Banfield Pet Academy connects kids, pets and veterinarians to bring veterinary medicine to life
CINCINNATI – Interactive, hands-on learning is important to a child’s development but sometimes it can get a little ruff. That’s just fine with Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) and Banfield® Pet Hospital because together they’ve created a program that makes science live, breathe and wag its tail. Banfield Pet Academy® gives kids a chance to meet some furry new friends and learn care tips from real veterinarians.
“The best way to learn is through hands-on exposure and making those lessons come to life. With Banfield’s help, we’re able to make science literally come to life,” says Vanessa Macy, senior director of museum experience for Cincinnati Museum Center. “As children learn about the care of living things, we inspire and educate them – and may even create future veterinarians.”
Banfield Pet Academy
Many kids play veterinarian by pretending to bandage their dog’s leg or taking their kitten’s temperature. They grab a white dress shirt out of dad’s closet and hold up a pair of headphones as a makeshift stethoscope. With Banfield Pet Academy, CMC and Banfield give kids the opportunity to learn more about veterinary medicine from real veterinarians and veterinary technicians – and practice on real therapy dogs with their very own stethoscope. Doctor’s coats from the Duke Energy Children’s Museum Mini Clinic help complete the look.
Banfield’s partnership is an opportunity for CMC to share veterinary experts with the community. At Banfield Pet Academy sessions, children can spend an hour giving therapy dogs checkups and belly rubs and asking a veterinarian all of their burning questions: Why do dogs chase their tails? Why do cats have such rough tongues? Can my dog understand what I’m saying? Why do cats get hairballs?
“Celebrating the health and wellness of pets is what we’re all about at Banfield,” said Dr. Amy Voss, medical director for Banfield Pet Hospital. “We’re honored to partner with Cincinnati Museum Center on Banfield Pet Academy and this special Pet Patch-Up event to help children in the community learn about the importance of responsible pet ownership.”
CMC and Banfield will host Pet Academy programs from 11 a.m. to noon on May 20, June 18, July 16, October 7 and November 11.
Pet Patch-Up May 6
In celebration of National Pet Month, Banfield and CMC will host a Pet Patch-Up event on Saturday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to noon. Kids are invited to bring their well-loved and worn pets for a checkup and “patch-up” by a Banfield veterinary team. Leg dangling by a thread? Stuffing hanging out of the belly? We’ll patch it up and send them home to recover.
Your little vet can always be on call. To date, more than 1.7 million “exams” have been performed by aspiring young vets in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum Mini Clinic. The Mini Clinic lets kids practice checking their stuffed pet’s vital signs with real veterinary tools, record their weight at the exam tables and make sure they’re clean at the grooming station. You can even examine X-rays to make sure your pet’s as healthy as a horse. Or dog. Or cat.
All events take place in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum and are included with admission. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org/programs/pet-academy