The Humane Society of Ventura County welcomed 23 students from Ventura College's RVT program to the shelter this week. The students were treated to a staff-led tour of our facilities, a behind-the-scenes look inside our Spay & Neuter Clinic, and got to learn more about animal behavior in a shelter setting. We had so much fun with them!

The day kicked off with a tour of our 4.4-acre property led by Kennel Assistant Manager Sadie Vick (above left). Students viewed where we house our shelter animals, learned more about the responsibilities of our kennel staff, and discussed how to better interact with the unique personalities of each shelter animal. 

Next, the students joined our clinic staff to learn more about a typical day in our Spay & Neuter Clinic. HSVC's Director of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Christina Sisk (above left), met with the students to discuss high-volume spay/neuter, feral TNR (trap, neuter, release), and more. They even got to witness a spay and neuter surgery in real time! The students then met with Kennel Attendant Natalie in our cat and kitten rooms to learn more about caring for shelter felines (above right). It's no surprise that some of our furry friends captured the hearts of the RVT students!

To finish up the day, students met with professional dog trainer and behaviorist, Tracy Vail (above center). Vail, a former HSVC staff member and 16-year veteran Humane Officer, taught the students some common training techniques for high-energy dogs. She also discussed how to recognize fear, stress, or anxiety in a dog and how to accommodate such behaviors. After her demonstration, students were invited to participate and practice what they learned with our shelter dogs. Mini (above left) and Chico (above middle, right) were star students!

Thank you to Ventura College's Professor Schieltz, HSVC's Dr. Sisk, Tracy Vail, and the rest of our shelter staff for making this field trip such a success!