What was the past like for veterinary medicine in animal shelters? What changed to bring us to where we are today, and what will the future hold? That's the subject of a new Maddie's InstituteSM documentary.
In the 1970s, there was no such thing as shelter medicine. Most animals entering shelters didn't leave them alive. And the idea of veterinarians dedicated to shelter practice was unheard of.
Today, shelter medicine is a recognized specialty of veterinary practice, and many animal shelters are working with shelter medicine programs and veterinarians to save upwards of 90 percent of the animals they take in.
In this short documentary film, Maddie's Fund® interviews veterinarians, veterinary students and animal welfare leaders who have been present during this era of remarkable transition. They tell the story of how shelter medicine arrived at this moment in time, the role Maddie's Fund played in that journey, and what the future holds for shelters, shelter veterinarians and the animals whose lives are in their care.
The film recently premiered at the annual Association of Shelter Veterinarians meeting in Nashville, TN. We hope you’ll agree it’s pretty inspirational!
Click here to watch it on our website.
Please share this with your staff, volunteers, colleagues, friends and family -– anyone who would enjoy watching this moving documentary!
As part of our campaign promoting shelter medicine, we are gathering baseline data examining veterinary practice in animal shelters. If you are a veterinarian working with a shelter or rescue, please take a few minutes to take our survey.
We are also collecting data from shelter and rescue directors about shelter medicine within your organization. If you are a shelter or rescue director, please take the survey here.