Members of the MSU Pre-Veterinary Medical Association will be rolling up their sleeves and getting down and dirty with local dogs.

The club will hold a dog-wash fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the MSU Veterinary Medical Center Large Animal Garage on the corner of Wilson Road and Bogue Street to help raise money for several different charities as well as club activities.

Nick Vitale, the club's president, said washing the dogs is always a fun time for participants.

"We are future colleagues getting together with the same goals and the same interests," the zoology senior said. "It's a great time."

The club hosts dog washes throughout the year, along with other fundraisers.

"The dog wash goes along with our theme," he said. "A car wash wouldn't be fitting."

The dog-wash fundraiser has been a club event for the last 15 years. This year, the money will go to international and local organizations. Half of the money raised by the dog wash will be used for the charities, Vitale said.

Heifer International is an organization that helps teach other countries how to properly manage livestock. The organization purchases cows and uses them to show how livestock can be used for things other than the consumption of meat, Vitale said.

Of the money raised, a large portion will be donated to local causes.

Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue Inc. finds loving homes for cats in the Lansing area and provides them with temporary shelter and medical care. The club will donate part of its proceeds from Sunday's event to the rescue group.

The club is designed to help undergraduate students, who are interested in a career in veterinary medicine, make professional contacts and learn about different jobs in the field, Vitale said.

The association also helps students work through the complicated process of applying to veterinary school.

Half of the money earned during the event will help the club provide food at meetings and pay for club functions such as bowling, he said.

In the past few years, the dog wash has been anything but typical. Two years ago, large horses walked into the dog wash and gave the students more than they bargained for, Vitale said.

Some of the best stories involve the dogs themselves. Elizabeth Atwood, a social work junior, said there's no telling which dogs will put up the biggest fight.

A regular customer at the event is a large yet whining and whimpering Siberian husky. The ironically fussy dog makes even the smallest pugs look tough, she said.

On average, the dog wash brings in as much as $1,500, communication freshman Courtney Curran said.

"Dog washes create a lot of attention, and we have a good turnout," she said. "I think it will be very successful."