Scatter Creek Animal Clinic in Rochester hosted veterinary students from the Oregon State University School of Veterinary Medicine on Saturday and Sunday as they practiced spay and neuter surgeries with direct one-to-one supervision from experienced veterinarians.

All the veterinarians volunteered their time, and the support staff was paid by Scatter Creek Animal Clinic, according to Dr. Erin Ruminski.

“In recent years, the veterinary shortage has been felt by pretty much everyone,” Ruminski wrote prior to the two-day, private training. “As a practice owner, I am struggling to find vets to hire. I feel that many of them would love to work at my practice if they knew that it existed. I also feel that exposure to up-and-coming veterinarians are my best bet at hiring and I have seen a huge lack of hands-on experience in newly credentialed veterinarians with surgery. This event is my answer, and one part of my ‘long game’ strategy for the longevity of my practice and its ability to serve the community, even after I am old and gone. I hope to grow this program to four events per year, but that requires being able to hire more doctors.”

Learn more about the Scatter Creek Animal Clinic at https://www.scattercreekanimalclinic.com/.