College of the Desert and Loving All Animal teamed up to host the Caring Paws Resource Fair in partnership with the Basics Needs Center at the Palm Desert campus.

Shady Musler with Loving All Animals said, “Our center provides resources for responsible pet ownership and information on vaccines, neutering and house clinics. Mulser also said this event was a significant opportunity to educate people about the veterinary assistant program offered as a career pathway.

The veterinary system program is a career pathway for students, and the Allied Health Training program is for students interested in becoming veterinarians.

Veterinary assistants are entry-level healthcare professionals who work in many different veterinary settings. Most work closely with veterinarians and veterinary technicians to provide medical care for sick or injured animals. Some develop careers in other areas of animal care, such as pet sitting, behavioral training, grooming and animal therapy.

Musler said pet ID tags and dog food were available to students and the community. “We are giving away pet ID tags and dog food to encourage the return-to-home rates and provide information on microchipping,” said Musler.

A few pets were available for students to interact with during the event, and some were available for adoption.

Loving All Animals is located at  83496 Avenue 51 in Coachella.