About Me

About Me:

     My name is Amanda Gapsch. I'm an 18-year old college student from Hillsboro, MO attending Maryville University to study physical therapy. Physical therapy interests me because I want to be able to help rehabilitate people who have disabilities or those who have major injuries or wounds. I have two pets: Dexa, a two-year old German Shepherd, and Jasper, a seven-year old Australian Shepherd/Border Collie. I also have an older brother who has two cats and a bearded dragon. There's a lot of wildlife around my house, such as deer, turkeys, coyotes, and more, and I also have a large pond that is home to many fish, turtles, and occasionally ducks.
     I've always been very passionate about animals and have had a variety of experiences with them. On several occasions when I was little my family rescued stray animals wandering through our yard. I've always had pets at home, including dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, turtles, and an iguana. My dad majored in Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, so he knows a lot about the outdoors and animals and teaches me whenever he can. He occasionally hunts, and we used to put out feed for deer that came near our house (not so they were easy targets; we wanted to keep the deer population going at home). When I was young, I tried starting a "club" with my best friend to rescue wild animals, although that was never actually realized. I have always cared for animals from the bottom of my heart and have kept their well-being in mind.
     The reason for this blog is that I am taking a course on Animal Welfare at Maryville University. Through this blog, I hope to explore deeper into my own thoughts and opinions as well as question important topics on animal welfare. I can't wait to see where this exploration takes me and how it shapes my mentality.