After-School Veterinary Program Moves to White Plains

Little Vets, an after-school program for kids in White Plains who are interested in caring for animals, recently began offering classes. The children's veterinary program introduces kids to veterinary science.

Kids in Little Vets can practice veterinary techniques, such as doing sutures on bananas.

Little Vets, an after-school program that aims to get kids interested in the science behind veterinary medicine, recently moved its practice from Manhattan to White Plains. Little Vets founder and practicing emergency veterinarian David Bessler, VMD, began teaching the program in 2010 at the American Museum of Natural History’s Young Scientists Circle. Now, he is moving the popular veterinary program to Westchester County. Little Vets will offer its introductory course, Basic Little Vets, on Tuesdays from 4:15-5:45pm, beginning Feb. 3, 2015.

Basic Little Vets, which runs through May, is a series of 10 classes that teaches second- to fifth-grade students the fundamentals of veterinary practice. The program uses children’s interest in animals to engage them in activities that emphasize math, science, biology, and veterinary medicine. Every class is split into two portions: lecture and hands-on. During lectures, kids watch videos and view images all taken from real veterinary practice. The hands-on experience ranges from physical examinations to practicing surgical procedures on bananas.

“We have never had a child not want to continue in Little Vets,” Dr. Bessler says. “Science is a wonderful thing to get into when you’re a kid, and if you love animals, you will love learning about the science behind them.”

The class is limited to 15 students, but Dr. Bessler says he encourages parents to attend the classes, too, so they can learn something new with their kids.

Little Vets will be held at Veterinary Emergency Group. Enrollment is now open for spring classes.