Ledyard VoAg Students Certified as Vet Assistants

Several students enrolled in the Vocational Agriculture program at Ledyard High recently completed an online course which certified them in the area of Veterinary Assistant. These students will now be able to assist DVMs while they treat animals of all sizes from hamsters to horse's from chickens to cows.

The students start the online work in the summer prior to their senior year and continue until the online program is finished, which is typically one semester, according to Agri-Science Teacher Devon O'Keefe.

In order for the students to qualify to take the certification test, they must complete the online work, have 200 hours of hands-on activities with live animals during school with the school animals or after school with their personal animals or if they are employed in an animal industry, she said.

As a VA the students can offer care to animals that may need to be helped through the initial exam or unfortunately restrained during certain procedures. With these certificates the students continue to show their desire for continuing education as well as making themselves more marketable after graduation.