Page 12 - Chiron Issue 2 2014

Defence Animal Centre Open Day – The Veterinary Training Squadron
By LCpl Biggadyke RAVC
The Defence Animal Centre open day 2014 was rapidly approaching and the staff at the Veterinary Training Squadron (VTS) had completed two dress rehearsals in preparation for the big event. The day would allow us to show to the public, who had come from all over the country, what we do on a daily basis in providing veterinary care for all the dogs and horses here at Melton Mowbray.
Having set an early alarm for Saturday morning we arrived at the Squadron to set up our individual stands ready to showcase our work to the public. On arrival to VTS, one of our Veterinary Officers was working away tucked in the corner of the yard, paint brush in hand, steadily painting one of our resident horses ‘Hero’ with a representation of a horse skeleton. Having been up since 6 AM with some children’s washable paint, our main attraction was coming along nicely!
We had a new addition to our team for the day, affectionately referred to as ‘Jenny Right’, due to having two right arms, our mannequin was placed into the equine theatre where people could imagine her as a vet taking part in the surgeries that we conduct on a regular basis. To add realism a wooden horse was hung from the ceiling so the visitors could fully appreciate the complexities of conducting equine surgery.
We had various stands to show to the eager members of the public that, despite the rather wet weather forecast, had dragged themselves out of their warm beds to visit us and learn more about the Defence Animal Centre. These included a dress up tent, with various sized scrubs and gloves and our dummy dog Jerry ‘awaiting surgery’. It made for a great photo opportunity for children and grown-ups alike. We also had our equine pharmacy open for people
“Hero” Painted to show a horses skeleton
to take a walk through and have a behind the scenes look at how our horses get treated for injuries and illnesses.
Other activities included a treasure hunt for children which encouraged them to have a look around, a slide show to music of pictures of our adventures for people to watch and a board of pictures of various dog breeds for people to test their knowledge.
The doors to the canine treatment facility were also open. People could walk through and see our treatment rooms, x-ray suite and have a look through our endoscopes. These instruments, normally used for looking inside animals, were used to look around the insides of various large vegetables which proved hugely popular. The laboratory, where we analyse samples taken from our animals, was also open to everyone, complete with a voice over of what each item of equipment did.
All in all it was a long, but very rewarding and successful day. Everyone worked hard to show off VTS in the best light, and show the public exactly what we do. The day did brighten up in the afternoon when the sun came out and we all really enjoyed chatting to the public and hearing all the stories about the Defence Animal Centre. So many of the people we spoke to had come to have a look around to remember the days of when they were children, mucking out horses and seeing all the dogs. Some people we spoke to used to work at the Defence Animal Centre and came to see how it had changed and moved forward from ‘back in the day’. It was amazing to see and understand exactly what people think of the Defence Animal Centre and hear about how it has changed so much.
Here’s hoping for an even more successful event next year... with a bit more sunshine!
12 Chiron Calling
“Jenny Right” in the equine theatre
Jerry in the dress up tent awaiting surgery