Students work to provide the openhearted with furry companions
Cameron Cyprain Staff Writer
The Pierce College Veterinary Technology Program held its annual pet adoption event on May 6-9 from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. The event, which was hosted during National Pet Week to maximize awareness, functions as a platform for the program to find adoptive homes for cats and dogs that were used in veterinary technician student training over the past academic year.
Students in the Veterinary Technology Program set up an adoption table on the 4th floor of the Cascade building, across from the cafeteria and near the Student government office.
There is a $20 transfer of ownership fee for each animal. Many potential owners dropped by the table to meet and learn more about the various pets they might adopt and make a part of their family
Anyone interested in adopting an animal must sign up in person at the adoption table during the designated times.
“First, we collect all the needed information from anyone who’s interested in adopting a pet—it can be a cat or a dog. Then we have a follow-up meeting the next week,” said Melissa Barrington, one of the many Veterinary Technology Program students that manage the adoption table throughout the day.
Each of the animals is spayed or neutered, current on all vaccines, and has an ID microchip, which allows tracking devices to locate the animal should it become lost.
For those who missed the event but would still like to adopt a new pet, there are plenty of local rescue centers and animal shelters including the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County and Petco on 475 S Wadsworth Blvd.
Online pet adoption resources such as Petfinder.org, The Shelter Pet Project, Let’s Adopt, Pet Search Party, and Adopt-a-Pet.com offer convenient ways to adopt from long lists of pets in need of a new home.
