Class of 2024: Yes, You Should Get a Pet in Vet School

By Jamie Constantino

It’s true when they say that veterinary students always seem to acquire pets during their brief time in school. A quick look at the class of 2024 will prove it. 

One classmate decided that adopting a puppy during the first week of veterinary school was a good idea. She’ll tell you that nothing pushes you to your limits quite like house-training an energetic pitbull and studying for your first anatomy exam at the same time. Another classmate found herself taking home a stray farm dog after a summer spent working with cattle in Arkansas. 

You’ll also be able to find more than a few students who took home the first animal they spayed or neutered. Even I impulsively agreed to take in a bearded dragon when a classmate’s relative was giving her away. 

Animals always seem to find their way to us, or maybe I have that backward. 

And then there’s Sadie, my 14-year-old terrier mix. She was not acquired during veterinary school but accompanied me here. She also was by my side in high school and my undergraduate years, if we’re keeping track. 

Sadie came into my life when I was in sixth grade, and getting my parents to agree to get a dog was not easy. I eventually wore them down, and Sadie has been with me ever since. 

It’s not an exaggeration when I say that I have grown up with Sadie. She has seen me change from an awkward 12-year-old to an impending veterinary doctor in her 14 years. I’ve also had the privilege of witnessing Sadie grow over the years. I’ve watched her transition from a rambunctious, misbehaving puppy with a seemingly unlimited supply of energy to a much quieter, more dignified old lady who would rather spend her days napping on the couch or sunbathing on my back porch. 

I can’t imagine my time at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine without Sadie right next to me. Veterinary school has not been easy. The days have been long, and it was often hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when the work in front of me seemed insurmountable. Sadie’s companionship reminded me every day why I started this journey in the first place. The little kid who begged for a dog because he loved animals so much and wanted to be a veterinarian was now sitting here trying to achieve just that. 

Not only did Sadie provide necessary moral support, but she also was an invaluable enhancement to my education. She came in handy when I needed to practice my physical exam skills before an upcoming practical. Listening to her heart murmur was good practice during my cardiology rotation. She even tested my internal medicine knowledge when she had health issues of her own. 

Sadie didn’t help just me. She also participated in multiple research projects through the college that I hope will contribute to veterinary medicine and benefit other dogs just like her.

I don’t think you’ll be able to find a single classmate who regrets having a pet in vet school. Yes, we had to rush home between classes to let them out, and they’ve definitely cost more than we budgeted for, but that’s a small price to pay for what they’ve given to us. 

As this chapter in my life ends, Sadie is right by my side as I start my next adventure. I cannot wait to provide care for pets who give their owners as much as Sadie has given me.