After a lifetime of being considered a first port of call for friends heading on holidays and needing pet-minding, in 2022, I decided to undertake a Certificate 2 in Animal Care (Swinburne Open Education), where I have successfully completed 13 out of the 14 Modules, and am due to undertake a final vet placement in February 2024. As a young boy, my family always had dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs as pets, but it wasn’t until I met my wife 25 years ago that I was also introduced to the wonderful world of cats and chooks! Our current household in Ballarat Central is a hive of activity with a 1-year-old border collie, 3 quirky felines, and an array of pond fish. My fascination and appreciation of all living things has meant I’ve also been a scuba diver for a couple of decades and have had the pleasure of sightseeing with aquatic wildlife both locally and abroad. More recently, I’ve been regularly training at an equestrian centre and becoming better acquainted with all things horse-related....