WHO: More than 60 students from West Virginia 4-H programs in 22 counties will come to West Virginia University for Davis-Michael 4-H Day, a chance to learn about proper pet care and careers in veterinary medicine. Faculty and students from the WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and specialists from the WVU Extension Service will lead 4-Hers and their family through a variety of hands-on activities and education sessions.

WHAT: The second Davis-Michael 4-H Day will give 4-H’ers an idea of what it takes to become a veterinarian, what the profession is like, and introduce them to other animal care careers. Faculty and students from the WVU Davis-Michael Scholars Program and WVU Extension Service will talk about pre-veterinary education and lead hands-on activity sessions. Attendees will also enjoy an introduction to the puppies of WVU’s Service Dog Training Course and a session on “How Do I Become a Veterinarian?”

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 13

WHERE: The Agricultural Sciences Building on WVU’s Evansdale Campus

MEDIA: Members of the media are invited to cover activities and interview instructors throughout the day. For a full schedule of the day’s events, please contact David Welsh at 304-293-2394 or dwelsh@wvu.edu.

BACKGROUND More than 500 youths in West Virginia’s thriving 4-H program are participating in Cat, Dog and Veterinary Science projects. Some 44,000 West Virginia youth are enrolled in 4-H programs throughout the state, with 7,600 adult volunteers serving as leaders and mentors. For more information, visit http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/depts/famyou/4-H&Youth.htm at the WVU Extension Service web site. The Davis-Michael Scholars Program was established to support the pre-veterinary medicine program within the Division of Animal and Nutritional Science in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. It is all possible through a generous legacy from two Morgantown sisters, Gladys Gwendolyn Davis and Vivian Davis Michael. The Scholars Program is a direct result of their love of pets and desire for quality veterinary care in West Virginia. For more information, visit http://dms.wvu.edu/, or contact:

• Jean Woloshuk, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Agriculture/Extension Professor, 304-293-2708, jean.woloshuk@mail.wvu.edu;
• Robert Dailey, Professor and Director, Davis-Michael Scholars Program, 304-293-1865, rdailey@wvu.edu;
• Margaret Minch, DVM, 304-293-1909, maminch@mail.wvu.edu

-WVU-

CONTACT: David Welsh, Davis College
304-293-2394, dwelsh@wvu.edu

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