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ALPACAS
MAGAZINE
Top: Marty Bennett demonstrates handling techniques for interested veterinary students.
Above: Meredyth Jones, DVM, on the right, works with students in the Small Ruminant Club from the College of
Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University.
Photoscourtesyoftheauthor
O
ne of the challenges of the Mid
America Alpaca Foundation is to
identify those educational projects that
will deliver meaningful results. This task
is tempered by what is affordable from
a dollar and sense perspective. The Mid
America Alpaca Foundation is focused
on improving alpaca health care through
veterinarian education. Our most recent
projects have paid particular attention to
veterinary students. They are, after all,
the future of alpaca health care.
Of particular interest to the Foundation
are the Small Ruminant Clubs located
at the twenty-seven veterinary colleges
throughout the United States. Veterinary
students join these extracurricular clubs
to learn more about species of interest
to them. Students who may be consider-
ing only a small animal practice upon
graduation, for example, may get their
first introduction to alpacas through
these clubs. Not long ago the Camelid
Medicine Club at Kansas State joined with
the Foundation in sending a copy of the
“Camelid Medicine Starter Series”
DVD to
every Small Ruminant Club at veterinary
colleges across the U.S.* After the comple-
tion of that project we consulted with
the Foundation’s veterinary advisors as
to what we could do next to enhance the
learning experience for Small Ruminant
Club members.
Now the story of a great partnership
begins. One of our veterinarian advisors
suggested using the Marty McGee Bennett
DVD series on alpaca handling techniques.
We polled faculty advisors for Small Ru-
minant Cubs at six universities regarding
the use of these DVDs with the students.
Bingo! There was 100 percent enthusiastic
approval from the six universities support-
ing this idea. I contacted Marty asking for
her suggestions; she offered her thoughts
A Great Partnership:
the Mid America Alpaca Foundation,
Small Ruminant Clubs and Camelidynamics
BY PETE CAFFREY, PRESIDENT, MID AMERICA ALPACA FOUNDATION
ALPACA
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