Katelyn E. Storey

October 17, 2014

Teaching Horse Sense: The Role of Animal Sanctuaries in Public Education

Going into two internships at animal sanctuaries, I expected to gain a lot of information about animal care, behavior, and health that would be useful in a future veterinary career. I did not expect how much time I would spend working in educating the public, nor how much I would enjoy this duty. Education is vital to animal sanctuaries in order to spread their ideas on issues such as animal abuse, breed discrimination, and horse slaughter. As a pre-veterinary intern, I spent a lot of my time working with and teaching visitors and volunteers of all ages. Through teaching people to work with our animals, I learned more about both people and animals. Working with school groups, summer camp, law enforcement and animal advocates required me to develop skills in teaching and communication which will be vital in a veterinary career.