Nationally, there is a shortage of veterinarians adequately trained in the clinical, managerial, and legal issues of shelter medicine. Similarly, there is a shortage of veterinarians skilled in high-quality high-volume spay-neuter, considered to be an essential component of reducing the number of unwanted pets. Accompanying this shortfall is a lack of highly trained veterinary technicians who can facilitate and lead programs that benefit sheltered animals. In addition to the lack of highly skilled professionals in this growing field is a lack of basic knowledge about the best methods for controlling infections, reducing the number of unwanted pets, identifying and preventing cruelty, enhancing adoption success and pet retention, and enriching the lives of sheltered animals.
This is a transitional time for the animal welfare field as growing demand for animal-friendly solutions is challenging traditional sheltering paradigms. There is an international desire to shift from a reactive animal control model in which massive numbers of animals are processed through shelters with an overall high euthanasia rate to one in which proactive preventive measures reduce shelter admissions with individualized programs tailored to different types of animals to result in higher save rates. The Shelter Medicine Program offers a series of specialty training, veterinary student, and continuing education programs to help veterinarians and staff meet the challenges today’s shelters face.
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