$510,000 grant will fund training program for shelter veterinarians.
Gainesville, FL (January 18, 2023) – The Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine will receive a $510,000 grant from national nonprofit Petco Love to address the increasing shortage of shelter medicine veterinarians to assure shelter pets have access to timely and essential veterinary care.
The grant will support an accelerated internship program for six veterinarians to become skilled in shelter animal care, surgery, disease outbreak intervention, forensics, disaster response, behavior, public health, and high-volume spay-neuter — topics that are bundled into an emerging area of veterinary practice called shelter medicine. The program recruits top-performing senior veterinary students from across the country to join a one-year internship at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine upon graduation from veterinary school.
“This accelerated program empowers students with the necessary skills to provide quality care which shelter pets deserve,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “A goal of supporting this program is to also address the shortage of veterinarians practicing shelter medicine across the U.S.”
The growing shortage of shelter veterinarians nationwide has hit animal welfare organizations particularly hard. At any one time, there are hundreds of unfilled vacancies for veterinarians in shelters and spay-neuter clinics. This gap delays veterinary care and spay-neuter surgeries, resulting in increased euthanasia of shelter pets, either due to treatable medical conditions or overcapacity.
“Tough times for both the veterinary profession and animal welfare organizations are colliding to roll back progress in animal welfare,” said Dr. Julie Levy, Fran Marino Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education at the University of Florida. “This fast-track immersive training will prepare highly skilled and resilient veterinarians who are equipped and motivated to step into high-impact careers in shelter medicine.”
Most newly graduated veterinarians are specifically trained for private practice and lack the specialized training and technical skills required for shelter practice. The shelter medicine internship program combines training with expert faculty at UF, working alongside seasoned veterinarians in shelters ranging from resource-limited rural facilities to multi-doctor urban centers, and honing skills in high-volume spay-neuter and advanced surgical procedures.
After completing the year-long intensive program, the participating veterinarians will have the skills and confidence to serve as shelter veterinarians, high-quality high-volume spay-neuter surgeons, and crisis responders.
Learn more about the UF Shelter Medicine Program here: sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu.
Learn more about Petco Love here: petcolove.org.
About the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
The Shelter Medicine Program delivers specialized training for the shelter medical professionals of today and tomorrow, provides consultation services to animal shelters, and performs research to disseminate new discoveries and solve existing and emerging threats to successful sheltering and community well-being. Veterinary students at the University of Florida can complete an intensive series of elective courses to earn a Professional Certificate in Shelter Medicine, signifying they have the knowledge, experience, and wisdom to join a shelter and make an immediate positive impact. Training programs for
veterinarians include the year-long internship program and the Shelter Consultation Mentorship Program to prepare the experts and future leaders in the shelter medicine field.
Visit sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/ to learn more about programs offered in the Shelter Medicine Program.
About Petco Love
Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $330 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us. Join us.
Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.
Source: Animal Wellness Magazine
