Athens, Ga. – Students from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine will host a fundraiser April 12 at 6 p.m. at the Terrapin Beer Company in Athens to benefit the college’s Wildlife Treatment Crew and the student chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association.
“We are hosting this event to help raise awareness about these two groups and how we work with our professors to provide medical care for injured wildlife and to improve the ability for veterinary students to gain experience in wildlife disease education,” said Claire Rice, DVM 2012, a member of the treatment crew and a co-organizer for the event.”Many people do not realize that the Wildlife Treatment Center relies heavily on private donations in order to pay for the full cost of treating these animals.We also want the public to learn about scWDA, which is a new club.”
Tickets, which can be purchased in advance, are $15 per person. The evening will include tours of the facility, refreshments, a souvenir from the organization and a band; in addition, dogs are welcomed, organizers said.To purchase advanced tickets, contact Rice at claire.m.rice@gmail.com or Katie Haman at bdturtle21@gmail.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the door; however, advanced ticket purchases are preferred.
The Wildlife Treatment Crew is comprised of veterinary student volunteers who provide medical treatment and care for injured wildlife brought in to the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s Wildlife Treatment Center each year.The college’s exotics clinical faculty supervise the medical care the students provide.Patients are typically brought in by members of the public and include hawks, owls, songbirds, squirrels, rabbits, turtles and an occasional otter.The center treated 48 wild animals last year; it does not accept healthy orphans or wildlife species known to carry rabies.
“Part of the money we raise will support the Kate Grant Wildlife Fund, which is used to cover the cost of care not paid for by the ‘Good Samaritan’ who brings an injured animal to us for treatment,” said Rice.”The other portion of the funds raised will go to scWDA to help sponsor lectures and other events that will be open to the public, as well as field-work opportunities for members of the club.”
The UGA student chapter of the Wildlife Disease Association was founded in 2010 and includes student members from the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the Odum School of Ecology, and other UGA academic programs that encompass wildlife. It is a multidisciplinary group, founded by students who are interested in learning more about wildlife diseases and their impact on populations of wild animals.
The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, to conducting research related to animal and human diseases, and to providing veterinary services for animals and their owners.Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock, and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share.The college enrolls 102 students each fall out of more than 560 who apply.For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.
The current UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, built in 1979, serves more than 18,000 patients per year in one of the smallest teaching hospitals in the United States.The college currently is working to raise $15 million toward building a new Veterinary Medical Learning Center, which will include a new teaching hospital as well as classrooms and laboratories that will allow for the education of more veterinarians. The goal is to increase enrollment to 150 when the Veterinary Medical Learning Center is built.For more information on the campaign, see www.vet.uga.edu/giving/campaign.php.
