Shelter Health Consultation

Dr. Julie Levy, program director and professor of Shelter Medicine, examines cat housing and enrichment during an assessment.

Our program’s veterinarians are available to help animal shelters meet their lifesaving goals while providing the best possible care for the animals. Faculty, advanced trainees, and staff are here to help shelters be their best.

Addressing specific challenges, responding to new opportunities

You may be looking for a focused problem analysis like controlling a ringworm outbreak. Or perhaps a donor has come forward with funds to develop new cat housing. Whatever the shelter’s needs, we’ll work to address them with sound science and compassionate medicine.

If a thorough assessment is what your agency needs, a full shelter health evaluation encompassing a wide range of sheltering topics can be performed through an on-site assessment. Whether responding to community criticism or working to become a model agency through best policies and practices, we have worked with shelters of all shapes and sizes.

Types of Consultation

Although formal shelter health consultations are a powerful tool to change the outcome for shelter animals, not every shelter challenge requires an onsite visit to get effective advice for positive change.  We are available for:

• Phone consultation
• E-Mail consultation
• Review of written protocols or shelter design plans
• On-site assessment (may include a formal written report)

On-Site Assessment

A shelter visit is the best tool to provide Shelter Medicine veterinarians the opportunity to understand the unique strengths and challenges of a particular shelter. The veterinarian-client-patient relationship stays true: MSMP is the veterinarian, shelter management is the client, and the shelter is the patient.  And just as a physical examination of a pet includes an evaluation of all body systems while considering the goals and abilities of the owner, a complete shelter health assessment includes a hands-on look at shelter operations with consideration for the shelter’s mission and specific assessment goals.

Whether a shelter is struggling with the basics or ready to take programs to the next level, we work to find ways to help shelter leadership meet their goals and improve shelter animal health and well being.

Consultation Topics

Our shelter consultation services examine shelter operations through the framework of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.  While each consultation is tailored to the specific needs of the shelter, systems to be evaluated would potentially include:

• Statistical analysis and tracking
• Population management
• Isolation and segregation
• Intake process
• Parasite control
• Vaccination
• Veterinary services
  • On-site veterinary services vs. dependency on community clinics
  • Adequacy of hours/services
  • Standard surgical practices
  • Disease recognition and diagnosis
  • Treatment for common diseases
• Nutrition/feeding
• Euthanasia (process and procedure)
• Kennel cleaning
• Cleaning other areas (common areas, vehicles, dishes, etc.)
• Cat and dog housing
• Cat and dog enrichment/stress management
• Behavior evaluation