From Nose to Tail: Summertime with Our Pets

By Jamie Laubenstein ‘07, CVT

Originally published in the June 24, 2022, edition of the Valley Advantage.

https://www.thevalleyadvantage.com/community-columns/from-nose-to-tail-summertime-with-our-pets/article_f72d6d7f-7e5a-5072-8140-aa58e5f3464c.html

In  the warmer summer months, we find ourselves spending more time outside. Whether we are hosting a summer barbecue, hiking or cooling off in the water, many of us include our furry friends in all our activities.

Enjoying summer celebrations can be made even better by taking extra precautions to ensure our canine and feline companions are having as much fun as we are.

Our first question this month is, “Can my pet eat the food we prepare during our backyard barbecue?”

Gathering around the grill for some delicious barbecue is an excellent idea for us but not for our four-legged companions. While barbecue sauce elevates our culinary experience, it often contains onions and garlic, which can be toxic to dogs. Sharing even a tiny amount of food or scraps can be enough to cause diarrhea or vomiting in most dogs.

We should also avoid giving our pets corn on the cob and ribs. Bones should not be given to our furry friends because they can potentially cause gastrointestinal blockage.

However, some foods — if prepared without oils and are deboned— like chicken, turkey, salmon, and some vegetables, including sweet potatoes can be shared, in moderation, with our pets.

“I’ve taken my dog on hikes with me, but can I take my cat?” is our second question.

Getting outside to explore the trails or cooling off at a lake is often enjoyed by our canines and, yes, our feline companions, too. Did you know that you can train your cat to hike with you on a harness, just like dogs?

Often, this is made easier if you start training when your cat is very young and use a combination of leash walking with an open window carrier. Exploring the environment is excellent physical and mental stimulation for our pets.

Keeping cats and dogs on a harness and leash helps protect them from being injured by wildlife (porcupine quills) and prevents them from harming small native animals, including chipmunks and birds.

Hydration is just as crucial for our hiking companions, too. Bring extra water and a collapsible bowl on every trip.

Remember to keep your pets on appropriate flea, tick and heartworm preventatives to avoid unwanted parasite infestations.

Our third question is, “How do I know when my pets are stressed when fireworks are going off in our neighborhood, and what can I do to calm them down?”

Our pets can tell us how much stress they feel simply by us watching their behavior during these activities. Stressed-out animals exhibit behaviors such as hiding, pacing, being excessively clingy, vocalization, and having accidents (urinating/defecating) in unusual areas of the house. These behaviors can occur at any time in your pet’s life, and it is not uncommon for pets to become less tolerant of outside activities as they age.

Not to worry, there are things you can try at home to help manage and decrease that stress and anxiety. It’s important to understand that the loud and sudden boom of the firework, like thunder, often causes the most stress to our pets.

The best practice is to be proactive around the holidays and have a plan in place before the noise gets your pet upset. Having a room in your house prepared for your pet before the loud noises start is vital. The room should be quiet and dimly lit.

You can also try playing calming music to soothe your pet and help take their focus off the sound of the fireworks. Distraction aides like Kong puzzle toys filled with a tasty treat and/or thunder shirts, designed to release endorphins, may also help your pet.

Contacting your veterinarian about different medication protocols for such events is also an excellent idea. Your vet can help you combine several of these suggestions to manage your pet’s anxiety appropriately.

Summertime with our pets can be extremely rewarding, filled with moments that make wonderful memories. By being proactive and creative, we can share all the parts of the summer, including barbecues, exploring and outdoor festivities with our cherished companions in a way that is rewarding to them, too.

Jamie Laubenstein, AS, CVT, ’07 Johnson College alum, is a full time CVT Instructor at the Johnson College Veterinary Nursing program as well as a clinical rotation instructor at the Animal Care Center on campus. She has been part of the veterinary field for 19 years.

College to Host an Open House for Interested Students on July 13, 2022

Johnson College will hold an on-campus Open House on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. To register to attend the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.

Johnson College Welcomed Its Golden Alumni Society to Campus

On Sunday, June 12, 2022, Johnson College hosted its annual Golden Alumni Society Reunion and Induction Ceremony. During the event, Golden Alumni, who reached their 50th anniversary of graduation from Johnson College, mixed and mingled with former classmates, reviewed Johnson College memorabilia and enjoyed lunch. This year the class of 1972 was inducted into the Golden Alumni Society. For more information about Johnson College’s alumni events and services, contact the College Advancement team at collegeadvancement@johnson.edu or 570-702-8991.

