Meet Dr. Jim Dobies!  Dr. Dobies started South Point Pet Hospital in Belmont, NC and has a long record of service in his profession and his community.  For him, volunteering with Futures for Kids is another way to give back and invest in people.

What do you like about F4K? I enjoy being a mentor for kids interested in my profession, but like other busy people I am very short on time.  F4K allows me to provide guidance and feedback at my desk when my schedule allows.  The website is easy to navigate and I can respond to questions very efficiently.  Best of all, F4K sends me an email when there are new posts that require my attention.

What do the students want to know? The best questions (and some of the most frequent) have to do with euthanasia.  Most children are animal lovers and the thought of putting a pet to sleep is frightening.  I try to help students understand when euthanasia is appropriate and why it should not be scary.  Hopefully this helps the kids when they are faced with their own pets' euthanasia and ensures that they will still consider the veterinary profession as a potential career. 

What other advice would you give to our students? More than anything I just want students to have fun learning.  It takes dedication and hard work to pursue any profession.  At the age of most of these students, I think it is important for them to experience a well-rounded education and take classes that interest them.  In this way, hopefully they will discover careers and courses of study they will enjoy throughout their lives.  I emphasize that studying hard, making good grades, participating in extra-curricular activities, and volunteering will pay dividends in life regardless of the career they ultimately choose to pursue.