Related story: Veterinary professor launches "crowdfunding" campaign for research project.

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By Dateline staff

UC Davis veterinary students and professionals are upholding their veterinary oaths by holding an Animal Adoptathon on campus, with no-fee adoptions and veterinary services, on Saturday, Oct. 25.

The event is grant-funded by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Our Oath in Action program, which “gives veterinarians, technicians, assistants and staff members the opportunity to reach out and connect to the animal loving public outside of the veterinary clinic.”

The adoptathon, with dogs and cats and birds and maybe some minihorses from more than a dozen shelters and rescue organizations, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Russell Field (along Russell Boulevard at the north edge of the main campus).

The day's activities also will include 4-H and dog club demonstrations, and face painting — with animal art, of course! The Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association will sell baked goods for people and pets!

Admission is free, but everyone is encouraged to bring new or gently used pet supplies and blankets, and unopened pet food, for donation to the shelter or rescue group that places the most pets in new homes, during the adoptathon.

The adoptathon coincides with National Make a Difference Day — and that was intentional, said Tereza Chylkova, a second-year veterinary medicine student. She got the project going but she was quick to give credit to "an amazing and dedicated group of more than 20 volunteers — I couldn’t have done this without them!"

“When almost 10 million animals in the U.S. are brought to shelters every year and more than half are euthanized simply because of lack of space, (and) with many rescue organizations not being able to keep up with the demand, we at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine hope to make a difference in our community through education, science and compassion,” Chylkova wrote on the adoptathon’s Facebook event page.

“The project, in summary, is a large, multispecies adoption event, featuring the incredible and noble efforts of animal shelters and rescue organizations in giving animals a second chance at life.”

Students will provide the adoptathon’s veterinary services, including vaccinations and microchipping (small fee required for microchip registration), under the guidance of veterinarians from the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and the community.

The organizers have rounded up dog training clubs and 4-H clubs to present canine tricks and obedience training, agility course, grooming and rabbit showmanship, along with other demonstrations.

Also participating: a veterinary medical assistance team, or VMAT, from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

The American Veterinary Medical Foundation chose six new "national" projects for Our Oath in Action funding this year — and UC Davis won the only California grant ($15,000).

Here are the participating shelters and animal rescue organizations:

• Yolo County SPCA
• Yolo County Animal Services
• Sacramento County SPCA
• Solano County SPCA
• California Education Through Animals, or CETA, Foundation (Vacaville)
• Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary (Sacramento)
• Pit Crew (Sacramento)
• 1 Love Dog Rescue (Elk Grove)
• Scooter’s Pals Dog Rescue (Grass Valley)
• We Care Animal Rescue (St. Helena, Napa County)
• Golden State Greyhound Adoption (Walnut Creek)
• Orphan Kitten Project (Feline Medicine Club, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine)
• Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue (San Jose)
• MickaCoo for Pigeons & Doves (San Francisco)
• All About Equine Animal Rescue (El Dorado Hills
• Humane Society of the United States

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