Veterinary students providing care at Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – This summer, students at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine have been getting some real-world experience at the Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center. 

"We're doing preventative medicine, physical exams. We are testing for common diseases in dogs and cats," said Elizabeth Kawecki-Wright, a third-year student at the college. 

On Friday, as part of a community practice rotation, three students and their professor provided veterinary care to shelter dogs and cats. The partnership between the shelter and the college started earlier this summer.

"It really helps make our animals more adoptable, making sure that they're totally healthy, and we have more information to give to potential adopters," said Eileen Mahan, director of the Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center. 

The animal care and adoption center is currently holding about 130 dogs and cats, and shelter staff members said having extra helping hands can make a huge difference for the animals. 

"We are so thankful. It's been absolutely amazing and we hope that this is the type of partnership we can continue in the future," said Mahan. 

The students said they were thankful for a chance to step into a different type of classroom.

"To be able to reassure them and to be able to provide them safety while we're doing what we need to do to make sure they're healthy is really rewarding," said Kawecki-Wright.