The course will introduce students to the concept of Shelter Medicine and increase their knowledge of this emerging field, including such topics as herd health population management, disaster preparedness, public health, disease prevention, and zoonosis, population control, animal welfare, behavior assessment and modification, euthanasia protocols and compassion fatigue.
The field of shelter medicine is recognized by the AVMA as a specialty and valued for the benefits it can provide to animals, people, and the surrounding communities. The course will empower students with tools, resources, and skills to best practice shelter medicine in a variety of clinical settings upon graduation, following the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) guidelines.
The course will also present new career opportunities, both domestic and foreign, in the field of shelter medicine, such as non-profit community outreach programs, behavior consultation, animal welfare, ethics, and advocacy, and veterinary forensics.
The course is taught through interactive lectures and wet labs. The student will be required to review a scientific journal article in written format and give a final presentation in a group format to demonstrate teamwork and effective communication skills.