Conway Animal Shelter.
UCA’s pre-vet program hosted an event Feb. 6 celebrating sustainability, getting involved and assisting animals in need.
Clothing items that were donated for this event were crafted into playable toys after they were cut into strips, tied at the top, and braided together.
The pre-vet program encourages and helps support students who are on the pathway to becoming a veterinarian.
Vice President Lauren Rathbun said the program is going to start doing sutures for pre-grad students while also getting involved in case studies and watching surgeries to give students a more in-depth experience.
This program also allows for students to get real-world experience.
President Brittini Shocklee, who has been working at a clinic for over two and a half years, is set to receive it as her own once she graduates and has learned a lot from her involvement in this program.
Thursday’s event was full of laughter, exchanges of pet stories and participants knowing they were making a difference by participating in something simple yet effective.
There was more to this event than just making dog toys though. It opened members of the program up to share personal stories and reasons that made them want to help not only animals but people, too.
Shocklee said the reason she wanted to be a vet was from childhood experiences.
“During my childhood, the only consistent thing in my life was my animals. I’m doing it for the lower class, the poverty-ridden individuals because I was the same way and I know what it’s like to just have that one animal to go home to,” she said.
The discussion furthered over the snipping of shirt sleeves.
Rathbun said, “I love animals and that’s the main reason why I’m doing it but some of these animals are people’s livelihood and so it’s a matter of being able to provide that care for both sides.”
Members and participants of the event alike were able to share their own stories of working with animals in a shelter or clinic or just the joy being around animals brings about.
“Animals and people have coexisted for so long, it’s love. There’s like a really big bond that we have with animals and so helping keep an animal alive as much as you can or just helping them is something I would love to do,” said junior and pre-vet member Krista Harper.
This event allowed students to help create a positive change for the animals in their community while also hearing more about the importance of veterinary care and the incredible impact it has on everyone involved.
“It’s about both the animal and the person,” said Harper.
Discussions about the love and care animals and pets provide for their owners could be heard while participants braided sections of fabric.
