Veterinary students wash a dog at last year's event.
BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 16, 2010 – Veterinary students enrolled in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine will hold the biannual community dog wash on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. The dog wash will be held in conjunction with local World Rabies Day events at the college.
The events will be held at the rear of the veterinary college complex on Duckpond Drive. Signs on Southgate Drive and Duckpond Drive will guide participants to the event and ample parking will be provided.
Dogs will be washed on a first-come, first-served basis while owners wait. No appointments are necessary. The cost per dog wash is $10. For an additional $5, customers can have their dogs’ nails trimmed and ears cleaned.
World Rabies Day awareness events, aimed at providing information about the impact of human and animal rabies, how easy it is to prevent it, and how to eliminate the main global sources, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
These activities will include a 5k fun walk/run that will begin at 1 p.m. on the cross country course behind the college. Participants are encouraged to bring their dogs to the run. The race entry fee is $5, and prizes will be awarded to winners and to best costumes. A percentage of the race entry fee, along with additional donations, will help support local animal shelters.
Additional World Rabies Day activities will include presentations from public health veterinarians, education on local wildlife, merchandise and bake sales, and games for all ages.
For all activities, dogs must be at least five months old, up to date with their vaccinations, and on a leash.
For more information on the dog wash, contact Kelly McConville. For information on World Rabies Day activities at Virginia Tech, contact Cassie Wedd.
The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is a leading biomedical teaching and research center, enrolling more than 700 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, master of public health, and biomedical and veterinary sciences graduate students. The college is a partnership between the land-grant universities of Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland. Its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, features the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and large animal field services which together treat more than 79,000 animals annually. Other locations include the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, and the Gudelsky Veterinary Center in College Park, Maryland.