The club comprises 60 to 70 members who share a love of animals and are interested in doing hands-on work.

The majority of students are biology majors, but the club welcomes anyone, with any major.

This year, the freshman class has already expressed a lot of interest in the club, Vice President Stephanie Herr said.

The group is involved in numerous volunteer organizations locally. These include Centre Wildlife Care in Lemont and the Nittany Greyhounds in Port Matilda, an adoption agency for retired racing greyhounds, where members volunteer every Tuesday night.

Another organization that receives a lot of help from the club is Centre County PAWS, a local no-kill animal shelter located in Bellefonte. This animal rescue and adoption agency places about 300 cats and 150 dogs in permanent homes each year.

Deborah Bezilla, of the PAWS program, said the group is very helpful.

They come in on Saturdays and Sundays to clean out cages and assist in any other tasks that are needed.

The club meets every other Monday for about an hour.

The meetings begin with a short business meeting, then a speaker is presented, followed by a question-and-answer period.

"We bring in veterinarians and researchers from every facet of industry," Herr said.

Speakers also include admissions advisers from veterinary schools around the nation.

The club raises money by working at the dog shows that come to the Agricultural Arena.

Through travelling, the group learns about the veterinarian profession.

Schools the club has visited include Cornell University and Virginia Tech. The trips are both educational and fun, and a great way to meet people, Hoover said.

"If you are interested in veterinarian school and aren't sure what you need, it's a good way to learn how to be a competitive applicant," Hoover said.