As a healthcare training organization, we at Ross love to help people feel and live their best! However, for many Ross staff, faculty members, and students, that desire doesn’t end with people. We also love our furry friends, family members, and patients! Our Ross Medical Education Center campus in Dayton, Ohio wanted to do something to help area stray animals find their forever homes. To support this effort, they teamed up with the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals and pronounced June to be SICSA month!
The Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals is a non-profit organization that has been in operation in the Miami Valley area for over 40 years. During that time, they have made a profound difference in the lives of stray animals and the many families that have had the pleasure of adopting them. Much of their work includes efforts to educate the community about how to responsibly and humanely care for animals.
Some of the education that they provide includes information about stray and neuter clinics, resources for surrendering animals, locations that provide reduced cost veterinary care, and so much more. They also are dedicated to doing all they can to rehome as many dogs and cats as possible through their adoption initiative.
Their success is evident in the numbers – each year they successfully place an average of 1600 dogs and cats in local forever homes! “Having recently adopted a cat from a shelter I have seen first-hand the dedication and hard work put forth by the staff. I also realized how important funding is. Without donations and volunteers many of these shelters would not exist,” shared Hannah McKeever, Financial Aid Student Services Representative from Ross’ Dayton campus.
To kick off the month long donation event everyone enjoyed animal cracker cupcakes and learned about how they can contribute to SICSA. There is a Top Ten list of the most needed items posted on the SICSA website that they used to inspire their donations. The Dayton Campus focused on collecting items such as blankets and towels, hand sanitizer, pet beds, toys, food, and other similar things. Each week the donations were tallied and the students were given an update via “newsflash memos” that were posted throughout the campus. This kept the momentum going and allowed for recognition of the team’s little wins throughout the month.
Half way through June the campus had collected nearly 50 items, ranging from dog clothes and toys to q-tips and garbage bags. By the end of the drive, they had collected over 75 items. To wrap up the event the campus organized a cookout for students, faculty, and staff. Students played water balloon toss and jumbo checkers while enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, and the aroma of hotdogs being grilled by Campus Director Beth Millard.
Everyone seemed to enjoy combining efforts to contribute to a worthwhile cause. Karen Miller, a senior student in the Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program said, “I really enjoyed the cookout. Being able to take a break from class and enjoy the beautiful day and feel a sense of fellowship with all the students was great. The hotdogs were an added bonus!”
Learn more about how you can join in their efforts at the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals Facebook page or their website at www.sicsa.org.