Get hands-on with animals and real vet tools under professional guidance
6 hrs
Hands-on labs, Meet a veterinarian
Step into the world of veterinary medicine during this full-day camp for kids. Practice real techniques, interact with animals, and learn from professionals.
Designed for kids ages 9 and up. Closed-toed shoes required and no clothing drawstrings. Campers must use the restroom independently; species may vary based on animal health and availability.
Why is this priced higher than your Critter Camps?
In order to give campers the best and most hands-on experience with veterinary professionals and tools, we have to cover the costs of those increased services and materials. However this is an experience like no other and is truly demonstrating equipment and skills used in the industry!
The camp is offered several times a year, is each one different?
We run the same style of program on each date so they aren't designed to be different, but the half-day does have several different activities from the full-day!
Will my child be watching surgeries and/or helping the veterinarians out?
As amazing as that sounds, unfortunately neither situation will occur. We aren't equipped to run surgeries with an audience and for safety purposes, we cannot have untrained people assisting with animal medical care. Campers will meet a veterinarian and see a hospital, taking a tour and not actively assisting the staff.
My child wants to work with animals, should they become a veterinarian?
Veterinarian is often the first career we think of when it comes to working with animals, and it can be the perfect career for some people. However, pursuing the career is difficult, can be expensive, and might not be what everyone is looking for. There are a lot of ways you can work directly with animals, or indirectly support them. We discuss this at our career camps so join us to find out more!
Authorized Pick Up & ID Checking
For safety purposes we do not release children at pick up time to anyone not listed on the "authorized to pick up" list. We check ID daily at checkout time. To add someone to the authorized list, we must confirm you are one of the parents/guardians and then we can add additional names, or you can log into your account and add more yourself.
Making sure certain children are in the same group
During registration there is a section for "my child would like to be in the same class as" to add names. We group children by grade level first and only move older children down into younger groups. If you need your child with another child regardless of grade level, please contact the office to escalate your request.
Discover what we've curated for you
Stay home if sick. We can transfer registrations that haven't started to another day if that day has room. Cancel more than 24 hours before the camp for an 85% refund. Cancellations within 24 hours are nonrefundable.
6461 El Apajo Rancho Santa Fe CA 92067
This veterinary hospital has built a loyal following over the years, with clients praising the genuine care and expertise of their medical team. Dr. Baghoyan gets special mentions for being knowledgeable and compassionate, and multiple reviewers emphasize how the staff actually listens and provides thorough, effective treatment without pushing unnecessary services. Several people make the point of driving 30+ minutes because they trust the care here more than closer options, and the affordability compared to central San Diego locations is a welcome bonus. The facility itself is impressive in size and serves double duty as both a vet hospital and adoption center. Most experiences reflect smooth appointments, same-day availability, and helpful staff who treat both pets and their owners with respect. A couple of recent visitors mentioned confusion around annual visit requirements for medication refills, which felt frustrating to longtime clients. Overall though, the pattern points to a veterinary practice that prioritizes animal welfare and honest communication, making it worth considering even if it means a longer drive for quality care.
They are great! There were some new employees/Dr so things didn't go as smoothly as possible, but overall I give them 5 stars because they are much more affordable than Central San Diego, I was in the back with my kitty at the scheduled time and saw the Veterinarian within a few minutes thereafter. It was a 30 minute drive for me, but well worth the drive. I highly recommend this animal hospital!! My kitty got seen the same day I called - Friday. They offered me a surgery date as quickly as that Monday!
Jaxy Moniz
March 28, 2025
They are great! There were some new employees/Dr so things didn't go as smoothly as possible, but overall I give them 5 stars because they are much more affordable than Central San Diego, I was in the back with my kitty at the scheduled time and saw the Veterinarian within a few minutes thereafter. It was a 30 minute drive for me, but well worth the drive. I highly recommend this animal hospital!! My kitty got seen the same day I called - Friday. They offered me a surgery date as quickly as that Monday!
Jaxy Moniz
March 28, 2025