The
      Cat's
      Meow:
      AVC's
      Open
      House
      2002
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Atlantic
      Veterinary
     
     
      College
      opened
      its
      doors
      to
      the
      public
     
     
      last
      Saturday
      (Nov
      2)
      for
      its
      annual
     
     
      Open
      House.
      When
      J
      arrived,
      I
      was
     
     
      greeted
      by
      two
      students
      who
      wel-
     
     
      comed
      me
      and
      handed
      me
      a
      guide.
     
     
      The
      walk
      was
      self-guided,
      but
      easy
      to
     
     
      follow
      with
      directional
      paw
      prints
     
     
      taped
      to
      the
      halls
      and
      "This
      Way"
      signs
     
     
      hanging
      from
      the
      ceilings.
      Knowing
     
     
      the
      labyrinth
      that
      is
      the
      AVC,
      these
     
     
      were
      a
      big
      help.
     
    

    
     
      Downstairs,
      Humane
      Ethics
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      the
      first
      area
      on
      the
      tour.
      The
      Vet
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student
      I
      spoke
      with
      told
      me
      ethics
     
     
      were
      a
      big
      concern
      in
      veterinary
      medi-
     
     
      cine.
      This
      vast
      issue
      covers
      everything
     
     
      from
      where
      teaching
      cadavers
      come
     
     
      from
      to
      whether
      cosmetic
      procedures
     
     
      for
      domestic
      animals
      should
      be
      per-
     
     
      formed.
      In
      that
      area
      was
      a
      humane
     
     
      dog
      training
      display
      using
      clickers
      and
     
     
      rewards
      instead
      of
      training
      with
      force.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      all
      reminded
      me
      of
     
     
      going
      to
      a
      good
      museum.
     
     
      I
      mean
      one
      of
      the
      great
     
     
      hands-on
      museums
      were
     
     
      kids
      go
      wild,
      but
      leave
     
     
      knowing
      something
      they
     
     
      didn't
      before.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Before
      the
      tour
      went
      into
      the
     
     
      large
      animal
      hospital,
      I
      visited
      the
      dis-
     
     
      play
      in
      the
      ambulatory.
      This
      is
      where
     
     
      the
      large
      animals
      are
      received
      on/in
     
     
      trucks.
      There
      was
      a
      video
      set
      up
      of
      a
     
     
      calf
      being
      born,
      along
      with
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      medical
      instruments.
      For
      the
      children
     
     
      (and
      there
      a
      lot
      of
      them!),
      a
      small
      —
     
     
      ultrasound
      machine
      was
      set
      up
      so
      if
     
     
      the
      cow
      being
      born
      was
      too
      "gross",
     
     
      they
      could
      see
      the
      bones
      and
      muscles
     
     
      inside
      of
      their
      hands
      instead.
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      Large
      Animal
      Hospital,
     
     
      there
      was
      a
      live
      cow
      and
      horse
      with
     
     
      bones
      and
      major
      organs
      painted
      on
     
     
      their
      coats.
      Very
      visual.
      Along
      with
     
     
      information
      about
      milk
      and
      dairy
     
     
      cows,
      a
      petting
      zoo
      was
      set
      up.
      There
     
     
      were
      donkeys,
      ducks,
      rabbits
      and
     
     
      sheep,
      to
      name
      a
      few.
      This
      is
      were
      the
     
     
      kids
      got
      really
      hyper
      before
      they
      con-
     
     
      tinued.
      Visitors
      were
      encouraged
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Catherine
      SWEET
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Pm
      sorry
      to
      tell
      you,
      but
      your
      dog
      is
      dead.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wash
      their
      hands
      with
      provided
      anti-
     
     
      bacterial
      wipes
      to
      prevent
      infection,
     
     
      and
      I
      thought
      this
      was
      a
      nice
      responsi-
     
     
      ble
      step
      for
      the
      AVC.
     
     
      Taking
      a
      swing
      by
      radiology,
     
     
      there
      were
      displays
      of
      X-rays
      of
      many
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘variety
      animals.
      There
      was
      fish,
      a
      tur-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tle
      that
      was
      full
      of
      eggs,
      and
      a
      dog
      that
     
     
      swallowed
      a
      Mickey
      Mouse
      squeeze
     
     
      toy.
      Through
      the
      back
      of
      Radiology
     
     
      was
      the
      diagnosis
      centre.
      A
      student
     
     
      showed
      me
      how
      they
      tried
      to
      extract
      a
     
     
      bone
      from
      a
      small
      dog's
      esophagus
     
     
      non-surgically
      with
      a
      scope
      and
      tiny
     
     
      pinchers.
     
