Writer / Matt Keating
Aimee Gonzalez, the Westfield Student of the Month, is dedicated to animals and is always willing to go the extra mile to help them out.
“I’ve loved animals my whole life, but I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was four,” says Gonzalez, a freshman at Options Charter School. “I love all animals, but my absolute favorite is horses. My favorite breed is a Draft Horse.”
She is already working hard to further her interest in helping animals. She also enjoys learning as much as she can about people who work with all kinds of creatures. She asks a lot of questions and soaks in as much knowledge as she can.
“I worked at a horse stable called Irish Acres,” Gonzalez says. “I did everything that needed to be done at any stable. I mucked stalls, fed and watered the horses, bathed and groomed them, put them out in the pastures, cleaned the manure in the fields and more.”
Gonzalez also works at a veterinarian’s office, VIP Animal Clinic, Noblesville. She has thoroughly enjoyed her time there helping the staff and the animals they take care of.
“I can’t do much there because of my age, but I carry animals to the operation table and I calm them down once they wake up,” she says.
She loves helping the nervous animals get settled and ready for whatever care they need.
Gonzalez hopes to one day open her own clinic or rescue shelter.
“I would love to have it eventually grow into helping all kinds of animals, big and small,” she says. “There are a lot of things people can do to help animals. Some of those things are, for instance, if you see a wild animal, don’t try to approach it. If it is in an unsafe area, (and this part goes for all animals), then call local animal control. They will come and get it, relocate it, and if the animal is injured, get it the veterinarian care it needs.”
Gonzalez says that another thing people can do to help animals is “to avoid going to zoos, aquariums and other places like that, because in most of those places, the animals are in too small of an enclosure, are not properly cared for, are abused and taken from the wild, even though they have no health problems.
“It is because of all of this, a lot of them (the animals), die at a much younger age than they would in the wild,” she adds. “Heavy and deep research should be done on these places before attending, not just going to their website, but also reading reviews, news articles and more.”
Gonzalez’ favorite subject in school is Science, which will help her with her future academic plans. She is already working with her favorite animals on a daily basis.
“I myself have two dogs, three cats, two gerbils, a chinchilla, 16 fish, an aquatic snail and an aquatic frog,” Gonzalez says.
Student Spotlights are sponsored by Wittler Orthodontics and Options Charter School
