Veterinary Shelter Medicine

Presentation by Uri Donnet, DVM, MS, DABVP (Shelter Medicine)
Maddie’s Clinical Instructor at Dane County Humane Society

Instructor for the UW Vet School in Shelter Medicine
Graduated from undergrad at Michigan State university with degree in Animal Science and focus on beef and diary management
Vet school at Iowa State University - focus on small animal
Masters degree at Iowa State University - Veterinary Preventive Medicine
Internship and residency in Shelter Medicine at Mississippi State University
There are 38 DABVP specialists in the U.S.
Worked as an instructor for shelter medicine at u.W.

Original “pounds” were designed to hold stray livestock until farmers could reclaim their prosperity
- Often they were reclaimed due to their value
1966 - founding of the ASPCA to address welfare concerns in working horses
1874 - the Women’s Branch of the Pennsylvania SPCA formed the first organization to focus on the humane treatment of shelter animals
1970s - Veterinary community starts to get involved in animal sheltering
2001 - Association of Shelter Veterinarians was formed
2010 - Guidelines for Care of Animals in Shelters Published
2015 - Veterinary Shelter Medicine became a speciality

~3-4,000 physical animal shelter buildings
>10,000 rescue and sanctuary groups
6-8 million cats and dogs entering facilities yearly
>3 million euthanized each year (estimated that 70% of those are cats)
Animal shelters are not regulated by the government
- All shelters that adopt out dogs need to be registered (at least in WI)

Municipal Shelter
- Government run agencies - funded by taxes, dog licenses, etc.
- Generally are obligated to take in any animals (called “Open Admission”)
- Provide public services like animal control, rabies control, bite quarantines, etc.
Private Shelters
- Generally non-profits – raise funds and get grants +/- city contracts for stray animals
  - Means that in order to collect strays, city must be called, a shelter does not have legal authority but may be able to intake stray animals
- May only take in some animals, may take in all depends on the organization mission
- May have other public services like spay/neuter, low cost vaccination, etc.
Rescues
- Organized groups of people, may or may ot be registered non-profit
- Often house animals in foster homes
- Often focus on a specific species or breed and limit the animals they take
Sanctuaries
- Facilities that provide long-term or life housing for animals
  - May be otherwise unadoptable
- Often do not perform adoptions
- May just be one species, may also have wildlife

Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
- By ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor
Freedom from Discomfort
- By providing and appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area
Freedom from Pain, Injury, or Disease
- By prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
Freedom to Express Normal Behavior
- By providing sufficient space, proper facilities, and company of the animal’s own kind
Freedom from Fear and Distress
- By ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering

Treatment of the individual animal and its needs but…
- Consideration for the entire population's risk of the spread of disease, welfare concerns, and resources
  - Lots of picking and choosing based on budget, time, resources, and the entire population of the shelter, dogs and cats of the region
We don’t have a “patient and client” like a private practitioner but we have a patient and the overall population

Surgery – spay/neuter but also other surgeries
Treatment of individual animals
- Lots of treatments for common infectious diseases
  - Skin disease, upper respiratory infections, diarrhoea
- But any animal that comes to a private vet could be surrendered to a shelter
Treatment and management of the population of animals
- Focus on reducing stress and behaviour, modifying the environment
Forensics for cruelty cases
Disaster response for natural disasters but also responses to large welfare cases
Treat any different species - dogs, cats, small mammals, reptiles, horses, etc.