04/19/2022
It was a busy and rewarding weekend.
There are not enough words to express how grateful we are to everyone who helps with Vet Day and makes this possible for MHWF. THANK YOU for being such a huge part in saving lives and making such a positive impact for the horses and the MHWF program, present and future! Vet Day is an educational day for some very hard-working vet students from the UW Madison in collaboration with some incredible veterinarians.
What exactly is Vet Day? This is not just the ordinary vet days that happen on a regular basis, but something very special. Back in November of 2015, for the very first time ever MHWF had a "Vet Day" that was organized by a talented and kind-hearted veterinarian, Dr. Suzanne McKichan of Dells Equine Vet Service, who donated her time and talents along with six vet students from the UW Madison. That was the first time that MHWF had anything like this done, and we continue to be overwhelmed with gratitude and beyond thankful! We are fortunate to have continued to have spring and fall Vet Days since then and have had a variety of talented and kind-hearted veterinarians and vet students join in along the way.
This spring Vet Day, Dr. Suzanne McKichan, Dr. Jennifer Lorenz, and Dr. Michelle Krusing Weidenkopf joined forces again along with 10 fabulous vet students who assure us there is a bright future in veterinary medicine (and a whole lot of fun!), along with some of MHWF’s dedicated and awesome volunteers. Our incredible farrier, Mike Kissack, also joins us on these days and is such an important part of it all, on vet days and throughout the year. This was a fantastic day for learning, helping the horses, and it all went as smooth as silk. Everything from routine vaccinations to radiographs, blood work, farrier work, and in-depth examinations took place to include two horses that were brand-new arrivals to MHWF. Not only is this incredibly beneficial for the horses of MHWF, but also an amazing teaching environment.
We want to thank the sponsors for the day, Zoetis and Wisconsin Equine Practitioners Association. A big thank you to Zoetis for the generous donation of vaccines and the sedative, Dormosedan. Also, big thanks to Wisconsin Equine Practitioners Association for covering some of the miscellaneous expenses! Your kindness and generosity to helping the horses means the world to us and to them.
A big round of applause for the veterinarians who drive all the way here and give their whole day and work hard for the horses along with teaching the vet students! All of them worked hard, did great work, did a fantastic job of helping the vet students and did all of this with a great attitude, professionalism and are so much fun to work with. It is such a pleasure to work with them and we are extremely honored to have had them here. All of these vets did this on their own time because they care and want to help horses in need as well as students who can use the experience. What a wonderful group of people. If you live near any of these vets, please feel confident in using their services if you need a good vet and please do not hesitate to send them a quick email thanking them for being the kind of people who are willing to give so much of themselves. That is truly something special these days.
Dr. Suzanne McKichan from Dells Equine Veterinary Service, LLC
Website: https://www.dellsequine.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DellsEquine
Dr. Jennifer Lorenz from Capital Performance Veterinary Services
Website: https://capitalperformancevet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalPerformanceVS
Dr. Michelle Krusing Weidenkopf from Holistic Veterinary Options, LLC
Website: https://holisticveterinaryoptions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holvetoptions
A huge thank you UW Madison Vet Students! Of course, we also want to thank each and every one of the vet students who made the long 2-1/2 hour drive to come and work with us. All of them are hard working, great to work with and we could not be more proud and honored to have each of them here to help us out. It is no coincidence that each of these very selfless and giving people ended up in veterinary school, a true testament to their love for animals and the drive to help make the world a better place, one animal at a time. We have a great amount of respect for each of these students and hope you all go on to great new careers doing what you love, helping people and animals. A huge thank you and round of applause to each of you! Thank you to Sophia Grant-Connard (1st year), Hannah Ludtke (2nd year), Elli Cory (3rd year), Claire McCauley (4th year), Maddy Gehin (2nd year), Rachel Illgen (2nd year), Carli Boston-Denton (3rd year), Michelle Gotteiner (3rd year), Morgan Falk (3rd year), Ashley Mercier (3rd year).
MHWF also had a few of our regular volunteers here for the day and those volunteers always give it their all, traveling from near and far to be here to help whenever the horses need them. These volunteers donate their time, work and energy on a regular basis and MHWF simply could not survive without them. Each of them is very special to us and they are as much friends as they are volunteers. To Christine A., Karin H., Terri M., Kellie and Scott M., and Deb W., along with our amazing farrier, Mike Kissack, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, not just for your help this past weekend, but for the continued help, support and friendship. The reason we are still here doing this kind of work is in no small part because of you. You make it fun, more like hanging out with friends than work, and that is a big deal to us, thank you.
As you see, April 16th was another monumental day for MHWF and for the horses here. So much got done and we could not have had better company for the day. Every horse here got what they needed, and we even found things that need to be addressed further on a couple of them. What an inspiring and uplifting day for MHWF, for all of us on a personal level, and for the horses. Saving lives…it takes a very large team and the horses are grateful to all of you. You make this whole thing called Rescue and Adoption work!
Please enjoy a glimpse of Spring Vet Day at the Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation.