    

    
     
      Next,
      the
      tour
      went
      under
      the
     
     
      sea.
      The
      Aquaculture
      display
      had
      what
     
     
      looked
      like
      a
      tiny
      fish
      hatchery,
      tanks
     
     
      of
      exotic
      fish,
      turtles
      and
      of
      course
     
     
      lobster!
      I
      loved
      watching
      the
      fish
      swim
     
     
      around
      and
      around
      in
      the
      small
      display
     
     
      tanks.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      loved
      watching
      the
      fish
     
     
      swim
      around
      and
      around
     
     
      in
      the
      small
      display
     
     
      tanks.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      first-year
      students
      had
     
     
      organized
      the
      anatomy
      display.
      It
      had
     
     
      the
      classic
      "animals-in-formaldehyde"
     
     
      tubes,
      but
      the
      students
      were
      all
      very
     
     
      involved
      with
      explaining
      the
      respect
     
     
      they
      had
      for
      the
      animals.
      This
      was
      a
     
     
      common
      and
      important
      theme.
      Yes,
     
     
      they
      said,
      some
      animals
      had
      died
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      teaching
      displays,
      but
      there
      are
     
     
      new
      methods
      of
      preserving
      cadavers
      to
     
     
      cut
      down
      on
      the
      constant
      need
      for
      new
     
     
      specimens.
      Also,
      they
      stressed
      that
      the
     
     
      animals
      were
      not
      grown
      for
      the
      pur-
     
     
      pose
      of
      being
      cadavers,
      but
      were
      ani-
     
     
      mals
      that
      had
      to
      be
      destroyed
      for
      dif-
     
     
      ferent
      reasons.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Along
      with
      information
     
     
      about
      milk
      and
      dairy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      COWS,
      a
      petting
      zoo
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      set
      up.
      There
      were
      don-
     
     
      keys,
      ducks,
      rabbits
      and
     
     
      sheep.
     
    

    
     
      On
      the
      way
      out,
      there
      were
     
     
      displays
      for
      the
      PEI
      Humane
      Society,
     
     
      the
      Sir
      James
      Dunn
      Animal
      Welfare
     
     
      Centre,
      and
      4H.
      I
      loved
      how
      the
      open
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      jars
      do
      tend
      to
      be
      the
      most
      popular
      on
      the
      tour
     
    
   
   
    
     
      house
      had
      such
      a
      fun
      atmosphere.
     
     
      There
      were
      tons
      of
      activities
      for
      kids
     
     
      to
      occupy
      themselves
      with,
      including-a
     
     
      scavenger
      hunt
      (trivia
      in
      different
     
     
      rooms
      where
      questions
      were
      posted
      on
     
     
      the
      walls;
      What
      are
      two
      things
      you
      can
     
     
      do
      to
      prevent
      your
      dog
      from
      being
      hit
     
     
      by
      a
      car?
      How
      long
      does
      a
      Loggerhead
     
     
      Turtle
      grow?
      What
      colour
      are
      bones
      in
     
     
      an
      X-ray?).
     
    

    
     
      The
      students
      were
      easily
      iden-
     
     
      tifiable
      with
      their
      blue
      lab
      coats
      and
     
     
      were
      definitely
      getting
      A+
      on
      their
     
     
      bedside
      manners
      marks.
      It
      all
      remind-
     
     
      ed
      me
      of
      going
      to
      a
      good
      museum.
      |
     
     
      mean
      one
      of
      the
      great
      hands-on
      muse-
     
     
      ums
      were
      kids
      go
      wild,
      but
      leave
     
     
      knowing
      something
      they
      didn't
      before.
     
     
      This
      goes
      for
      adults,
      too.
      Next
      time
     
     
      you
      see
      that
      this
      open
      house
      is
      going
     
     
      on,
      don't
      forget
      to
      attend.
      It
      took
      me
     
     
      about
      an
      hour
      to
      stroll
      through
      and
      it
     
     
      was
      well
      worth
      it.
     
    

    
     
      One
      final
      note
      of
      appreciation
     
     
      was
      the
      art
      display.
      Works
      of
      art
      from
     
     
      AVC
      students
      were
      displayed
      in
      lower
     
     
      floor
      hallway.
      There
      was
      a
      variety
      of
     
     
      media
      used
      and
      although
      the
      theme
     
     
      was
      animalistic,
      there
      were
      also
      some
     
     
      stunning
      black-and-white
      form
      photos
     
     
      and
      an
      incredible
      shot
      called
      "Paris"
     
     
      that
      I
      would
      love
      to
      own
      a
      print
      of.
     
     
      The
      most
      whimsical
      was
      a
      collection
     
     
      of
      colourful
      paintings
      of
      horses
      and
      a
     
     
      dog
      that
      consisted
      of
      tiny
      swirls
      and
     
     
      shapes.
      This
      was
      a
      great
      reminder
      of
     
     
      the
      multi-talented
      students
      who
      attend
     
     
      the
      AVC.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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