Make Tails Wag: Help Breed HI Vet Techs

“Our job is to prepare students for future employment while listening to industry needs. The Vet Tech program is a perfect example of responding to the call for trained assistants while providing job opportunities for students.”

—Doug Dykstra, Chancellor, Windward Community College

The rapid growth of veterinary technology

Veterinary Technology is among the five fastest-growing career fields in the nation. Vet Techs perform vital tasks including assisting with physical exams, surgeries, dental cleanings and conducting diagnostic laboratory tests.

Thanks to the program at Windward CC, Hawai‘i’s veterinarians are staffed with the trained professionals they need to support them in their work at animal shelters, lab animal facilities and private veterinary practices.

Since its creation in 2008, the Veterinary Assisting Program has become a tremendous success, and has placed more than 70 percent of its graduates in the veterinary industry. The key to success for WCC’s veterinary technician training program is the clinical internship class. During the final year of the program, students intern at two of 20 participating preceptor clinics, lab animal facilities, and animal shelters. Not only does this allow students to practice and perfect their skills in a real-world setting, but also serves as a bridge to certification and future employment.

The WCC Veterinary Assisting and Veterinary Technician Programs are the ONLY college-level training programs for veterinary para-professionals in the Pacific.

“Since I was not willing to relocate to the continental U.S., I set my dreams of a career in the veterinary field aside … until I found Windward Community College’s Veterinary Assisting program. It has provided me with the knowledge and hands-on experience to prepare myself for the physical and emotional demands required of this profession.

As a student of the program who is now employed at a veterinary facility, I can relate many experiences at work to what I have learned and practiced in class. Many of the techniques introduced in the laboratory procedures course are used for diagnostics in veterinary facilities.

Thanks to this program I have the confidence and knowledge that I can succeed if I choose to continue my education and seek the Associate in Science degree in veterinary technology.”

—Stacy M. Sonan, WCC Vet Assisting graduate

How you can help

Underwrite a student’s tuition costs and help them fulfill their dream to work with Hawai‘i’s animals.

Student costs over two years:
Student tuition                 $6,336
Books                              $1,700
Laboratory supplies         $1,300
Uniforms                          $200
Fieldtrips                          $500
Exam fees                        $300
Total cost per student   $10,336

Donors can also support the purchase of equipment and renovation of facilities so Hawai‘i’s vet techs receive the best training possible.