With the arrival of spring comes the want to spend more time outside. Why not take some time to incorporate a learning experience and quality time with a pet friend at Kiesel Park?

The Auburn Parks and Recreation department is hosting a "Responsible Dog Ownership Day" at Kiesel Park on Saturday, March 24 from 9 a.m.-noon.

The event will include booths set up from area veterinary clinics, animal rescue organizations and businesses that cater to pet owners to help increase knowledge about being a responsible pet owner.

Melissa Weldon, the Youth Enrichment Manager for Parks and Recreation, came up with the idea for the event.

“It was designed with the thought of getting information out there in to help pet owners or people interested in adopting a pet to make informed decisions,” said Weldon.

“This is the first time for the event,” said Weldon. “so if it catches on, we’d like to grow it and expand for next time.”

The event is free to the public. Various vendors and organizations will be selling items to raise funds for their projects. A rabies clinic and microchip station will also be on hand but will have fees associated with each service.

Weldon said that she hoped people knew the importance of having their pet up-to-date on vaccinations, especially rabies. “If they do nothing else, I hope they get a rabies vaccination if their dog needs it,” she said.

“The benefits of microchipping your pet are incredible,” said Weldon. “A dog that was found in Kiesel Park after the tornado was able to be reconnected with his owner because he’d been microchipped.”

Students from Auburn University’s School of Veterinary Medicine will give presentations on information including: different kinds of vaccinations, training and obedience, toxic household items, clues to help determine if a pet needs emergency care, pet first aid, benefits of early spaying and neutering, parasite control, pet obesity and pet dental care.

The city of Auburn’s animal control service will provide a short presentation with a question and answer session about the program and services it provides. The Alabama Animal Alliance will have its “Fix-it Wagon” available to see and to also make appointments.

Representatives from the Lee County Humane Society will be available to talk about volunteer opportunities, socializing animals, the pet foster program and a will have “wash-n-wag” fundraiser.

While Weldon’s event will be held in the lower field of Kiesel Park, another pet-related event will also be held in the park’s upper field at the off-leash dog play area.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., students from Tuskegee University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and representatives from the Macon County Humane Society will be hosting their “Doggie Olympics” as a fundraiser. “This is the chance to have your pet as an Olympic star,” said Weldon. “There will be prizes awarded for the fastest dog, best trick, loudest bark and longest ears, just to name a few.”

The “Responsible Dog Ownership Day” is a chance for people to come out and enjoy the park, learn more about what’s out there in terms of pet care and help area pet rescue organizations.

It’s never too early to learn about giving back or to create awareness about a problem in society, especially when the person inspired to create awareness is a young child.

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Celesta Henry and her husband, Kendall Simmons have three daughters and are expecting their fourth child in July. Their goal is to create awareness about people in need through giving back to the community they love, all while teaching their children an important life-lesson.

The Simmons family recently collected approximately 1,500 pounds of food and $1,100 for the Food Bank of East Alabama. The collected donation will feed more than 12,000 people in need of a helping hand.

According to the Food Bank’s website, it “is a centralized warehouse that stores and distributes donated and purchased perishable and nonperishable food items…the Food Bank works to reduce food waste, feed hungry people and raise public awareness of issues related to food and hunger.”

The website also states that “hunger is a reality for one in six Americans, [and that] many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.”

“My daughters came up with the idea to help people who have no food,” said Henry, who graduated from Auburn in 2002. “We started with just the idea of people bringing food to Laila's fifth birthday party instead of gifts.”

This was the Simmons’ first food drive. However, they have donated to other local charities.

“We often let our girls pick who they want to help,” said Henry. “Once before they picked a local church that was blow away by a tornado. They have also donated to the East Alabama Medical Center's Diabetes department.”

Although the food drive was in honor of the Simmons’ middle child’s birthday, her sisters, 7-year-old Kensley and 3-year-old Olivia Pearl also helped with the collection.

Henry said that they collected from a local church, the Tigerettes and Tiger Hosts on Auburn University’s campus, their neighbors, friends and Kensley's second grade class at Ogletree Elementary School.

Henry said that it is important for her and her husband, as parents, to teach their daughters how to be a leader and to give back, and that the easiest way to do that is through showing them.

“It makes my children appreciate things more," she said. "I want them to grow up know that they can change the world one act of kindness at a time."

A different kind of veterinary clinic has recently opened in Opelika.

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Ask any pet owner how they feel about their four-legged companions and a story will likely ensue. Pets are an important part of life for a number of people. That is why the slogan of Fur Buds After Hours Clinic is “love them like family; treat them like family.”

Marisel San Miguel, a local veterinarian, came up with the idea of Fur Buds After Hours Veterinary Clinic. She graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University in May 2009.

“I just saw a need in the community,” said San Miguel. “Fur Buds is an alternative for pet owners who have needs of a veterinary clinic without needing the expertise that [Auburn’s] vet school would provide with specialty care.”

The name of the clinic is a nod to one of San Miguel’s friends.

“My neighbor’s husband travels a lot. Whenever he calls home to check in, he asks about their fur buds,” said San Miguel. “I thought it was cute and decided to use it.”

She further noted that Fur Buds is an urgent care facility, much like an emergency room at a hospital.

“Routine and preventative care occur at a regular vet clinic,” said San Miguel. “We are for urgent needs like lacerations or sickness during the night.”

There are four veterinarians, including San Miguel, on staff. Ten other staff members include receptionists and veterinary technicians. The veterinarians work in 12-hour shifts during the week and two 12-hour shifts on the weekends.

The typical business day begins at 6 p.m., when the shift veterinarian arrives, and ends at 8 a.m.

“Some nights are slow,” said San Miguel, “But the staff has to be prepared for anything that could happen.”

If an emergency occurs, the shift veterinarian and technicians address the situation according to the condition of the patient. San Miguel said that if the pet is stable enough for the owner to fill out paperwork, then the receptionist moves accordingly. If not, San Miguel said that the receptionist gets the owner’s consent to provide care and the staff moves into what they refer to “triage.”

Fur Buds has an x-ray machine, in-house pharmacy and lab facility. In a critical triage situation, the veterinarian can provide fluids and perform surgery if necessary.