I Can Be a Veterinarian or Work with Animals

Sporting the tagline, “Whatever you can dream, you can be!”, this practical program looks at careers with animals. Hosted by an energetic teen, each segment spotlights an animal-related job, offering a day-in-the-life perspective through interviews and on-location footage. First, a vet takes viewers through a typical dog checkup and discusses spaying (scenes of a dog being operated on may be disturbing for younger or more sensitive viewers, although the material is tastefully shot). Next, we meet students who talk about their studies at a veterinarian school, after which zoo careers are explored through conversations with Los Angeles zookeepers responsible for koalas, giraffes, orangutans, and “hoofstock.” In addition, workers at a California condor wildlife refuge introduce viewers to animal conservation, and we learn about an oceanographer's research during a typical day. At times the program loses focus, occasionally offering more information about the animals themselves than the challenges and duties of working with them, and the camerawork and audio qualities could have been better. However, this is still a solid resource for kids—every interviewee offers helpful advice to would-be vets or animal workers—and is therefore recommended. Aud: I, J, P. (E. Gieschen)