Rain or shine, Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine will open its doors to the public for its 39th Veterinary Open House, Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Veterinary medical students, faculty and staff will showcase exhibits with exotic pets and wildlife, and offer basic and life-saving skills for pet owners, including a demonstration of dog agility.

Each year, self-guided tours take thousands of visitors through exhibits and demonstrations in the teaching hospital and classrooms of the nation's top-rated veterinary college. While the exotic, companion and farm animals are always a big draw, many high school students and their parents are interested in career and education information. College admission and veterinary careers information will be available throughout the day, along with two special sessions in the John D. Murray Lecture Hall: How to Be a Competitive Applicant /Veterinary Careers Information, for adults and college students at 11:30 a.m., and Planning Your Pre-veterinary Education, geared for students in grades seven to 12 and their parents at 2:30 p.m.

Students, faculty members and staff will be on hand to answer questions about a career as a veterinarian, a veterinary technician or an animal care specialist Ashley Wilfand, one of the students responsible for organizing the day, says: "Careers in veterinary medicine have traditionally involved working with dogs, cats, horses and farm animals. However, this rapidly growing field also provides opportunities to work in scientific and medical research, the animal health industry, government and the armed forces. Veterinarians care for many exotic species in zoos, wildlife refuges and in developing countries."

Among the planned exhibits and demonstrations:

• Petting zoo for hands-on play with baby farm animals;
• Exotic pets and wildlife, from snakes and parrots to hawks and owls;
• How to milk a cow, another hands-on activity;
• Anatomy of pets;
• Ultrasound exams of a dog's heart;
• Cornell Companions, the college's pet-therapy corps;
• Case studies on video narrated by an expert veterinary neurologist;
• Demonstration of equine treadmill, used to study orthopedic and cardiovascular disorders of horses;
• Horse-shoeing by an expert farrier;
• Have your picture taken dressed in scrubs like a veterinary surgeon (for children);
• Teddy Bear ER, where veterinary students will surgically repair wounded stuffed animals.

The Veterinary Open House is free and so is parking in the "O" lot, just off Route 366 with entrances from Tower Road or Caldwell Road. Visitors should enter the college through the Veterinary Medical Center doors under the Open House banner.