SANTA PAULA, Calif. - s4story -- Ventura College's Veterinary Technology (Vet Tech) program recently began using the Lokahi Lab, a new 2,000-square-foot teaching space built to support veterinary hands-on skills training. The lab is in Santa Paula, adjacent to Ventura College's East Campus.

The lab was built with donations to the Lokahi Foundation, a Ventura-based nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the veterinary workforce.

Lokahi Foundation founders Dr. Janis Shinkawa and Dr. Jill Muraoka are two of the founding partners of Ohana Pet Hospital, with locations in Ventura, Santa Paula, and Agoura Hills. In 2017, the two veterinarians collaborated with Ventura College to develop a start-up Vet Tech program to help fulfill the growing need for Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and qualified veterinary assistants in Ventura County.

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In 2021, Ventura College launched its Veterinary Technology associate degree program, and in 2022 the program was granted initial accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), becoming one of only 223 accredited programs in the United States.

"Students have a hybrid learning environment with lecture space upstairs and practical learning downstairs," says Shinkawa, the Lokahi Foundation CEO. "We are equipped with a functional surgical suite and an instructional lab area that can accommodate student instruction using both live animals and model training. The Lokahi Lab will offer students a clinic-like experience, complete with a dedicated space for classroom lectures."

Kate Donovan is in her second year in the Vet Tech program. "This program has meant absolutely everything to me," says Donovan. "As soon as I discovered it, I felt this spark of passion. I had always loved animals, but I never knew that I could get a degree in the field." After receiving pro-active skills with animals, she has set her sights on working with exotic animals, eventually in a zoo or aquarium. "This program has helped me find my place, my passion, and an opportunity to affect positive change in my community," says Donovan.

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Over 70 people attended the lab's grand opening and were given a tour of the facility.

Anne Paul King, Executive Director of the Ventura College Foundation, says "The foundation is immensely grateful to have the Lokahi Foundation, Doctors Shinkawa and Muraoka, and Ohana Pet Hospitals as long-time partners. This investment in future registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) fills the need for professionals in our region. Everyone who made this grand opening possible is an invaluable asset to our students' success. We were honored to help facilitate and host this incredible gift."

For more information about the program, go to https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/academic/veterinary-technician.