Shelter Medicine
The WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital partners with regional and local shelters to bring animals to the hospital where they receive care and are returned to the shelters for adoption. Shelter dogs and cats from communities in eastern Washington and northern Idaho are transported to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital where they are vaccinated, examined, receive a spay or neuter surgery, are microchipped. They returned to their shelters as more adoptable pets.
Veterinary students can also elect to spend two weeks at either Seattle Humane in Bellevue, Washington, or the Idaho Humane Society in Boise, Idaho, where they gain additional medical and surgical practice-ready skills, and specialty training, such as dentistry, animal behavior, and emergency care.
“Seattle Humane helped me to reinforce my medical knowledge and clinical skills, allowing considerable hands-on learning opportunities while I was there.”
Krysta Dawson (’20 DVM)
Community outreach
As part of the 2-week clinical rotation at Seattle Humane or the Idaho Humane Society, veterinary students also have opportunities to serve in their shelter communities caring for animals that belong to pet owners in need.
- Provide affordable wellness care through Seattle Humane’s Community Medicine and Idaho Humane Society’s Veterinary Service
- Treat pets of people experiencing homelessness through the One Health Clinic, a partnership between WSU and the University of Washington
- Join other volunteers at the Doney Coe Pet Clinic to serve low-income people-pet families or families experiencing homelessness
Shelter Medicine stories
Questions about giving? Contact Christie Cotterill or 206-219-2402.