Marbles celebrates new Pet Vet exhibit this weekend

Pet Vet, a mini pet hospital for kids, is the latest change to the downtown Raleigh museum's very popular Around Town gallery.

Posted 1:02 a.m. Mar 18, 2011 — Updated 1:02 a.m. Mar 18, 2011

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Marbles Kids Museum is celebrating the opening of a new exhibit called Pet Vet with some special activities this Saturday.

Pet Vet, a mini pet hospital for kids, is the latest change to the downtown Raleigh museum's very popular Around Town gallery. Around Town is the bustling area that appeals especially to toddlers and preschoolers on the first floor of the museum. It includes the play store, part of a city bus, stage, fire truck, ambulance and more.

Pet Vet, sponsored by Banfield Pet Hospital, features exam tables, kennels and real veterinary tools. Kids can check the vital signs of stuffed animals playing the role of pets, review X-rays, dress up in doctors coats and take the cats and dogs on a walk in the museum. Among the furry friends are a couple of stuffed animals, whose stuffing was removed and replaced with pretend vital organs. Kids can open them up and check them out.

The exhibit was built on Monday and kids have been playing with it all week. But it officially opens Saturday with a special celebration. A Banfield veterinarian will host a FutureVet presentation at 10 a.m. The program was developed by Banfield to encourage kids and young adults to pursue careers in pet health and medicine. Kids will be able to meet a therapy dog and ask questions about pets, what a vet does and how to care for their own pets.

There also will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and pet-themed face painting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a Howl and Meow Contest with prizes as well as a milk and cupcake social (with cupcakes being supplied by The Cupcake Shoppe). Museum guests are encouraged to bring unopened dog and cat food on opening day to benefit the SPCA of Wake County.

Pet Vet is part of a series of improvements for Around Town. They already include a new mural in Peekaboo Bay, the area designed for crawlers and new walkers, and the grocery store, sponsored by Lowe's Foods. The ambulance area will also get some improvements thanks to WakeMed in the next couple of months.

Pet Vet replaces the gallery's post office area.

Opening day on Saturday will also include a ribbon cutting ceremony, pet-themed face painting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a “Howl and Meow Contest” with prizes as well as celebratory milk and cupcake social, supplied by locally renowned bakery, The Cupcake Shoppe. Museum guests are encouraged to bring unopened dog and cat food on opening day to benefit the SPCA of Wake County.

Watch the video to take a look at the new exhibit and hear more from Marbles' Katy Hipp Burgwyn.

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