Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement

Shelter Medicine at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University

Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement are important aspects of the animal health world that students at Shreiber School will learn. Below is a brief overview of the Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement Service.

How Shreiber School Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement Supports the Community

Academic shelter medicine programs are critical to developing and training the next leaders in shelter medicine and One Health. Veterinary students in shelter medicine work on practical hands-on surgical skills, disease prevention, recognition and treatment, communication and interactions with diverse populations of people, and problem-solving skills. Veterinarians trained in shelter medicine serve the public by helping solve the human and animal health problems in their local communities and protect the health of the planet at large. Shelter Medicine training gives students an integrated experience in many aspects of veterinary medicine and improves students’ clinical competence and broadens their understanding of the world around them apart from their own personal life experience.

Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement for Students

Shelter Medicine

We support the spay and neuter needs of regional animal shelters through partnership to help pets on the path to adoption.

Community Engagement

We support the mission-based work of our community organization partners to promote increased access to preventive veterinary care for underserved and marginalized populations. We help our hosting partner organizations expand their family support programs to their guests’ pet family members. This supports the human-animal bond and helps keep pets with the families that love them.

Student Experiences

Fourth year veterinary students experience Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement through clinical clerkships. All students spend four weeks during their fourth year with the service providing care to shelter dogs and cats, and working alongside our One Health community partners to provide care for pets and their families as student clinicians. We support Rowan University undergraduate pre-vet students through invited speaking engagements, clinical observation and volunteer opportunities. Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement faculty also serve as veterinary student academic advisors and veterinary student club advisors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule my pet with your Shelter Medicine service?

We do all work through area animal shelter and community-based partners. We do not schedule directly with individual pet owners.

I have a TNVR program; can you provide care for my community cats?

All of our current programming is for adoptable pets in animal shelters and the owned pets of families that are guests and clients of our hosting community partner organizations.

How do I become a partner organization?

Please email us at ssvmsheltermed@rowan.edu and tell us about your organization’s needs.

Do you care for sick or injured pets?

All of our current programming and services center on spay/neuter and preventive care such as vaccines.

Do you have pets available for adoption?

We are not an animal shelter and do not house or rehome pets. We support the organizations that do this work with their various needs on the path to adoption. This is accomplished by helping families facing barriers to veterinary care access preventive medicine to support keeping pets with their families and out of the animal shelter system.

Does the Mobile Clinic make house calls?

No, we are not a veterinary house call service. Our Mobile Clinic goes to regional animal shelters and the various locations of our community partners to help pets overcome various barriers to timely adoption and wellness care.

How can I contact you?

Email: ssvmsheltermed@rowan.edu
Phone: 856-256-6000