PVM Well-represented by Humans and Animals During Annual Homecoming Celebrations

Two men wearing gold and black overalls are kneeling down to pose for a photo with a goat — Purdue students took advantage of the opportunity for a photo with the Purdue GOAT, Oreo, at the family-friendly Homecoming Celebration on the Purdue Mall October 25.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Homecoming Activities Featured an Unmistakable GOAT!

Every fall, Boilermakers from near and far return to the campus in West Lafayette for the annual ritual known as Homecoming. And Purdue’s Homecoming events also attract plenty of non-alumni who are Purdue fans, patrons, prospective students, or clients of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.

During this year’s Homecoming weekend October 24-25, Purdue Veterinary Medicine engaged with attendees in multiple ways. The most popular member of PVM’s Homecoming delegation proved to be Oreo, the show-stopping one-and-a-half-year-old pygmy goat who belongs to Tami Lind, veterinary technician supervisor for the Purdue Small Animal Hospital’s Intermediate Care Service. Oreo hung out with Lind at the Purdue Veterinary Medicine tent that was part of “Boilermaker Boulevard” at the Purdue Mall, which was the site of Purdue’s family-friendly celebration held annually prior to the start of the homecoming football game.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine representatives were ready to meet and greet Purdue alumni, football fans, and community residents who attended the celebration. Dr. Lori Corriveau (PU DVM’99), primary care clinician with the hospital’s Small Animal Primary Care Service, was joined by fourth-year veterinary students Jordan Chan, Michaela Romie and Daja Hollis, and St. George’s University veterinary student Sami Hild, who is completing her clinical year at Purdue. Together, they answered visitors’ pet health questions while sharing treats for people to take home to their cats and dogs. Joining Oreo as furry representatives of the college were Jordan’s black Labrador retriever, Brigantine, and Michaela’s golden retriever, Colt. The dogs were popular with guests looking for photo ops, but Oreo proved to be the show stealer, decked out in Purdue gear and displaying appropriate goat attitude.

A group of people are standing outside in front of a large banner. The people are dressed for cold weather. There are 2 dogs sitting in front of the people and a goat standing in front of one person. — PVM volunteers who helped with the PVM tent at the Homecoming Celebration on the Purdue Mall: (left-right) Sami Hild, Tami Lind, Dr. Lori Corriveau, Jordan Chan and Michaela Romie with Oreo the goat and canines Brigantine and Colt. (Not pictured Daja Hollis and Kelly Dold).

Of course, word quickly spread that the Purdue Veterinary Medicine tent had “the GOAT” and that it wasn’t a sports figure, but an actual goat! And as people were stopped in their tracks by Oreo, Lind was able to share that he is a patient of the Purdue University Farm Animal Hospital, where he goes for routine visits to get his vaccinations and to have his heart condition – a heart murmur – monitored by the Cardiology Service.

“We were thrilled by the enthusiastic turnout at the Purdue Veterinary Medicine tent,” Dr. Corriveau shared. “Seeing so many visitors eager to learn and engage with our team was truly inspiring. Providing valuable information and education to the public while serving our community is at the heart of our mission, and this event is always a rewarding opportunity to do just that.”

A large group of students are posing for an outdoor photo with several dogs. There is a banner behind the group that says "Canine Educators." — PVM students and alumni gathered with the Canine Educators at the Memorial Mall staging area for the nighttime Purdue Homecoming Parade.

Also that morning, Purdue Veterinary Medicine was represented at a joint College of Agriculture and College of Veterinary Medicine tailgate on Memorial Mall. And the evening before, Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s beloved Canine Educators participated in Purdue’s nighttime Homecoming Parade, which began at Memorial Mall, proceeded west on Mitch Daniels Blvd and then turned north on Martin Jischke Drive before ending at the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center.

Some 40 PVM students and alumni helped with the 21 Canine Educators that participated in the parade. The dogs proved once again to be total attention magnets, as other parade entrants took advantage of the chance to get photos with the Canine Educators at the parade staging area.

Four Purdue University band members, dressed in full black and gold uniform, are posing for a photo with a beagle, who is sitting on the far left side of the photo. — Purdue All American Marching Band members took advantage of the chance to be in a photo with a Canine Educator.

A girl in a blue and white plaid shirt is posing outdoors with a black-colored dog, and a girl in a dinosaur costume is smiling at the camera. There are other dogs and people in the background. — Purdue All American Marching Band members took advantage of the chance to be in a photo with a Canine Educator.

October concluded with yet another traditional PVM fall event, the Canine Educators Halloween parade. Nearly 30 dogs participated, decked out in festive costumes appropriate for the occasion. The dogs were assisted by 75 students, many costumed themselves.

Thank you to all who participated in these fall events which brought positive attention to the College of Veterinary Medicine through fun and meaningful engagement with alumni and other visitors.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr, Kelly Dold | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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