Byesville Rotary tours new facility at Mid-East CTC Buffalo

Pictured: Alyssa Leasure, Mid-East veterinary assisting student, demonstrates how to muzzle a dog for grooming and other procedures.

Mid East CTC Buffalo Campus has a new program—Veterinary Assisting and Animal Care The instructor, Lana Kelly has experience with all types of animals. She is a veterinary technician who has worked for the Cincinnati and Columbus Zoos, the Cleveland Metro Parks, and The Wilds. She and two of her students, Mckenna Todd and Alyssa Leasure--gave the Byesville Rotary a tour of the new facility built to support Veterinary Assisting classes.

Ms. Kelly explained her goal is to prepare her students for a number of different careers perfect for people who love animals and are interested in science. Careers which involve dealing with animals include veterinary aides, office workers or technicians, animal hospital assistants, animal shelter assistants, animal research lab technicians or kennel operators.

Students who graduate from the vet assisting program will be prepared to care for a wide variety of animals including small mammals like hamsters and reptiles like snakes, assist veterinarians with treatments, as well as able to deal with the business and office record keeping.

The new vet assisting facility is designed to give students hands-on experience that will reinforce classroom lessons. The reception area is furnished with a reception desk and cages for small animals. The students will be responsible for the care of the parakeets, bunnies, chinchilla, hamsters, and several small snakes currently occupying the cages. Future plans include offering grooming and doggy day care to the public. Students will be responsible for creating and maintaining the necessary records.

The rest of the 5000 square foot building contains a classroom, grooming facilities, exam tables, a small lab for doing blood tests, an isolation room, and a kennel area with outside runs and a grassy area for exercise that will provide boarding and doggy day care services.

Ms. Kelly explained that classes will also include a college level animal nutrition course and a course on how to sterilize and care for surgical instruments. Ms. Kelly pointed out the Mid-East facility does not have a surgical suite. She hopes to be able to apprentice students to veterinarians. Serving as apprentices will expose students to animal surgery.

Connect with Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.