Foothills Humane Society Student Internship Program Benefits the Community – The Tryon Daily Bulletin

Foothills Human Society, through a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation, hiring two summer interns who provided the community with two skilled “ambassadors” to educate and influence others regarding responsible pet ownership and the issue of cat and dog overpopulation.

Intern candidates went through a comprehensive application and interview process to provide them with experience in their future application processes. Polk County High School aspiring Ashley Alonso-Mejia and Ben Korzelius were chosen from many applicants to attend the eight-week summer program.

The goal of the Foothills Humane Society was to provide two high school students with the opportunity to learn about animal rescue and protection. The goals are to provide trainees with an overview of animal shelters in the United States; education on animal shelter standards of care/best practices; experience in the direct care of cats and dogs; a basic understanding of animal behavior and environmental enrichment; and experience in assisting our veterinary technicians with medical treatments. We hope these experiences will create a lifelong passion for animal welfare.

The main beneficiaries were the trainees and the animals of the shelter. Interns gained work experience and knowledge about animal care and shelters. The cats and dogs benefited from the extra attention from the trainees.

Foothills Humane Society would like to thank Ashley and Ben for a job well done and the Polk County Community Foundation for making this program possible.

Submitted by Pat Staggs