Veterinary technology student Kalyn Galloway first met rescue pup Cowboy when he was a patient in Lakeland College’s Animal Health Clinic (AHC). She connected with him instantly and now, weeks later, she’s taking him home.

The fact that she’d be learning with real patients and surrounded by farm animals was what gave Galloway the courage to leave home for post-secondary studies in the first place. She had worried about homesickness.

Growing up on a farm near Consort, Alta., Galloway had spent her time working with cows in a community pasture with her family. When considering her post-secondary options, the fact that Lakeland was located in the small, rural town of Vermilion helped. The fact that both her parents are alumni of the college didn’t hurt either.

“I was scared to go to a big city, so Vermilion was the perfect size,” Galloway says. “It was still hard to come to Lakeland. I was missing chasing the cows and hanging out on the farm. But coming from the middle of nowhere to a rural area really helped, especially knowing there would be the farm and all the animals.”

The veterinary technology program is an intense one, and Galloway was glad for that hands-on aspect to her lessons, and the relationships she formed at Lakeland – both human and animal.

“I really enjoy this program,” she says. “It’s a hard course but you get paired into small groups for all the labs and becoming close with the girls in my group and hanging out with them really helped. The hands-on learning aspect in the Animal Health Clinic really helped with learning too. Getting to come to the clinic and hang out with the cats and dogs after a long day of lectures and studying is a form of stress relief for me.”

That’s how she met Cowboy, a small blue heeler mix who had been one of 72 dogs seized from a farm by the Alberta SPCA. He was one of four adoptable pups the Alberta SPCA brought to the AHC for neuter surgeries earlier this semester. Lakeland partners with various animal rescues, giving students the opportunity to practice their skills in a real-world surgical lab while helping the rescues as well.

“Being able to be hands-on with real-life animals is really going to help us when it comes to working in clinics,” Galloway says. “We’re very grateful that organizations like the SPCA bring us these animals to work on. When they brought the dogs this time, I saw Cowboy and it just clicked.”

After Galloway assisted with her surgical lab on a dog named Patches, she was able to visit Cowboy in recovery. Their bond was instant.

“I was going to adopt him,” she recalls. “But there was some family stuff going on and it wasn’t a great idea, so I didn’t. But I felt so bad about it. I regretted it so much.”

As part of her studies in the veterinary technology program, Galloway participated in the student-run clinic, in which each student is given a specific role in running the AHC. Roles include everything from clinic duty, supply management, kennel care, strategic planning, animal health advocacy, community outreach and more. Galloway was a member of the social media team. That meant she was responsible for attending the other teams’ events and documenting them for the AHC’s Instagram account, as well as creating other content. It’s also how she ended up at the adoption event hosted at the AHC in March where she learned, weeks later, that Cowboy hadn’t found a home yet.

“The Alberta SPCA came to the adoption event,” Galloway says, though they hadn’t brought Cowboy this time. “I asked if he was still available and they said yes, and when I asked if I could fill out an application, they said absolutely. I was so excited, I cried. I was just jumping for joy.”

Galloway picked Cowboy up a few days later and is excited to take him home after she graduates to meet the three dogs back on her family farm. She’s also planning to take him with her on practicum.

“He’s such a loving dog and acts like an old man even though he’s only one year old,” she says. “He just loves to cuddle with you on the couch and explore. He was so excited when I went to pick him up, he was ready to get out of there.”

As she approaches the end of her time at the AHC and prepares to head out on practicum, Galloway has no regrets about choosing to study veterinary technology at Lakeland.

“It’s probably the best memories I’ve ever made,” she says. “I’ve had the most fun I’ve had in my entire life. I met my best friend in this course, and now Cowboy too. I have a lot to thank Lakeland for. It’s opened me up to great opportunities."