Stick up 4 Paws: VA Welcomes K-9 Officers
by Rachel Dando, Vet Assistant senior
“Let the fur fly!” This year at LCCTC, the Vet Assistant shop has, once again, brought back their campaign, Stick up 4 Paws.
What is Stick up 4 Paws? Stick up 4 Paws is a grooming fundraiser that happens every March, where VA students raise money with the proceeds going to support the K-9 units throughout the Lawrence County area. The money raised will help pay vet bills, food, and other essentials to ensure our four-legged officers can remain healthy. Students in the VA shop prepare for this fundraiser much like a business. The day before every Dog Day, students prep the appointment board with all the important information including the entry time, owner's name, and dog's name. We also remind the owners to bring in proper health documentation of their pet. Students start making charts for the new clients or pull charts of clients who are returning for services.
VA students used social media, fliers, word of mouth, and return-clientele to get the word out.
How did “hoomans” schedule their dogs? For students and staff to schedule their four legged companion, they either made an appointment with a VA student or emailed Mrs.Yanak. The community called a number and left a message of intent to schedule; students used professional communication skills to return those calls and book appointments.
What information was needed when scheduling a dog? Mrs.Yanak and the VA students required a current rabies certificate as well as a waiver form to allow students to work on their pet.
How much did a grooming appointment cost? All grooming appointments cost $5 for each dog.
This year, the VA shop was helped by Corporal James Hoyland, the SRO here at the CTC from the New Castle Police Department. He and Mrs.Yanak equally distributed funds raised for the four K-9 units: New Castle Officer Ventura and K-9 Officer Frankie, Union Officer Linton and K-9 Officer Draco, Shenango Officer Tressler and K-9 Officer Kalo, and Mahoning Township Officer Magliocca and Vax.
All-together, the efforts of the VA shop raised $1,400 for the K-9 units in the Lawrence County area.
This year, due to Covid, a school-wide assembly wasn’t in the plans, but the Vet Assistant students were lucky enough to have all four K-9 Police Teams join them in shop for some pampering, play, and photo. The officers talked to us about how they take care of the dogs and what their dog is specifically trained for in the police workforce. They explained how they got into being a handler for a K-9 and all the training/hours of work that go into working with a police dog. Learning about true working dogs is a contrast to time spent with pets and their owners, so it was a particularly interesting lesson that had some of saying “I want to do that when I grow up!”
LCCTC Veterinary Assistant team would like to thank all the officers for their hard work and dedication to keeping us and their canines safe. As well as thank the community for their continued support with the Stick up 4 Paws project.
