Maddie's Fund - Press Room

(Alameda, CA – May 2006)Auburn University's comprehensive Maddie's^® Shelter Medicine Program is coming to an end this July.

Maddie's Fund is grateful to the College of Veterinary Medicine's administration, faculty and students – and especially to Maddie's^® Shelter Medicine Program Director, Dr. Brenda Griffin – for all they have achieved over the past two years.

Program staff performed well in all areas, but the team was in a league of its own when it came to student training – every single Auburn veterinary student was exposed to shelter medicine in some way.

Freshmen, sophomore and junior veterinary students received shelter medicine instruction through didactic coursework in eight core (required) classes.

All freshmen veterinary students participated in a teaching laboratory on humane cat handling and restraint and the examination of shelter cats.

Pre-veterinary students and veterinary students were offered a shelter medicine elective on behavior. Lectures covered behavioral reasons for relinquishments, diagnosis and treatment of common behavior disorders, temperament testing and environmental enrichment. Students built on what they learned through experiences in local animal shelters.

In the elective, Working with Feral Cats, students learned about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and got involved in putting TNR into practice.

All senior veterinary students were required to take part in a core clinical shelter medicine rotation that included weekly trips to the Muscogee Humane Society. Students gained valuable hands-on experience through admitting examinations, infectious disease surveillance and diagnosis, preventive health care protocols and medical and behavioral assessments. In the elective, Maddie's^® Shelter Medicine Rotation, senior students learned surgical skills sterilizing shelter animals. One student wrote:

"I feel like I got everything I expected out of this rotation. I gained some confidence in surgery, feel more educated as to what goes on at shelters, learned the importance of spay/neuter and adoption programs and was exposed to the pros and cons of different shelter models."

With so much exposure to shelter issues, all students gained awareness about the problems and needs of animal shelters. In answer to a survey question, "Once in practice, would you want to work with shelters?" 30 out of 45 students said yes:

"Before this rotation, I had not planned on helping shelters.... These two weeks have changed my mind and motivated me to make a difference in my county."

"I hope to work in a practice that is active in shelter medicine and client education about shelters. I hope I am able to promote shelters to clients. Otherwise I don't think I can work in a practice that ignores shelter needs."

"This rotation definitely enables the veterinary student to walk in (shelter staff's) shoes and I think this is important. It would be easy to isolate yourself in private practice and ignore the problem of overpopulation, but the experience at Muscogee leaves a lasting impression."

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May 2006