Veterinary Health Center

Shelter Medicine

Mobile surgery, medical patient triage and onsite "best practice" consultation

The K-State Shelter Medicine Program takes veterinary students out in the field to fill the role of "shelter vet" for over 20 regional animal welfare partners. Students learn High Quality High Volume surgical techniques while providing free spay/neuter services for shelter owned and adoption ready dogs and cats. Surgery is also offered to regional Community cat/TNR programs. While onsite, students build patient evaluation skills by performing medical examinations for shelter residents with conditions needing attention. Diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations are given based on student findings with consideration given to the available resources of the partner organization.

Consultation services on best practice management, disease outbreak response and prevention are also offered to regional organizations by the K-State Shelter Medicine Program. Students learn how to take a critical look at the performance of animal shelter operations, identify what is being done well and where improvements need to be made. They learn to formulate and present recommendations in ways that do not overwhelm shelter administration and can be implemented in a strategic manner. These skills translate both to the exam room or the feedlot depending on where the student's career takes them.

The K-State Shelter Medicine Program is designed to:
  • increase students' understanding of the issues surrounding animal welfare
  • provide veterinary students with first-hand experience in dealing with medical, behavioral and surgical problems encountered in animal shelters
  • give students extensive surgical experience in spay-neuter
  • prepare future veterinarians to work with local organizations and help find solutions to the challenges of animal shelter operation
  • raise the bar of care by providing regional organizations surgical, medical and consultations services that they would not otherwise have access to
Annually, over 120 students participate, over 300 days on the road, more than 20 shelter partners, over 5000 surgeries performed, dozens of consults performed!

Mobile Surgery Unit

 

Local Partnerships

Partnership with T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter *intern is veterinarian of record at local shelter