West Kendall teens get hands on veterinary experience

Pamela Duque

Nov. 7, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- For the students of Felix Varela Senior's veterinary science magnet program, caring for injured dogs, feeding goats and even tending to the occasional pig is all in a day's schoolwork.

"We could work with stuffed animals, but that's not the real thing," said Yleana Escobar, the lead teacher for the program since 2003.

Her students run a shelter for injured and abandoned dogs on the school campus at 15255 SW 96th St. They also tend to a flock of animals housed in a barn at the school -- including nine goats, four ducks, seven geese, a pig, and more than 10 chickens, all of which participate in exhibits and shows.

Escobar's program focuses on animal care -- and giving students hands-on experience.

Students and parents helped build the barn and shelter, where the magnet students are in charge of keeping the animals clean and fed -- all while keeping their grades up.

The barn houses animals owned by teachers and students, who are allowed to keep their critters there in exchange for getting down and dirty alongside the magnet students.

"We have to make sure everything is clean, that they eat the proper amount of food, and that they have water," said senior Claudia Morejon, 17, barn manager.

The shelter houses more than 100 rescued dogs. Escobar partnered with Friends Forever Pet Rescue, a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Palmetto Bay. The group tries to find homes for rescued dogs.

Rescued dogs from all over the county are dropped off at the high school's shelter, where Escobar's students examine them for any illnesses and care for them until they are ready for adoption.

Once they are ready, they go to Friends Forever Pet Rescue, which also provides the medicine and food necessary to take care of the dogs. Escobar also gets fund through fundraising and donations.

"I give them a full inspection before they go up for adoption," said junior Pamela Sanchez, 15, the shelter's student medical director.

Students get a firsthand glimpse of life as a veterinarian, said Escobar.

"We have animals with trauma and hit by cars, and that's the reality of medicine," she said. Dogs with severe injuries are cared for by Friends Forever, while the students care for dogs with minor injuries and infections.

Escobar and her students start their day around 6 a.m. every day -- even weekends. During the week, the students take turns between classes to check on the animals.

Lunchtime is also barn- and shelter-time for the students, who instead of sitting around with friends in the cafeteria, spend their 40-minute break with the animals. At the end of the school day, the students finish their work at the barn and the shelter before heading home at 6 p.m.

On Saturdays, students take dogs to PetSmart, located at 13621 South Dixie Hwy, in hopes they'll be adopted by customers.

Escobar said students also take animals home when they are in critical condition and need constant screening.

For some students, getting attached is inevitable. Some end up adopting the dogs that they take care of at the shelter.

Sometimes, despite all their hard work, rescued dogs arrive in critical condition, and the students can't save them.

"That's the hard part," said Escobar 48, who has been teaching for 28 years. "No matter how hard we try, they sometimes die. Sometimes we save them. Sometimes we can't."

About 30 students per year choose to work at the barn and shelter. Escobar tries to find grants to pay students working with the animals, who get paid minimum wage for a total of 100 hours over six weeks. But when the pay period ends, some students still decide to stay.

"They get a little money for the beginning, but they fall in love with working here and stay," Escobar said.

Escobar said that she hopes that with each graduating class, more students will learn to love working with the animals.

"This is a legacy," she said. "I want them to come back 10 years later and see what they started, 10 times better."

Newstex ID: KRTB-0123-39531341