Lochaber-born vet Catherine Stables is on a mission to show children there are Scottish creatures other than Highland cows and Nessie!
It is not well-known but 85 per cent of vets are women and Catherine, who has worked with animals for more than 25 years now, is proud to be among them, with the job the inspiration behind the Shona The Vet series which celebrates her beloved profession.
In her new book, Catherine shares the joy of how rewarding it is when practices see animals feeling better. She hopes its pages and pictures will help inspire future generations of vets.
She explained: "I thought it would be good to have a female main character as vet, as it’s not well known that 85 per cent of vets are women. And I wanted to show Scottish creatures other than Highland cows and the Loch Ness Monster.
“You never know what animals you’ll see as a vet – no two days are the same - but it’s never boring! And it’s really rewarding when you see animals getting back to full health."
Every Scottish primary school is being given a free copy of the picture book to inspire children as young as P1 to consider going into the veterinary profession.
The books are being sent out free by Future Vets Scotland, in association with the country’s three centres of veterinary medicine – the University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College.
Dr Karen Gardiner founded Future Vets Scotland (FVS) in 2023 after the strenuous efforts required for her two daughters to get the work experience necessary to study veterinary medicine, and the reduction in the number of pupils going into the profession.
FVS guides children of all ages through the process of becoming a vet and includes online and in-person resources for primary and secondary age pupils including real-life interviews with vets telling their stories.
Karen said: "There is a perception that competition is high but the reality is the number applying is falling and with an ageing vet population we need more young vets."
Shona the Vet is published by Foggie Toddle Books, a publisher in Wigtown.
A new book about Shona’s adventures in towns and cities will be published in spring and a book set on farms will be out in autumn.
Scotland’s Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas has also given her backing to the venture.
She said: "“I hope the stories in the book being will inspire the dreams of children, while the resources for schools and pupils on the Future Vets website will offer practical support which can make that dream come true.”
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