Nestlé Purina helps local small animal, vet assistant program

Company makes $30,000 donation to RIC

By: Dave Thompson|December 15, 2025

|5 min read

Students at the Regional Innovation Center in Eldridge talk with animal care professionals Friday, Dec. 12, during a “Speed Networking” event. The RIC’s Small Animal/Veterinary Assistant Program received a $30,000 donation from the Nestlé Purina PetCare program on Friday. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON

ELDRIDGE – Hayden Burmeister, 17, and Kelsie Hilsenbeck, 16, love their classes at the Regional Innovation Center (RIC) in the North Scott Community School District.

They especially love studying in the RIC’s Small Animal / Veterinary Assistant Program.

“I want to go through this and eventually become a large-animal veterinarian,”…

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