This spring the students in the Veterinary Assistant program at the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Canton, Michigan volunteered at the Devoted Barn. They learned so much during their time their. Some things that Devoted Barn does is take in animals of all kinds from cruelty, neglect, and hoarding cases. They then help the animals learn to trust and love again or for the first time.
In addition to getting to see the animals, the Ross students had a blast working with the wonderful staff at the Devoted Barn. They help so many abused and abandoned animals both large and small. They run strictly on donations and volunteers, and there are only so many people at any one time to help so they definitely welcomed the extra hands. “My students really felt a sense of purpose in helping these wonderful animals,” said Shantae Townsels, Instructor in the Veterinary Assistant program at Ross. “The amazing thing is, even though they have been treated horribly by humans, they still have the capacity to love and they welcomed all the attention we had to give them! The cows, goats, pigs, horses,donkeys, dogs and cat seemingly knew we were there to help. It was a fun day had by all! When we returned to campus, we discussed how we could help them the most and my students had the brilliant idea of a blanket making party!”
The residents of the devoted barn are always in need of blankets and towels. The barn doesn’t have laundry facilities so once the blankets become too soiled they are simply discarded. That makes these an ongoing needed item. The students were motivated to begin sharing with the rest of the campus, local businesses, and their family and friends about the need for these animals. They decided to also host a blanket making party is in combination with a full on donation drive for the barn as well.
“It was quite an eye-opening learning experience,” shared Townsels. “In fact, the Ross students were so inspired they decided to do a fundraiser where they will make blankets for the animals. If you would like to help, it will run from through May 18th. They can accept coupons for food, medication, kitter litter, and more. Gift cards will also help. No cash please. You can also donate directly to Devoted barn, or you can donate via paypal.” The class held their first blanket making party recently and enjoyed food, decorations, and volunteers from other classes that decided to help during their break time! It was a great time had by all!
If you would like to volunteer at The Devoted Barn, you can make an appointment by going to www.thedevotedbarn.org/volunteer.