Annika Jonsson, the animal care and facilities manager at the Community Veterinary Clinic at the UMass Amherst Mount Ida Campus, recently examined a 6-year-old Cairn terrier. (photo: Julie M. Cohen)
Now in its third year, the Community Veterinary Clinic at UMass Amherst’s Mount Ida campus provides both affordable, quality care for pets – and hands-on training for students.
On a recent weekday, Lysa Pirone arrived for her dog Abby’s allergy checkup. A bit anxious, the 8-year-old, mixed-breed rescue pup leaned on Pirone for support while they sat in the waiting area.
“My nervous Nelly,” Pirone said with affection as she comforted her dog.
The clinic “provides basic veterinary care for economically disadvantaged pet-owners and other under-served populations in Massachusetts,” while simultaneously offering a hands-on learning experience to students earning a BS in Veterinary Technology in the school’s Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department.
According to program director Amy J. Rubin, DVM, part of the UMass mission is “service to the community,” which the clinic provides.
The facility, which saw its first four-legged patients in February 2022, was created after UMass acquired the Mount Ida campus in 2018. The Mount Ida vet tech program — which has existed since 1979 — was accredited under UMass in 2020, according to Rubin, a clinical associate professor.
Before the clinic opened, students got field experience with animals only during their senior year veterinary internships, said Annika Jonsson, the clinic’s animal care and facilities manager.
Although the senior internships are vital, it’s an added benefit that juniors now get “to dip their toes in the water” of real-world experience during…