the school by Pet Cove and other animal organizations. Many of these animals have been donated because their previous owners neglected and abused them. One animal, a chinchilla named Miracle, was brought to D-B because she had been abused so badly that she could hardly walk. It was a miracle that she survived at all, and thus her name. Luckily, she is being restored to full health by the S.A.C. The animals were brought to this class because the students are nursing them back to health and preparing them for a better home.
In addition to learning the proper care for the animals, the students go to the Kingsport Animal Shelter to spend time with the animals. Socializing with the animals prepares them to become friendlier pets. They also go to Andes-Straley Veterinary hospital to observe an animal surgery. In a couple of weeks, they will begin to raise money for the class by having a dog grooming service where they will clip toenails, cut hair, and bathe the dogs. They will be charging $10.00 for bathing a small dog. This class is a great addition to D-B and is sure to prepare many students who wish to pursue careers in this field of study.
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January 22nd, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Great post, like most of your others in fact. Good stuff.
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February 26th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
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March 3rd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
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