New pet in your household for Christmas? Or do you have a youngster who loves animals and is interested in a career with them?
Then the Future Vet Kids Camp may be of interest. For aspiring young veterinarians, the five-day camp is for children aged 9-16 years across three different age groupings: 9-12 years, 12-14 years and 14-16 years.
Scott Bainbridge, the founder of the Future Vets Kids Camp, said the aim of the five day program is to educate, inspire and promote responsible pet ownership.
“We also teach kids how to interact and care for various types of animals, from the four-legged to the furry, feathery and scaly.”
The programs for different age groups are designed to engage kids at the right level.
For example, the ‘Wombat’ program for 9-12 year olds take children through a veterinary case study from diagnosis to treatment and includes visits to a farm and the Cat Protection Society. The ‘Kookaburra’ program for 12-14 year olds includes demonstrations on how to draw blood and involves field trips to Taronga Zoo and Featherdale Wildlife Park. The ‘Junior Vet’ program for 14-16 year olds is for young people seriously interested in a career with animals and will expose them to everything from equine medicine to marine medicine.
The camp works with organisations that have a shared commitment to education and animal welfare including the Walkabout Wildlife Park, SASH Vets and Dr Lisa Chimes, the Cat Protection Society, Greyhound Rescue, RSPCA Yagoona and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
Enrolment in the five-day camp costs $500 and each camper receives a t-shirt and notebook. The dates are:
- 7-11 January, OR
- 21-25 January
For a full description and daily schedule of the programs available and to register your child for the Future Vet Kids Camp visit www.futurevetkidscamp.com.au.