ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — For many kids, the livelihood of their stuffed animals is one of the most important things in the world. Fortunately, veterinarians at the WNC Nature Center are here to make sure everyone’s fluffy friends are feeling fine.

This weekend marks the annual “Critter Checkup” at the WNC Nature Center. The checkups will run from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville.

“Kids show up with their favorite stuffed animals and we have our volunteer vet tech and veterinarians who are there who give a little health checkup,” said Vanessa Tsumura, marketing and events manager for the Friends of the WNC Nature Center. “They check heart rate and weight of the stuffed animal and at the end the child gets a health certificate issued to them.”

The checkup is always an eagerly anticipated event at the Nature Center, for families and especially for the vets who volunteer for it.

“They love being there. It’s such a cute event. The kids are so excited about it,” Tsumura said.

Tsumura said that many of the vets are general volunteers that return every year for their role as a vet or vet tech during the checkup.

The event has quite a few years under its belt, too. The first Critter Checkup was around Valentine’s Day in 2016 before moving to its December date in 2023.

“It’s one of the few special events we offer during the winter,” wrote Tsumura in an email.

The Nature Center is offering fewer special events than usual this year due to damages caused by Hurricane Helene, which wiped out much of the road on the way to the park. It has impacted the scope of the Critter Checkup as well.

“In the past, we’ve always held it at the Nature Center. The park this year will look a little different because we are closed to the public,” Tsumura said.

Much of the Nature Center will still be shut down during the event. Still, families are invited to explore the Appalachian Station, the reptile and amphibian exhibit at the park, as well as attend some other programming, including a Build-a-Bear workshop sponsored by The Little Gym and included in the $15 ticket price.

The park has not yet announced a reopening date, but the Critter Checkup is as much a checkup on the park. By all accounts, the event shows that the Nature Center considers the livelihood of animals, stuffed or otherwise, the most important thing in the world.

For more information or for ticketing, visit the WNC Nature Center at www.wildwnc.org.