St. Petersburg College Veterinary Technology students dropped in on Pawfest at Largo Central Park April 9. Working to promote pet adoption, Pawfest was all fur, fun and no bite.

The SPC Veterinary Technology Program teaches students the skills they need to become veterinary technicians. Our students come from all over the world. The program has seen students from Africa, the Bahamas and China.

For those who decide to take courses on campus, we have special helpers to assist them on their journey.  These helpers are our SPC animal residents. All come from local area shelters. While they stay with us, our students assist in spaying or neutering them, giving them their vaccinations, treating them for any other medical problems and even teaching them basic obedience. At the end of each semester, our animals are then put up for adoption.

Our students help find these animals “furever” homes by taking them to local adoption events.

Pawfest, one such event, was put on by Kiwanis Club of Largo/Mid-Pinellas earlier in April. Many different groups were represented at Pawfest – other dog rescues looking for homes, staff from veterinary clinics and pet store representatives. Pawfest featured games and even a K-9 cop demonstration.

SPC Vet Tech also brought a few dogs of their own. Ghost, a 4-year-old Rottweiler/Doberman mix; Romeo, a 3-year-old Labrador/pit mix and Trina, a 3-year-old Australian Shepard/Border collie mix. To change things up, a 4-year-old albino New Zealand rabbit named Alice joined in on the fun. Students and animals alike had a blast, checking out the booths and looking for their “furever” home. Ghost even won second place in the Cutest Dog Contest. Though beaten out by a Newfoundland puppy, SPC Vet Tech is proud of Ghost!

The next event SPC Vet Tech students and animals will attend is Bark in the Park, April 23,  from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Freedom Lake in Pinellas Park. Proceeds from the event will go to the Pinellas Park K-9 Unit (Police Dog Medical Fund).

If you don’t want to wait to check out our adoptable pets, look for them on Petfinder and our Facebook page.

Everyone had a great time at the St. Petersburg College School of Veterinary Technology Open House. Thank you to the more than 450 people who visited with us this month!

Visitors got to meet critters from dogs and cats to snakes and chickens as well as learn more about the courses offered at the center.

See more  photos on St. Petersburg College’s Facebook page or on the center’s page or see them on Pinterest.

Or you can also follow St. Petersburg College’s board Fauna on Pinterest.

Veterinary Technology Center and programs

The facility features 32,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, surgery and x-ray suites, kennels and offices. The center was awarded the LEED® Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

SPC offers an Associate in Science program in Veterinary Technology as well as a bachelor’s degree.  The center is located next to Pinellas County Animal Services, allowing students to obtain work experience.

To help celebrate National Vet Tech Week, St. Petersburg College’s School of Veterinary Technology will host its fourth annual Open House from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Veterinary Technology Center, 12376 Ulmerton Road, Largo.

Members of the public are invited to the event where they can tour the state-of-the-art facility, learn about programs and career options, meet faculty, staff and advisors, interact with Veterinary Technician activities, and visit vendor tables to learn about a variety of topics pertaining to pet ownership.

Some of the many hands-on activities will include the opportunity to examine blood samples under a microscope, administering CPR to your pets, internal examination of a cow and observe cat clicker training. Additional presentations and topics covered will include:

• Pet care and nutrition
• Avian and exotic species
• Career opportunities for Vet Techs
• When pets can’t go on vacation
• The importance of grooming
• Dog park safety

Vendors will include: Animal Luvr’s Dream Rescue, Banfield Hospital, HIll’s Pet Nutrition, Humane Society of Pinellas, Lap of Love, Lowry Park Zoo, Operation Snip, Pinellas County Animal Services, Southeastern Guide Dogs, SPCA, Val’s Dog Tags and more.

Please R.S.V.P. online at: www.spcollege.edu/survey/18960 or call 727-302-6720.

Now is the time to adopt SPC Veterinary Technology  animals! Our dogs and cats have been spayed or neutered, and their teeth have been cleaned and polished.  All are vaccinated and on heart-worm protection.

Please visit our Facebook page to see our animals to adopt and to discover what our students and kennel staff have been up to.

Nicole Becker, who earned her A.S. in 2008, recently received the Colorado Veterinary Technician of the Year Award.