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Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources, the promotion of public health and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.
The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine has incorporated a Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program into its core clinical veterinary curriculum. The purpose of this Program is to educate veterinary students and post-graduate residents in all aspects of shelter medicine, including disease and problem behavior prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This program emphasizes the need for medical programs in animal shelters and serves to raise the profile of shelter medicine as a valuable, challenging and rewarding discipline within the field of veterinary medicine. Furthermore, this program emphasizes non-lethal means of controlling the pet surplus through humane strategies for pet population control that support the "no-kill" movement philosophically and by active education, research, and outreach. Unfortunately, most animal shelters today do not have the veterinary staff to maintain appropriate programs to keep shelter pets healthy and to rehabilitate treatable pets. In addition, research is needed to better define protocols for limiting and treating physical and behavioral diseases common to shelter pet populations. In recognition of these facts, the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine is collaborating with Maddie's Fund to establish a comprehensive Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at Auburn University. Our goals are to improve the quality of life for shelter pets, to decrease shelter deaths, to increase adoptions, and to create a pool of veterinarians who are well-versed in shelter medicine, including those who specialize in the field. Finally, we seek to advance scientific knowledge in non-lethal strategies for pet population control and in the discipline of shelter medicine in order to find a cure for the "disease" of euthanasia (the leading cause of death in cats and dogs) and to guarantee a home for all healthy and treatable pets. |
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