2019.10.24 New York Post
These future veterinarians are baring their hearts and their butts for a good cause.
Holding strategically placed cowboy hats and squealing piglets, veterinary students from the University of Sydney posed for a stripped-down photo shoot to raise money for mental health awareness. The images will appear in next year’s edition of the veterinary school’s annual calendar.
In the past, the Australian school’s cheeky calendar has raised almost $68,000 for other charities, including disadvantaged farmers.
Philanthropically minded scheduling enthusiasts can now pre-order the 2020 calendar, which showcases about two dozen students covering their kibbles and bits with various barnyard props while wearing nothing but a pair of boots.
“As soon-to-be veterinarians and animals scientists, we are entering a workforce in which the suicide rate is four times that of the national average,” Lucy Fuchter, the calendar director,
told The Sun.
“It is a cause close to our hearts — with one in five people battling mental illness at some point in their lives, we hope that supporting the [Black Dog] Institute will assist their endeavors in helping so many,” added 23-year-old Fuchter.
Many of the hardworking doctors are reticent to go au naturel in front of their colleagues and the world, according to Fuchter, but they usually come around in the spirit of giving.
“I would say most people were apprehensive but volunteered once sign-ups started to increase — there’s safety in numbers,” she said.
The Sydney veterinary school, ranked ninth in the world, is selling its calendars for $17 each, or three for about $47, on the calendar’s website, which reads: “We are producing this nude calendar to support not only those in our industry, but all Australians who are struggling with their mental health.”
