Koret Foundation donates $400,000 to UC-Davis program

Davis, Calif.

-- The University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) recently receive $400,000 for the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at its veterinary college thanks to a donation from the Koret Foundation.

The funding is being earmarked by the college to build a Web site and shelter consultation service, says Kate Hurley, director of UC-Davis’ shelter medicine program.

The program was initiated in 2001 to raise awareness about shelter medicine and has, over the last nine years, helped numerous shelters through outreach programs, according to the school.

"In the first phase of funding from the Koret Foundation, we consulted with shelters caring for over 350,000 animals each year. That’s still only a fraction of the estimated 8 million that pass through shelters annually," says Hurley, DVM, MPVM. "This funding will help us build our site and shelter consultation service so we can help even more animals."

The Koret Foundation has provided more than $2.45 million to UC-Davis' veterinary college, and last contributed to the shelter medicine program in 2006 with a $1 million donation that resulted in the program being named after the foundation.