Are there fun things to do in the city of St.
Louis as a PT student? Sure!
Annie Mroz, a current senior in the Program in
Physical Therapy at Saint Louis University, responded to this inquiry with a
lot of enthusiasm about Stray Rescue. Annie often spends time walking and
training some pretty cute pups (see photos below!) which not only gives her a
break from studying, but improves the lives of her 4 legged friends and makes
an impact on the city. Read about Annie's experience with Stray Rescue St. Louis below!
I work with Stray Rescue
of St. Louis, a no-kill shelter that rescues stray and abused dogs in the St.
Louis Metropolitan Area. A friend of mine encouraged me to become a volunteer
at Stray Rescue at the beginning of the summer when I needed something productive
to do during my first summer in St. Louis besides studying Gross Anatomy.
After attending the
orientation session, I have become a highly active volunteer. When I first
started volunteering, I just walked dogs during the morning or evening shift to
get them out of their apartments so that the enclosures could be cleaned and
the dogs could go to the bathroom. Now, I volunteer as a Rehabilitation
Enrichment Program (REP) member. As part of the REP, I work specifically with
one dog for about a month, taking that dog on hikes/lunch outings and improving
upon some of the dog's issues. Even now that I am a REP member I still help
with some of the regular shifts. I practically go every day! It is such a great
stress reliever!
The most rewarding aspect
of working with the dogs at Stray Rescue is that I get to make a difference in
the dogs' lives, other volunteers' lives that I talk with, and the families
that adopt these wonderful animals. I encourage all my friends or anyone that
loves dogs and wants to do something for the community to come and at least
check out Stray Rescue because it is an amazing, unforgettable experience every
time. For those that want to get involved with Stray Rescue visit their site at http://www.strayrescue.org/.
Annie
Mroz
Class
of 2016
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