This year The Vet Tech Student Association at the Program of Veterinary Technology in Universidad Ana G. Méndez-Ponce, is holding an event on September 28th to take part in the global movement that pursues to put an end to the unnecessary suffering caused by rabies in the world. Our goal as Veterinary Technology students is to promote awareness about rabies prevention, and help reduce rabies transmission in animals and humans.
Within our student community, we will be hosting the following events during World Rabies Day 2020:
- Train and Certify Marathon: Our community was informed of the free certification alternatives that the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) offers online and how these training opportunities will better prepare our students upon graduation and how they can help us give back to the community. Students post their awarded certificate in our group chat to motivate others to access and complete one of the four certifications available.
- Mission Rabies Conference: We identified a licensed veterinary technician in Puerto Rico that was part of the Mission Rabies initiative a few years ago. Ms. Tatiana Báez, CEO & Founder of Pet Nanny PR, made herself available on World Rabies Day, at 3:00pm to offer a conference that will help us review the life cycle of the rabies virus, share her experience at Mission Rabies and explain how we can be part of this initiative.
- Test-Your-Knowledge Quiz Session: After the conference concludes, active members of our student association will gather at our Telegram Group chat to answer multiple choice questions about the rabies virus, prevention guidelines and animal bite wound care best practices.
- Vaccination Rounds: In order to make rabies vaccination available to pets owned by families at disadvantaged communities, the Aguadilla Veterinary Clinic medical team donated our student association 10 rabies vaccines for dogs and cats. We were in the process of identifying the community to impact and a venue to conduct the activity, but due to local government COVID-19 restrictions, we had to cancel the event. We will retake this initiative as soon as the restrictions and limitations imposed due to the pandemic are left without effect in our country.
- Social Media Awareness: Our student association Social Media Manager, Ms. Milady Colón, teamed up with our student association Marketing Manager, Mrs. Joshua Riollano to publish online content that helps raise awareness and visibility to our online community for World Rabies Day 2020.