Once again, our RWC Veterinary Technician students have done outstanding work in our community, this time with seeing-eye dogs. On Sunday, May 16, several students volunteered their time assisting with eye exams at the VetMed Eye Clinic, a clinic specifically for eyes. Many owners in the Greater Cincinnati area brought their seeing-eye dogs to the clinic to receive their annual eye exam. These owners are blind and rely on their dogs to have exceptional sight for them.
“The benefits of volunteering are much greater than money,” says student Frankie Wagschal.
Tera Bullock also described her experience as rewarding. “Some of their stories really touched my heart,” she said.
The students mostly assisted with restraining the dogs, so the veterinarians could examine them. They also applied eye drops to dilate the dog’s pupils, similar to a human eye exam.
“The dogs are not only a companion for these people, but [they] allow the people to be more independent,” said Katie Mappes.
This was not the first service dog event for some of the students. Several of them have experience with police and military dogs. Many people do not realize how important animals can be in the lives of humans, for friendship and for their health. There are dogs that are able to detect when a human stops breathing or when their owner’s blood sugar drops. There are also seeing-eye miniature horses! The possibilities are endless.
The experience of volunteering with this event not only gave back to the area; it also helped the students gain some valuable experience that may help them in their future careers.