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Camp gives reality check for aspiring veterinarians

By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: July 29, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Cutting open a dead cat is a surefire reality check for aspiring veterinarians.
So is picking maggots out of a tortoise.
And getting pooped on quickly dispels the notion that working with animals is a warm and fuzzy career.
These are among the important lessons absorbed by a group of young adolescents participating in the county's animal rehabilitation camp. The four-day program gives the class a behind-the-scenes look at a broad spectrum of careers involving wildlife.
On Wednesday, 14 students crowded the examination room of the Animal Medical Center in Brooksville. On the operating table was a deceased feral cat provided by Animal Services, prepped for a necropsy.
Dr. Karen Taylor-Sorensen wielded the scalpel and provided a play-by-play of the operation. As she got deeper inside and started cataloguing the organs, the class thinned to about five diehard enthusiasts.
Several took a shot at suturing the cat back together.
The class reconvened once the cat was shrouded under blue paper and Taylor-Sorensen shared some knowledge.
She talked about her animal experience growing up and her education at the University of Florida. A typical day could include a spay or neuter operation in the morning with preventative medicine appointments later in the day.
Then again, a schedule could be interrupted by an emergency Cesarean section or other unexpected interruption.
Taylor-Sorensen ended her talk with a word of encouragement.
"Follow your passion and you'll do fine," she said.
Wednesday's class was led by Linda Christian, who doubles as a county parks and recreation employee and manager of her own nonprofit wildlife sanctuary.
The class spent Monday at the sanctuary feeding fawns and learning about animal husbandry. The homework assignment for the week was nursing a tortoise back to health. The critter had been left in the sun and had become infested with maggots.
"The parents were probably less than thrilled," Christian said with a laugh. "But 95 percent of what I do is cleaning and yucky stuff."
The itinerary for the rest of the camp included a trip to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa and Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Among the campers is Nicole Jacquot, 13, who aspires to be a marine biologist. Her interest is in working with endangered species.
She stuck around for the whole necropsy and was only surprised by one thing.
"It smelled like eggs," she said. "I wasn't expecting that."