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Being at school on a Saturday morning is a bummer for most students. But for some enrolled in the Edison Academy's Animal Science program, it's a chance to help animals in need of homes.

Once a month, students enrolled in this two-year program give up their Saturday mornings to bathe and groom dogs in foster care at area shelters and rescue centers.

"It doesn't seem like a lot at first to just clean a dog. But if you were to go to a shelter you'd pick the clean dogs first," said senior Emily Patnode, 18, a second-year student at Edison Academy, located at Edison High School in Alexandria.

Patnode was one of a half dozen students who gathered in a classroom last Saturday morning. Like many of her peers in the program, she is hoping to make a career out of her love of animals, likely as a veterinary technician.

"The biggest thing you see is that the dogs that are hit by cars or are left by their owners, they're not afraid of you," Patnode said. "They're so ready to forgive."

It's hard not to want to take these homeless puppies and dogs home, she said.

About 60 students are enrolled in Edison Academy's Animal Science two-year program, said teacher Karen Nestlerode. During their first year of studies, students learn about animal care, breeds and behavior. Second-year students delve into animal anatomy and physiology.

Edison Academy is one of six high school academies in the Fairfax County Public Schools program that offer a range of professional training in various fields.

The Saturday dog wash started in 2008 as a way to help students gain community service credits for school, said Nestlerode.

"I had a couple of kids that needed a community service project," Nestlerode said. "They wanted to raise money, but I said, 'You guys have skills. You should put them to use.'"

The bath and grooming services, she said, have given dogs that visit Edison a high success rate of adoption. Students cut nails, clean ears, trim coats, bathe and brush dogs brought in for a visit.

"Obviously it's not just that they look good," said Nestlerode. "Some of them need haircuts because they're so badly matted. And they need to smell good, and not all doggy."

Students say they get as much as they give by coming to the Saturday morning program.

"This class helps me interact more with animals, learn how they react to others and each other," said junior Crystal Ronan, 17, from Lee High School. "I love animals. So, anything I can do to help."

Fellow classmate Jasmine Close, 16, a junior at Edison High School, said she does not mind giving up a Saturday.

"I just enjoy helping and washing dogs," she said. "It's something to do on a Saturday. It helps if they smell good and they look good. They're more attractive."

Nestlerode said she and the students are hoping to help more animals. The benefit of using Edison Academy's grooming services is that it's free -- where professional grooming can be expensive --and the students get experience, she said.

Learn more

To learn more about this program, contact the Animal Science classes at 703-924-8110 or

e-mail Nestlerode at knestlerode@fcps.edu.