Auburn awarded $1.5 million for shelter medicine program

Auburn awarded $1.5 million for shelter medicine program

Auburn University will receive  $1.5 million over the next six years from the Maddie’sFund foundation to create and support a comprehensive shelter medicine program.

The foundation has awarded Auburn a first-year, $250,000 grant toestablish the program and will give $250,000 each year for the next five years.

The veterinary school will include a new clinical rotation, threecore classes in lectures on shelter medicine topics such asveterinarians’ role in animal sheltering, infectious disease epidemiologyin shelters and strategies for pet population control.

The new program will be designated Maddie’s ShelterMedicine Program in honor of Maddie, the Minature Schnauzer that died of cancerin 1997.

“We look forward to collaborating with Auburn to improvethe lives of shelter pets, decrease shelter deaths and increase animaladoptions,” says Dr. Laura Peek, veterinary consultant for Maddie’sFund. “We hope to create a pool of shelter veterinarians who willpractice in this emerging field and bring an awareness of shelterissues.”