Humane Society of the United States—Field Services Adventure

By: Michelle Larsen
Class of 2011, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Many veterinarians and current veterinary students had told me that a Humane Society of United States- Field Services trip, formerly known as Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS), trip would be meaningful and invaluable.  I was prepared for the hard work and the hands-on experience, but I was unprepared for the trip souvenir I brought home.

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India’s Dudhwa National Park: not quite forsaken

By: Arvind Badrinarayanan
Ross University

A really wild experience usually involves a wild journey there. Along India’s 1,700km border with Nepal, vast swathes of forest at the foothills of the Himalayas shelter some of the last substantial areas of biodiversity in the continent. The Terai grasslands run through here and Nepal all the way to Bhutan.

Yet even in these remote corners of the world, the extensive Indian railway network sends an ancient metre gauge train, barely occupied, curling around the rising hills to just within range of my destination. Dudhwa National Park, a forgotten and not quite forsaken treasure trove of nature sits on this border, a front line in the fight on wildlife poaching and trafficking.

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An Ounce of Prevention

By: Anna Whitehead
Class of 2011, Ross University

The management of stray animal populations is a sensitive subject. People have deep-seeded opinions on what is ethical and/or practical. Most are unwilling to compromise.  But pet overpopulation within shelters is detrimental to the health of its animals and inhibiting of their proper socialization and care. For better or for worse, the current methodology for control is to euthanize the animals for which there is not room in the shelter.

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Life as a Vet Student

By: Elizabeth Wormley
Class of 2011, Iowa State University

Whether you are married, engaged, or just enjoying time with a special someone, there are two simple words for helping a relationship withstand the trials and tribulations of veterinary school…date night. Date night can be whenever and whatever you want it to be. The most important part is to pick a day and stick to it. My husband and I spend time together every Friday evening, regardless of what is going on with our schedules. (Friday works well for us since I don’t have an exam the next day and he typically doesn’t have to work.) Sometimes date night is going out to try a new restaurant; sometimes it’s renting a movie and making popcorn so that we can stay home with our furry children. Date night doesn’t have to be extravagant or lengthy; it just has to be time for you to focus on and enjoy one another’s company. And if for some reason there is some sort of event preventing your regularly scheduled date night, plan ahead and schedule it for the day before or after. Just always make the effort to have a weekly time set aside to talk and listen to each other – you won’t regret it.