The veterinary technology program hosted its annual Pet Adoption Day event on April 28, with eight cats and six dogs up for adoption.

The event was a great place to start for people looking to adopt their first pet and for pet owners who already have a four-legged companion and are looking to add to their pet family.

Pet owners were able to bring their pets with them to the event to for a meet and greet with one of the animals that’s been taken care of for the last nine months by vet tech students.

The students who cared for these animals and prepared them for Pet Adoption Day said it is a lot of work but was worth it all in the end.

“Just be prepared to be very dedicated,” said 24-year-old Alisa Ingle, a V.T. program student. “It’s fantastic because we’ve been working with them for almost a year and we know their personality, and when they get to go home to a good home it’s just very rewarding.”  

Animal Health Instructional Technician Cheryl Buch runs the vet tech program said all dogs and cats at the vet tech lab were spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and screened for any health issues like heartworm.

And that’s just the beginning.

“With dogs we do initial obedience, so that means we just do on-leash obedience training with them to try to get them out so that they can be socialized and meet people and will respond to on-leash commands,” said Buch.

The dogs and cats taken in by the veterinary technology program are acquired from shelters far and wide, not just local shelters.

“The first thing we do when we get into the classes is learn how to behave around the animal,” said Diana Velasquez, 34, a V.T. student. “It’s very intense and there’s a lot of work but in the end it’s worth it.”

The moment a pet and human match are made, is a great moment, and hard to explain.

“It’s just nice to know that they click, that it’s a great home, and you know that the animal is going to be happy, and the person is happy,” Buch said. “I can’t even find words to describe it.”

All eight cats that were up for adoption found forever homes, and three of the six dogs went home with their new parent.