KSU Veterinary Health Center Joins ‘Everybody Counts’ to Serve Community Pets

This poster describes the collaborative efforts of the KSU Veterinary Health Center among many other community groups to provide healthcare services to families in need during the Everybody Counts event in Manhattan. At the 2019 Everybody Counts, we provided free veterinary examination, vaccines, de-worming, pet food, and more to over 80 pets in our community. Students directly benefit from hands-on clinical skills as the event, mentored by experienced clinicians while taking a medical history from pet owners, examining pets, drawing blood, or administering vaccinations. More than clinical experience, students learn about the importance of community engagement, listening to concerns of real pet owners, and our students become inspired to give back. Often veterinary students are sequestered between study carrels, lecture halls, our teaching hospital, and home, and this event brings a real and important perspective for them to consider within our veterinary profession. It gives names and faces to the less fortunate, and it reminds everyone how pets provide valuable companionship and that pets should not just be considered a luxury item. It also demonstrates that with fundraising and team work, we can make a difference for those in need. Students who participate in Everybody Counts come away with all of these skills and perspective, and with the motivation for future community engagement, asking what low-income pet owners in their hometowns need and how can they help