Cornell University's Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SCAVMA) plans a fund-raising dog wash Saturday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Tower Road plaza (in front of the ivy-covered James Law Auditorium) of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Rain date is Sunday, Sept. 28.

The dog wash is free, but $5 suggested donations are gratefully accepted, explains Ryan Taggart, Cornell D.V.M. Class of 2005, one of the event's coordinators. All dogs are welcome but should be properly restrained to avoid potential conflicts with other dogs at the event. A variety of shampoos will be available for dogs' special needs. Parking is free in O lot (on Route 366 between Tower and Caldwell roads) or in the visitor parking lot adjacent to the Veterinary Research Tower near the plaza (at the bend in Tower Road).

The students hold the annual dog wash to help raise money to send SCAVMA members to a veterinary educational symposium each spring. One of 30 veterinary schools in the United States and Canada, Cornell's college enrolls 320 students in the four-year program that leads to a doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) degree. The Cornell college is rated as the top veterinary school in the country, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report survey.