“It’s just me and my zoo": Kylee Burroughs' Passion for Animals
April 29, 2020 | Soccer, HailStateBEAT
by Emma Warren, Student Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – Whenever someone asked Kylee Burroughs what she wanted to be growing up, it was always a vet. Every time. It never changed.
The midfielder from Plant City, Florida, was born and raised around animals. She grew up on a farm, and as an only child, she counted her pets as her siblings. Her athletic career started with horseback riding, then soccer flourished and took over from there.
Soccer wasn't the only thing that drew the junior transfer to Mississippi State. The veterinary school in Starkville was also very attractive. Since her future with veterinary medicine is so important to her, she wanted a program that could match her passion.
"Taking classes and being around people who know how to get you into vet school is a big part of the reason why I chose MSU," Burroughs said. "I like knowing that I'm taking classes that are designed for me, and I'm not just taking a biology class to take it. It's definitely different going to a school that is so driven around veterinary medicine, but I wouldn't choose anywhere else."
In high school, she worked hard to earn her veterinary assistant license while balancing school and sports. The four-year program was basically another class added to her curriculum. During her fourth year, she spent time in clinics to get hands on experience before passing a boards exam to receive the certification.
Since then, it has come in handy plenty. She has worked at many vet clinics and animal hospitals, seeing things that many people don't experience.
"It's kind of like Grey's Anatomy but with animals," Burroughs said. "I've always loved that show, so it's cool to actually be in the field and be doing similar things. I always used to think that stuff was crazy and that I could never do that."
Her main focus is on big cats and exotic animals. This was her first passion, and it's what makes opportunities working with possums, raccoons and owls – not just cats and dogs – so special to her.
She currently works at an emergency vet clinic near her home in Plant City. It is a small practice that opened in the early 1900's and has passed through many different owners. After graduating from vet school, she'd like to come back and take over the business herself because of the impact the people and pets have had on her.
Burroughs works with many different types of animals, but she also has some of her own. Throughout the years she has adopted plenty of pets and currently has three cats and a tortoise. Her cat's names reflect her passion for soccer: Neymar, Messi and Suarez, otherwise known as the Barcelona trio.
She bought her tortoise in college since other pets weren't allowed in the dorm. The cats have come throughout the years. Neymar she's owned since high school. Messi was picked up on the side of the road, and the Suarez one was found in her friend's car engine.
Burroughs lives alone at school with all of her pets since sometimes it gets chaotic. She loves it though.
"it's just me and my zoo of animals," she said. "Anytime I say I have three cats, everyone thinks I'm a crazy cat lady, which isn't true. I've just always had a cat my whole life. I didn't expect to adopt these other two, but I wouldn't change it for anything."
Burroughs loves physically working with the animals, but her favorite part is the impact of her work on other people.
"The best part about the job is when you can save or treat someone's pet and the pet returns to themselves," Burroughs said. "Being able to see how happy that a family is after seeing their pet return to normal is the happiest part of it all – seeing the impact that an animal has on a family."
Even though she has worked on many types of animals, there are a few surgeries that stick out the most to her, like her very first operation where the vet let her take over on a dog's ear with a hematoma.
"The vet actually let me participate in the surgery, so I got to make the initial puncture wound where the blood from the dog's ear all kind of oozed out," Burroughs said. "This was my first time I got to fully get a gown on and learn all of the proper materials and sanitation rules. That was really awesome to me."
Working towards becoming a vet has taught her many valuable lessons. It has even taught her skills she can use towards soccer.
"Being an athlete and having the experience where we have kids who come to our games and families that we talk to after the games has definitely developed me into being more of an extrovert with my job," Burroughs said. "Soccer has played a big part in that sense for what I want to do for my career, so that's pretty awesome."
STARKVILLE – Whenever someone asked Kylee Burroughs what she wanted to be growing up, it was always a vet. Every time. It never changed.
The midfielder from Plant City, Florida, was born and raised around animals. She grew up on a farm, and as an only child, she counted her pets as her siblings. Her athletic career started with horseback riding, then soccer flourished and took over from there.
Soccer wasn't the only thing that drew the junior transfer to Mississippi State. The veterinary school in Starkville was also very attractive. Since her future with veterinary medicine is so important to her, she wanted a program that could match her passion.
"Taking classes and being around people who know how to get you into vet school is a big part of the reason why I chose MSU," Burroughs said. "I like knowing that I'm taking classes that are designed for me, and I'm not just taking a biology class to take it. It's definitely different going to a school that is so driven around veterinary medicine, but I wouldn't choose anywhere else."
In high school, she worked hard to earn her veterinary assistant license while balancing school and sports. The four-year program was basically another class added to her curriculum. During her fourth year, she spent time in clinics to get hands on experience before passing a boards exam to receive the certification.
Since then, it has come in handy plenty. She has worked at many vet clinics and animal hospitals, seeing things that many people don't experience.
"It's kind of like Grey's Anatomy but with animals," Burroughs said. "I've always loved that show, so it's cool to actually be in the field and be doing similar things. I always used to think that stuff was crazy and that I could never do that."
Her main focus is on big cats and exotic animals. This was her first passion, and it's what makes opportunities working with possums, raccoons and owls – not just cats and dogs – so special to her.
She currently works at an emergency vet clinic near her home in Plant City. It is a small practice that opened in the early 1900's and has passed through many different owners. After graduating from vet school, she'd like to come back and take over the business herself because of the impact the people and pets have had on her.
Burroughs works with many different types of animals, but she also has some of her own. Throughout the years she has adopted plenty of pets and currently has three cats and a tortoise. Her cat's names reflect her passion for soccer: Neymar, Messi and Suarez, otherwise known as the Barcelona trio.
She bought her tortoise in college since other pets weren't allowed in the dorm. The cats have come throughout the years. Neymar she's owned since high school. Messi was picked up on the side of the road, and the Suarez one was found in her friend's car engine.
Burroughs lives alone at school with all of her pets since sometimes it gets chaotic. She loves it though.
"it's just me and my zoo of animals," she said. "Anytime I say I have three cats, everyone thinks I'm a crazy cat lady, which isn't true. I've just always had a cat my whole life. I didn't expect to adopt these other two, but I wouldn't change it for anything."
Burroughs loves physically working with the animals, but her favorite part is the impact of her work on other people.
"The best part about the job is when you can save or treat someone's pet and the pet returns to themselves," Burroughs said. "Being able to see how happy that a family is after seeing their pet return to normal is the happiest part of it all – seeing the impact that an animal has on a family."
Even though she has worked on many types of animals, there are a few surgeries that stick out the most to her, like her very first operation where the vet let her take over on a dog's ear with a hematoma.
"The vet actually let me participate in the surgery, so I got to make the initial puncture wound where the blood from the dog's ear all kind of oozed out," Burroughs said. "This was my first time I got to fully get a gown on and learn all of the proper materials and sanitation rules. That was really awesome to me."
Working towards becoming a vet has taught her many valuable lessons. It has even taught her skills she can use towards soccer.
"Being an athlete and having the experience where we have kids who come to our games and families that we talk to after the games has definitely developed me into being more of an extrovert with my job," Burroughs said. "Soccer has played a big part in that sense for what I want to do for my career, so that's pretty awesome."
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