Saving animals becomes hobby for two students

Isabelle+Braun+cleaning+the+vets+instruments.

Isabelle Braun cleaning the vet’s instruments.

Last month sophomore Isabelle Braun and freshman Emma Buchholz took a trip up to South Dakota to experience something that the average high school student does not get to.

“My mom’s a vet so we travel to a few places a year to do spay and neuter clinics,” Braun said.

This pulls Braun away from school often.

“We’ve probably been up there 11 times, and I’ve been all but once,” Braun said.

Though S.D. doesn’t seem to be too far away, the places that the Braun family travels to aren’t always so close to home.

“I haven’t been to nearly as many places as my parents for this,” Braun said. “They’ve been to South
Dakota Mississippi, Belize, Suriname, Turks and Caicos, and the British Virgin Islands. I’ve been to three of those places – S.D., Belize, and Suriname.”

Sometimes, one of the family’s friends goes along with them to lend a hand. On this trip, that friend would be Buchholz.

“We met Emma when we were really little because her mom was my mom’s vet tech,” Braun said.

Braun’s mother was not the only vet that attended the clinic.

“There were three vets and a bunch of people from South Dakota who always volunteer,” Braun said.

Even with three vets, everyone had plenty to do. During the two day clinic, approximately 120 surgeries were preformed.

With this many surgeries being done, it is vital that all hands are on deck.

“I washed the instruments and helped out Dr. Braun,” Buchholz said.

After going on so many trips, Braun is considering becoming a vet, and following in her mothers footsteps.

“When I was little, I always wanted to be a vet, then I stopped, but these trips do make me want to be one,” Braun said. “However, if I did become a vet and didn’t make it as far as I mom has, I would feel that it was for nothing.”

19kpotter@usd489.com