Pune: The biggest hurdle that Pratyush Dinesan faces is the dismissive attitude towards veterinary sciences. “People tend to mock you about being an animal doctor, but I don’t let it bog me down,” he said.He completed his five-year veterinary science degree programme recently and said the work is all about passion for animals.His professor, Shirish Upadhye, deputy director of research at Nagpur Veterinary College, said the field has the scope and the potential for jobs.“The biggest challenge is overcoming parents’ views. They presume it is easy and has no importance,” he said.Upadhye said one has to study the species right from snakes to elephants. “A graduate from our college doesn’t earn less than Rs 50,000 a month. Engineering students don’t earn so much,” he said.Beyond the stereotypes, the field is also exciting for young people. Tista Joseph said the veterinary field gets people who couldn’t take up anything else. “In my batch of 50 people, only three got into it out of interest. I had classmates who were scared of puppies,” she added.But change is coming, with IT engineers now joining the field purely out of interest, she said. Tista is currently working with a senior veterinarian in Pune. The 26-year-old worked with large wildlife species two years ago.“Working with small animals is different from large wildlife. I used to volunteer with vets before my bachelor’s degree,” Tista said.The ‘small animal boom’ happened in 2010, she said. “Nowadays, people do a lot more for their pets. We had an owner who went for a CT scan for his dog, something which was rare even five years ago. People don’t question costs so much,” Tista added.She has some advice for aspiring vets. “ One has to give everything to the living creature, so it should be a field you want to get into. The trick is to find your niche,” she said.A degree in veterinary science is enough to qualify as a doctor. Candidates must register with the state-level veterinary council or the Veterinary Council of India to practise.The course work is not easy, but is promising because there are various government agencies one can work in. “At the state level, one can work as livestock development officers, in different posts in government labs and in the extension programme to promote animal health. There are central government posts like veterinary officers and surgeons,” he added.

Stay updated with all the Pune Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.