Partnership helps reduce Philadelphia pet population

PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) School of Veterinary Medicine and the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA) partnered to help fight euthanasia of adoptable animals in Philadelphia with the launch of the spay/neuter component of the school's new shelter animal medicine program.

"I am very pleased to announce the launch of this Penn Vet program; it will be a model of Penn's interaction with both the private sector and government agencies to benefit our community and beyond," Penn's Dean Dr. Joan Hendricks says in a prepared statement.

The program is now in place in part by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), PetSmart Charities and other donors. It supports the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats adopted from PACCA.

Almost 30,000 animals enter the shelter each year, and it plans to alter all animals adopted from the shelter prior to going home.

Officials predict approximately 1,200 additional animals will be sterilized this year.

Penn's shelter animal medicine program allows fourth-year veterinary students to participate in a surgery rotation on site at PACCA.

A shelter animal medicine course has been added to the school's core curriculum, and it covers homeless animal management, the role of the veterinarian in an animal shelter, pet animal overpopulation, infectious disease control, behavior problems/evaluations and animal cruelty, neglect and hoarding.