Southeast Technical College, Humane Society partnership fosters student learning, animal health

This paid piece is sponsored by Southeast Technical College.

What do you get when you combine veterinary technicians in training with homeless animals?

A great partnership – like the one between the veterinary technician program at Southeast Technical College and the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society.

Launched this summer, the partnership offers access to health care for many of the 300 to 400 dogs and cats housed at the Humane Society, which is the largest shelter in South Dakota. It also affords Southeast Tech’s veterinary technician students real-life learning opportunities and skills practice.

“Our students are practicing their animal care skills in real time,” said Dr. Emily Stahl, veterinary technician program director at STC.

“Students perform a range of skills, from proper restraint technique on a dog or cat to drawing blood. They are also fine-tuning hygiene skills like ear cleanings and trimming nails.”

In addition to technical skills, veterinary technician students see different aspects of veterinary medicine because they are learning more about shelter medicine firsthand.

The partnership is beneficial to the animals as well, said James Oppenheimer, SFAHS executive director.

“We get to expose our shelter animals to a new environment, knowing that they are well cared for,” Oppenheimer said. “Additionally, STC’s lab has equipment that we do not have at the shelter, like an X-ray machine. Access to additional equipment allows us to occasionally perform more comprehensive exams on injured animals.”

The benefits of the partnership extend beyond the lab. When students graduate college, they are doing so with additional professional experience that they otherwise might not have. Additionally, the partnership opens doors to internship and job-shadowing experiences at SFAHS.

“The collaboration with Southeast Tech has been a win-win so far,” Oppenheimer said. “We are excited for the continuation of both the program and our partnership.”