Good pet owners love their pets. They take care of them by feeding them, giving them a good home and playing with them. They also take their beloved pets to the veterinarian for some of the same medical reasons that people go to the doctor—checkups, vaccinations and medical procedures. Many Union residents also raise livestock or keep horses. The care of these animals can be time consuming and complicated; therefore, usually, this requires some form of formal or informal education. Many people learn this from family members who keep livestock or horses. They grow up around these animals and have years of experience dealing with them.
Some students, however, are interested in livestock or want horses but have no knowledge have how to care for them. Therefore, as a component of the Union High School Agriculture Program, Mr. Scott Breedlove teaches animal science and coaches a veterinary science team.
Mr. Scott Breedlove earned a degree in agriculture from Mississippi State University and managed Infinity Farms until the formation of the agriculture program at Union High School in 2016. The program has grown exponentially under his management, and he coaches many of the different FFA competitions Union students compete in.
One of these is the veterinary science team. The veterinary science team is a state FFA competition in which a four-person team competes in various activities relating to veterinary science. Union High School’s Veterinary Science Team placed third in the state in April and have already begun practicing for the next competition. The current veterinary science team consists of Olivia Smith, Karlie Thompson, Brendan Harrison and Patrick Kennedy. Madie Jo Moore is an alternate.
The veterinary science team competes in a variety of different areas. The first thing they do is that they have to identify different veterinary tools—suture kits, castration tools and surgical kits. They also have to identify the different bacteria, flies and ticks that negatively affect animals. The next thing they have to do is identify different breeds of horses, cows, dogs and many other animals. The veterinary science team also takes tests in veterinary science and math. Finally, they have to preform simple procedures that a veterinarian would perform. These include administering ear medication, intramuscular shots and applying an Elizabethan collar (a cone shaped collar that prevents an animal from scratching a wound) and a muzzle to a small dog.
Mr. Breedlove coaches these students in these practices as well as many others. His many years of experience in the agriculture field gives him the knowledge required to properly guide these students. Furthermore, the veterinary science team gives interested students insight into a career as a veterinarian. This team also gives the knowledge and experience required to properly care for the basic needs of both pets and livestock, which is invaluable to both pet lovers or anyone interested in raising livestock.