Photo Caption: Seated, left to right: Pete Kolcharno ‘66, Michael Vass ‘61, Roland Fornes ‘56, Ken Novajosky ‘59, Joseph Kasaczon ‘61, Barbara Petroski ‘55, Michael Polednak ‘62, Joseph Dzwieleski ‘59, Dr. Katie Pittelli, President and CEO of Johnson College, Dennis Macheska ‘70, Ronald Fawcett ‘57, Stanley Lasinsky ‘56, and Edward Ciborosky ‘69. Standing, left to right: Eugene Hopkins ‘64, Chick Evers ‘62, Bernard Cossack ‘72, Paul Zalewski ‘66, Zigmund Szabo ‘55, Ted Lengyel ‘61, Leonard Sowinski ‘62, Alfred Basham ‘54, Ronald Moskalczak ‘71, Richard Alimenti ‘71, Robert Holzman ‘58, Ralph Bohn ‘53, Joseph Teeple ‘72, George Ketchur ‘53, Mark Kukuchka ‘72, Dennis Pabis ‘61, John Barlik ‘72, Bruce Semon ‘72, Rudolph Drasler ‘69, Peter Valtos ‘61, Eugene Lemoncelli ‘66, and Foster Gambucci ‘63.

Now Enrolling Students in Forklift Operator Training Course

Johnson College’s Continuing Education program is offering a Forklift Operator Training Course on Saturday, July 23, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Diesel Truck Technology Center on the College’s campus in Scranton. The cost of the course is $200, but if you are a current Johnson College student or alum the cost is only $100. Space is limited! Visit johnson.edu/continuingeducation or contact our Continuing Education team at 570-702-8979 or continuinged@johnson.edu to learn more and enroll.

The forklift operator training is designed to familiarize students with OSHA Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training Requirements (29CFR Standard 1910.178 and ASME B56.1), provide current training requirements under the newly adopted standards, and assist participants in becoming an authorized operator of forklifts through theory and tactile testing. Nine hours of instruction including pre-operational inspection, picking up, traveling, and placing loads, parking procedures, refueling, and practical operation.

College Receives $5,000 EITC Contribution from Pride Mobility

Recently, Johnson College received a $5,000 EITC contribution from Pride Mobility in support of the College’s STEM Outreach and Industry Fast Track Programs.

Pride Mobility’s contribution to Johnson College is part of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The program offers businesses a tax credit for supporting state-approved educational improvement programs. Johnson College is approved to accept EITC contributions in support of its STEM outreach and Industry Fast Track programs.

Through its STEM Outreach, Johnson College utilizes its experience in providing industry-focused, hands-on technical education to expand its outreach to elementary, middle, and high school students. The outreach raises awareness of the benefits of STEM education and the possibilities of achieving economic independence through employment in a STEM career field.

Johnson College’s Industry Fast Track program offers high school students from participating area school districts an opportunity to enroll simultaneously in secondary and post-secondary coursework at Johnson College. The course meets state requirements for high school graduation while providing college-level courses. Students remain enrolled full-time at their high school while attending classes at Johnson College.

Pride Mobility has been a trusted manufacturer in the mobility products industry since 1986. The organization is dedicated to providing expertly designed, engineered, and tested products incorporating technologically innovative features enabling consumers to achieve the best quality of life and mobility goals. Part of Pride’s vision is to be a long-term Olympic gold medalist within its industry by combining market-leading products with being the friendliest company in the industry. Pride Mobility continues its mission of manufacturing quality, technologically advanced mobility products for people with disabilities and mobility impairments.

Continuing Education Team Enrolling Students in Two Different Welding Classes

Johnson College’s Continuing Education Program is currently enrolling students in a Fundamentals of Welding and Intermediate MIG Welding class starting June 21, 2022, and Fundamentals of Welding and Intermediate Stick Welding beginning June 30, 2022. Both classes will be held on the Johnson College campus in Scranton. To learn more or enroll, visit https://johnson.edu/continuingeducation/ or contact the Johnson College Continuing Education department at 570-702-8979 or email continuinged@johnson.edu. 

Both classes will teach the basics of the major welding processes and then focus on either Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG) or Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Stick).

