Stray cats and dogs running wild everywhere – that doesn't have to be a reality thanks to an Olds College instructional assistant and a group of students.Jackie Lind, the animal care coordinator for the school's animal health technologist (AHT) program, prepared 800 surgical packs for a spay and neuter program in the Dominican Republic on March 31, with the help of 30 students.They were folding drape packs, which are sterile sheets that go over an animal for surgery. There is a slit in the drape through which the doctor operates.When preparing them, the drapes were folded like accordions, Lind said.Lind is also the medical coordinator for Cats and Dogs International (CANDi), a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of stray animals. Controlling stray animal populations is one of its activities.CANDi will be holding spay and neuter clinics in the Dominican Republic starting on April 23. Lind will be going.Students are often excited to attend trips like these, but this clinic runs during final exams.“But this is something that they can help out here and beforehand and still kind of be involved,” Lind said.In the Dominican, 200 surgeries will be performed each day for four days.Packaging all the drapes would have taken a week for one person, Lind said. That's when the students came along.One of them was Christine Carswell, a first-year student in the college's AHT program. She knew Lind was preparing the packages and volunteered to help.“Spaying and neutering is a huge belief of mine and I think it's a great program to get involved with and just for the good of the animals,” Carswell said.It was a combined effort between first- and second-year AHT students, as well as those from the veterinary medical receptionist program."It was fun. We put some music on and wrapped packs. Good way to get to know the other groups and get involved," Carswell said.With their help, the 800 packs were done in about three hours, Lind said.As an educator, Lind was pleased to see the students step up and help a project that was not required for credit.“It's fantastic,” she said. “I'm really excited to watch them grow and graduate and become AHTs. I think we'll really have a new crop of AHTs in Alberta that will make a difference.”[email protected]
