Bristol Aggie students with big dreams of becoming veterinarians get giant boost

DIGHTON — Bristol Aggie sophomore Sarah Ashley will be among the first to graduate from the school's new animal science lab.

“I’ve always wanted to do veterinary stuff and hands-on experience work,” said Ashley, whose class will be the first to graduate from the school's new animal science veterinary lab.

Ashley said she will be able to learn how to examine dogs adn guinea pigs thanks to Bristol County Agricultural High School's new veterinary medical examination equipment.

The animal science lab was created during a $105 million renovation project that began in early 2020 and got completed in January 2022.

Sophomore Shayn Jones said teachers began providing veterinary science instruction to him and his classmates in September.

“This is one of our exam rooms where we will provide annual checkups to animals,” he said inside a renovated room that contained a mannequin dog which is used to teach students how to conduct a medical examination.

School Superintendent Derek Costa said administrators recently purchased various medical examination equipment for teachers to instruct students and for them to utilize while learning animal care.

“This has been many years in the making,” he said. “We have hired two new veterinary science teachers that will start the kickoff of a new veterinary science center in the future.”

Costa said the new machinery includes; anesthesia machines, a 1250 Aaron electrosurgical generator, a high tech sterilizer, a digital x-ray system, a dental table and computer software.

According to Costa the equipment was purchased under a state $474,761 capital skills grant that school officials received in December 2022.

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Animal Science Department Chair Leslie Blanchette said having new medical equipment would “incorporate more science into the veterinarian curriculum.”

“Our vision was to provide our students with updated equipment and make them more marketable to be accepted into college,” she said. “Our goal is to provide our students with quality instruction that will help them in the future.”

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Blanchette said students in the animal science program are taught about the medical needs of farm animals that are provided daycare on the school campus.

“What sets us apart is we have various farming companies that prefer to stock their animal on the campus,” she said. “We have cows, horses, pigs and sheep.”

Ashley said all of the animals on the school property have names.

“A big part of our education is to treat sick animals,” she said.

Blanchette said junior and senior students help school employees provide daycare for rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, parrots, snakes and Russian tortoises.

“They are working with them every day,” she said. “They clean the creature cages and we do veterinary procedures on the creatures with the students"

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Instructor Dr. Jeremy Murdock said students are learning how to determine medical conditions inside animals by observing ultrasound examinations done with a new Piloter imaging device.

“We’re doing an ultrasound exam on a Holland rabbit right now,” he said on May 23. “We are showing the students the latest up-to-date equipment and how to use it.”

Freshman Sophie Bettencourt said it's exciting to have a new ultrasound machine in the school.

“It’s cool that we have the opportunity to see this exam at a high school level,” she said.

Jones said freshmen and sophomores are observing how to examine animals with various new machines and provide proper medical care.

“During our junior and senior years, we will be diving deeper into the medical side,” he said.

Jones said some of that “medical side” would include preparing animals for surgery in a preparation room that was created when the school underwent renovations.

“This room will be used for small dental procedures and urinary exams,” he said. “Students will observe surgeries.”

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Jones said he enrolled in the animal science program to pursue a career as a veterinarian who cares for patients or does research.

“I knew that the program would be very beneficial to me to learn about the different opportunities I have available,” he said. “It has set me up for success and by the time I graduate I will be able to enter college and be confident in my career choice. “

Ashley said she enrolled in the animal science program “for many reasons.”

“I have always loved working hands-on with animals and becoming a part of animal science would mean I could do what I love in school,” she said.

“I dream of becoming a veterinarian. Enrolling in this program would be a big step in the right direction and I knew it would get me a step ahead of other students who didn’t come to Bristol Aggie.”

Ashley said she plans to attend a veterinary care school upon graduating from high school.

“I would like to focus on large and small animal veterinary science because I enjoy working with both types of animals,” she said.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Bristol County Agricultural High School adds veterinary science center