Veterinary Treatment Facility hosts Girl Scout Troop

Veterinary Treatment Facility Stuttgart opened their doors to a local Girl Scout Troop for a day to provide the girls an opportunity to gain some insight in the day of a veterinarian.

“A few weeks ago, we received an email from Girl Scout Troop 560, the local Girl Scout Home School Troop, asking if they can visit our Veterinary Treatment Facility,” said veterinarian and officer in charge Capt. Samantha Klett. “It’s exciting to have the kids here so we made it happen.”

The Veterinary Treatment Facility hosted about 10 girls from age 8 to 13.

“We invited our working dog handlers who showed the girls what military working dogs do,” said Klett. “A few of the children hid objects and the dogs found them and the dogs ran through the obstacle course.”

Inside the facility, the children were able to experience different stations like looking at blood drops under the microscope and listening to their own heartbeat with the stethoscope.

“Scouting is about providing hands-on real-life experiences to inspire and build confidence, thus the learning stations VTF provided were above and beyond,” said Girl Scout Troop Leader Samantha Skender.

The activities were well received from the girl scouts.

“The girls were the most excited about putting on full gear and checking out the operations room with their stuffed animals,” said Klett. “Many children want to become a veterinarian when they grow up, so it’s been rewarding to share some insight and expose them to the job.”

Besides the hands-on activities, the VTF staff discussed animal safety and bite prevention.

“It’s important to teach animal safety to kids to prevent accidents and mishaps,” said Klett. “If a child has a better understanding of a pet’s body language, it is more likely to prevent the child getting hurt if the animal is distressed.”

The Stuttgart Veterinary Treatment sees military working dog and privately owned animals from service members and beneficiaries. In addition to day-to-day veterinary tasks, the veterinarians are also responsible for food safety and defense across the footprint.

For more information, click here https://mrc-europe.army.mil/Public-Health-Command-Europe/-Programs-Services/-Veterinary-Services-Treatment-Facilities/