ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Veterinarian shortages have been felt by industry professionals, as well as pet-parents, for years across the country.

“There's a national vet shortage right now. And it's very evident when you call your vet, you get put on a wait list for maybe a month or two to to even be seen. And we know that there is more need in our community,” Kim Ferris, director of humane education at Lollypop Farm, said.

It’s one of the reasons Lollypop Farm and Monroe One BOCES have joined together to teach the next generation of professionals.

What You Need To Know

  • Monroe One BOCES has partnered up with Lollypop Farm to provide a Samll Animal Care and Handling course through the school's Multi-Occupational/FOCUS program

  • Students have been gaining hands-on experience at the shelter by cleaning, feeding, and caring for numerous types of animals

  • Senior, Savior Pross, has autism and has wanted to be a veterinarian since he was five years old

  • Programs like these are providing him the universal skills he'll need post-graduation to pursue the field

“We focus on work skills and students. This is their first taste at work. And so they're learning how to work. So it's all the employability skills ranging from, personal relationships, problem solving,” Andrea Rock, assistant principal for the school’s Multi-Occupational/FOCUS program, explained. “It’s a general education program.”

The program offers hands-on learning for students with disabilities in fields like food preparation, automotive trades, consumer and family sciences and more. Savior Pross has been enrolled in the Small Animal Care and Handling program at the shelter all year long.

“Animals are our friends and not items. They’re a part of your family,” Pross smiled.

The high school senior has wanted to be a veterinarian since he was five years old.

“For birthdays, all he wants is animal encyclopedias. And all day he reads about animals. Anything he talks about is the animal included,” his mom, Fifi Collier, admitted.

But Pross was born with autism. While his passion for animals has never faltered, some doubt he could join the veterinarian industry because of his disability.

“Just because they have a disability, do not count them out. Because I'm not counting my son out and he will be a veterinarian. That was his dream. This is his dream,” Collier said.

The program has been helping him prepare. Throughout the school year, students have been learning at Lollypop Farm how to care for the animals at the shelter. Pross has been helping to clean the cages, fill food bowls, wash blankets and towels and handle donations. They works with all different kinds of animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles, lizards and more. The shelter even has some farm animals on the property.

“This offers the students the opportunity to start here, get a little taste of things that they like and don't like. Our skills are universal,” Rock explained. “They're really learning about many facets of the shelter. We partner with them. We meet with them every other week and we talk about our needs. They talk about their needs and how we can best support each other.”

“This program, the multi-focus program is really a great opportunity just to get feet on the ground and have experience being around animals and learning what animals need,” Ferris added.

“It's one of the best kept secrets of BOCES,” Rock said.