From tiny chinchilla "pocket pets" to large dairy cows, animals of all sizes were on display at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine April 10 for the 44th annual open house. Hundreds of families attended to learn what it means to be a veterinarian.

"I think the open house is a good way to open the school up to people in the community with a lot of fun, hands-on things for people to do," said Brian Goff, a first-year veterinary student who volunteered at the event. "And it's a lot of fun for us students."

The day was packed with activities ranging from learning how to dress a wounded bird's wing (using a stuffed animal for practice) to milking an actual dairy cow as well as numerous demonstrations, lecture and displays.

"I liked seeing the chicks and the lambs and petting them the most," said Irene Andrulis, 11, of the baby animal petting zoo.

Her veterinarian mother, Beth Bell, on the other hand said, "I really loved seeing all the bizarre lesions they had photographs of at the pathology display."

Also on display were X-rays from patients with broken bones or diseased organs, and a "painted" cow and horse, with cartoons of their internal organs drawn on their hides.

"There was probably the most interest in the fistulated cow," said Amy Wong, a first-year veterinary student who worked at the information booth. "People kept asking where the cow with the hole in its side was." She said the petting zoo and the canine agility demonstrations were also very popular.

Other demonstrations included how a water treadmill is used to treat pain in small animals, how ultrasound helps visualize animals' organs and how a farrier forges horseshoes.

Aspiring veterinarians benefited from the admissions seminars, where faculty members discussed how students can be successful applicants to veterinary schools and what types of jobs are available to veterinarians. Other faculty members lectured on animal behavior and how animals relate to human public health.

Local animal groups, including the Golden Retriever Rescue and the Tompkins County SPCA, also attended to raise awareness about pet adoptions. "We've been coming to the Vet College open house for over 10 years," said Russ Hollier of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Finger Lakes Region. "We're here to let people know about guide dogs but also to recruit puppy raisers."

The open house seemed to be a huge hit for visitors like Kseniya Mathews, 11. "I came here because I love animals, and I want to be an SPCA volunteer," she said.

Nearby, the Cornell Block and Bridle Club hosted a Barnyard Fun Day for elementary/middle school students and 4-H members throughout New York state in the Livestock Pavilion in the morning, and the general public in the afternoon. The event included such demonstrations as leading a goat through an obstacle course, making butter and spinning wool into yarn.

Graduate student Sarah Perdue is a writer intern at the Cornell Chronicle.