Fluffy tails wagging in excitement, puppies scamper into Bowie’s vet room, leaving a trail of muddy paw prints in their wake. Their noses sniff the air in curiosity as they take in the fragrant scents of the shampoos that will soon be lathered into their soft fur. Eyes eagerly darting around the room, the pups spot the smiling faces of the veterinary students who will be treating them to a fun day of pampering and care.
On October 24, the Future Farmers of America (FFA) JBHS chapter resumed its tradition of ‘Grooming Day,’ a monthly event where staff bring their dogs to the vet room for bathing and grooming services performed by students in the veterinary practicum program at Bowie. Paige Green, the agriculture teacher at Bowie, is in charge of coordinating the grooming days, which typically takes place once a month on a Friday.
“I just have to look at my schedule and see when I can have it, and then I’ll tell my practicum students,” Paige. Green said. “Instead of them going to their vet clinics that day, they come to school and then we groom the dogs.”
Bowie staff members can request which tasks they want practicum students to perform for their pups, like bathing, de-matting, cleaning ears, brushing teeth, and trimming nails and hair. Practicum students, like seniors Emily Sturzl and Xoaquin Perez, can also take the dogs for walks around campus and feed them.
“I enjoy it because you just get to hang out with dogs and groom them,” Sturzl said. “As a senior, I will definitely be more hands-on this year than I have in the past.”
Grooming days are mostly led by seniors in the veterinary practicum class, but students in prerequisites also have the opportunity to help with the program and gain experience in a veterinary setting. They can assist with tasks such as walking the dogs or checking out the animals after their day of pampering and care.
“I think it’s a great thing that a lot of the kids in the program look forward to getting to be in practicum and getting to do the groom days,” Sturzl said. “We loop them into the grooming days without them actually doing the grooming, so they watch it happen for however many years in the program, and then they finally get to do it.”
Grooming days usually raise $300 – 400 for FFA, which helps fund agricultural and veterinary opportunities for students in the program. Grooming days also help students in the FFA develop leadership skills and hands-on experience caring for animals, giving them a foundation to pursue a career in the veterinary field.
“I’m going to try to be a vet, so it’s a good experience to deal with and handle dogs,” Perez said.
In addition to leading the grooming days, students in the veterinary practicum program work in vet clinics and animal hospitals during the class period. Sturzl notes that while she enjoys gaining experience from working at a fast-paced animal hospital, she also enjoys the calmer environment of the grooming days.
“The kids love the dogs,” Green said. “They get a ton of treats, and they get a ton of snuggles.”
