School, Tails of Hope conclude 4th year of Student Volunteer Program

HERMITAGE — Tails of Hope and Lawrence County Career and Technical Center completed the fourth year of their partnership Student Volunteer Program on May 10 for third- and fourth-year vet assistant students.

Fourteen regular student participants logged nine days of service during this 35-week period for a total of 385 volunteer hours and a total of 345 animals served.

Upon successful completion of the program, LCCTC students will be able to continue to volunteer at Tails of Hope.

Under the guidance of Tails of Hope veterinary surgeon Dr. Nicole Grable, and Clinic Practice Manager Jamie Strait, the Tails of Hope Student Volunteer Program provides practical, hands-on instruction and assistance to students in performing clinical tasks such as animal handling and restraint, surgery prep, post-surgery monitoring, providing emergency first aid to animals, using veterinary terminology, general clinic operations, high volume trap-neuter-release-day operations, and more, the release states.

“As a veterinarian, practice owner, and a parent, I am impressed with the LCCTC veterinary assistant program and the training that it is providing the students of Lawrence County,” Grable said in the release.

“These students are being introduced to concepts, tasks, skills, and knowledge that will aid them in future careers even outside of the veterinary field. They are learning medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, essential math skills, and teamwork. Collaboration with facilities like Tails of Hope gives students the chance to truly decide if this field is the right fit. Offering hands-on experience is critical for students that wish to pursue a career in this profession. As a parent, I would love to see this program branch out and offer the same level of training and experience to students through other county technical programs.”

The students are also accompanied and guided by their LCCTC classroom instructor, Ariel Yanak, who explained, “The students can finally apply to live patients what they’ve been learning from textbooks and videos in the classroom.

This training will help students add a dimension to their resume and application for continued schooling and eventual certification testing.”

There continues to be a nationwide shortage of veterinary professionals, and our rural community is even more susceptible to this challenge, the release states. According to the U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is projected to grow 21 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

“The mission of the Tails of Hope Student Volunteer Program is to build pathways into high-demand local careers for LCCTC students. We do this by reducing barriers to education for students through the Student Volunteer Program, offering a scholarship program, and making hands-on volunteer opportunities available after graduation,” Soraya Hejazi, executive director of Tails of Hope, said in the release.

The Student Program at Tails of Hope empowers students to experience a real-life clinic, meet like-minded people, engage in meaningful work, and help them make the best decision for their career path.

“For those that have worked in veterinary medicine understand that it can be very physically and mentally challenging,” Strait said in the release.

“Working at a facility such as Tails of Hope allows these students a chance to step into a real-life working environment and decide if this field will also be rewarding to them in their future. I would love to see this program expanded.

As a parent, I feel it is extremely important for our children to have these experiences that will allow them to make the best choices for the next steps in their futures.”

Veterinary assistant students from Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, who volunteered at Tails of Hope through the Student Volunteer Program, are pictured on their first day at the clinic for the 2023-24 school year.

Contributed

Veterinary assistant students from Lawrence County Career and Technical Center are pictured working with Dr.

Nicole Grable at Tails of Hope on Sept. 15, 2023.

Contributed