The Fundamentals of Welding and Intermediate MIG Welding class provides specific instruction in the Gas Metal Arc (GMAW) and Flux-Cored Arc (FCAW) welding processes. Students will learn how to perform fillet and groove welds in all positions. Student practice is geared toward sheet metal and structural steel welding code vertical and overhead tests. Passing the certification test provides an all-position, limited thickness, AWS D1.1 welder certification in FCAW, and vertical D1.3 structural sheet metal code certification in GMAW.

The Fundamentals of Welding and Intermediate Stick Welding class will provide specific instruction in the Shielded Metal Arc (SMAW) welding process. Students learn how to perform fillet and groove welds on carbon steel using E6010 and E7018 electrodes in all positions. Student practice is geared toward structural welding code vertical and overhead tests. Passing these tests provides an all position, limited thickness, and AWS D1.1 welder certification.

Enrolling Students in OBDII Emissions Training Course

Johnson College’s Continuing Education department is enrolling students into its next OBDII Emissions Training. The class will be held on the Johnson College campus in Scranton on Monday, June 27, Tuesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 30, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The class fee to be paid to Johnson College is $180, and a study material and testing fee of $39.99 is paid directly to the PA Training Portal. For more details, visit Johnson.edu/continuingeducation, call 570-702-8979, or email continuinged@johnson.edu.

The OBDII testing monitors a vehicle’s emission control systems in real-time and can inform a licensed technician of a systemic issue the moment it occurs. The system operates through a series of indicator lights, drive cycles, trouble codes, and readiness monitors. During an inspection, an emission analyzer scan tool plugs into the diagnostic connector attached to the OBDII computer and communicates with the vehicle. The OBDII system relays whether it has discovered errors in the emission control systems to the scan tool. The emission analyzer then determines if the car is being operated according to emission standards.

Johnson College Announces $5 Million Comprehensive Capital Campaign for Campus Enhancements

Johnson College publicly launched its new, $5 million comprehensive, five-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” during a community kickoff event on Wednesday, June 8, where it revealed plans for major campus-wide projects.

The “Innovation at Work” campaign consists of four components that will create an environment for growth and success: the construction of a new gateway building, which will become the official entrance to the campus and include new lab and classroom space; the expansion of Woolworth Hall which houses on-campus lab space for programs including Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning and Electrical Construction Technology; the creation of a Transportation Education Center; and support of the College’s Annual Fund and student scholarships.

A crucial catalyst for the “Innovation at Work” campaign is a $1 million contribution from Ideal T. Saldi, a Johnson College alum from the class of 1949, and his wife, Frances Saldi, alongside other funders who have invested in the College. The Saldis’ gift, announced in April before the college community, is the largest gift from a Johnson College alum to date and will have a lasting impact on the school, and its students. To honor this gift, the new, state-of-the-art gateway building will be named Ideal Saldi Hall.

“At the heart of this campaign is our students. It is focused on helping them be successful,” President and CEO, Dr. Katie Pittelli said. “We strive to carry forward Orlando S. Johnson’s vision of providing a trade school to the region where young men and women can learn useful trades that will enable them to make an honorable living and become contributing members of society.”

As the world of technology continues to change rapidly, Johnson College must change with it. The College’s facilities must remain in sync with industry as new technologies, emerging fields of study, and more sophisticated equipment modernize how the world does business. 

Dave Boniello, president of Simplex Homes, Johnson College Alum from the class of 1984, former Johnson College Chair of the Board of Directors, and chair of the “Innovation at Work” Capital Campaign, announced that during the campaign’s silent phase, the College has already raised 75% of its $5 million-dollar goal thanks to loyal and generous donors from the community. After noting his personal pledge to support the campaign, Boniello asked the Johnson College community to join him in participating in the school’s most comprehensive capital campaign thus far.

“If you have an opportunity to support Johnson College and its students, through the “Innovation at Work” campaign, your gift will have a tremendous and lasting impact on our students, employers, and the region. Together, We Work!” said Boniello.  

For more information about Johnson College’s comprehensive, 5-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” visit Johnson.edu/innovationatwork.

Photo Caption: Johnson College publicly launched its new, $5 million comprehensive, five-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” during a community kickoff event on Wednesday, June 8, revealing plans for major campus-wide projects. One of the four projects announced is the construction of Ideal Saldi Hall. Dr. Katie Pittelli, President & CEO of Johnson College, and Mr. Dave Boniello ’84, President of Simplex Homes and chair of the “Innovation at Work” Capital Campaign, stand in front of a rendering of Ideal Saldi Hall. For more information about Johnson College’s comprehensive, 5-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” visit Johnson.edu/innovationatwork.