ASPCA Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program

The ASPCA Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency will provide an intensive three year clinical training opportunity covering all aspects of shelter medicine, including clinical medicine and surgery, shelter operations, population management, high quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN), community engagement, expanding access to veterinary care, cruelty investigations and forensics, disaster response, and more. This training program has been approved by and will adhere to all requirements set forth by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP); it is anticipated that the resident will fulfill all requirements and achieve board certification in Shelter Medicine Practice shortly after completing the program.The residency is a core program of the ASPCA’s Shelter Medicine Services (SMS). SMS works in close collaboration with numerous ASPCA departments to support the integration and alignment of key shelter medicine principles across the organization, in order to ensure consistency and continuity of high-quality animal care. The team also supports external sheltering organizations by providing training and developing educational resources on shelter medicine topics, and through direct consultative work with partner organizations. Embedded in SMS’s work within and outside the ASPCA is the organization’s emphasis on the importance of expanding access to veterinary care.The SMS team includes six veterinarians with extensive experience and expertise in the shelter medicine field who all serve as resident supervisors. Residents also join two fellow residents, each at different stages in the residency, offering opportunity to learn from and mentor each other. The resident will be based in New York City (NYC) with regular travel for training opportunities across the country.With mentorship from SMS, the resident will have primary case management responsibility for both individual animal and population level veterinary care for animals handled through the ASPCA’s Adoption Center, Kitten Nursery, Animal Recovery Center (ARC), and Canine Annex for Recovery and Enrichment (CARE). Residents will also gain extensive clinical experience through time spent at the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), one of the largest open admission animal welfare agencies in the country, and a close and long-standing partner of the ASPCA. During shelter practice rotations at ACC, the resident will have primary case responsibility for intake examinations and initial pathway planning, conducting rounds and managing day-to-day animal care, including handling emergencies and managing more complex medical cases. The resident will have dedicated time in each of these areas for day-to-day clinical shelter practice, with additional time focused specifically on behavioral health and well-being of the animals. Residents will gain HQHVSN skills and provide accessible veterinary care through the ASPCA’s Community Medicine program, which operates multiple fully equipped mobile units, a stationary HQHVSN clinic which includes transport, and our Community Veterinary Centers. These programs together serve approximately 95,000 companion animals each year. Residents will also have the opportunity for direct clinical work providing accessible veterinary care through our Community Engagement program.The ASPCA’s NYC operations benefit from a breadth of veterinary expertise, including internal medicine and surgery specialists, as well as nationally recognized experts in veterinary forensic and behavior sciences. The ASPCA NYC forensic veterinarians have a combined total of over thirty years of experience working in veterinary forensic medicine, and the ASPCA Behavioral Science Team leads cutting-edge behavioral advancements within the organization and for the animal welfare field. The resident will gain experience in these specialty fields through collaborative care for the animals at the Adoption Center, Kitten Nursery, and ARC/CARE as well as through dedicated time scheduled with the teams directly. The resident will complete other required specialty rotations with specialists at the ASPCA Animal Hospital and at partner veterinary institutions, including Cornell and Tufts Universities.In addition to the NYC based work, the ASPCA has extensive programming and partnerships across the country that will provide well-rounded and robust training in shelter medicine. The resident will:•Deploy with our National Field Response team to assist with disaster and large-scale animal cruelty cases including field work and ongoing medical and behavioral care for animals housed in temporary field shelters or at our Cruelty Recovery Center in Columbus, OH.•Have dedicated time to focus on the behavioral evaluation and management of cats and dogs in shelters under the guidance of our Behavioral Sciences Team and behavior staff and specialists across all ASPCA sheltering programs.•Develop proficient skills in HQHVSN technique in an experienced teaching environment at the ASPCA’s Spay-Neuter Alliance (formerly Humane Alliance) in Asheville, NC and continue to practice those skills year over year through the ASPCA’s Community Medicine services.•Consult in-person and by remote means with a robust national partner shelter network, including those organizations working closely with the ASPCA Animal Relocation team and Northern Tier Shelter Initiative. The resident will be provided with experience visiting, consulting, developing, and implementing protocols, and managing disease outbreaks with a wide range of shelter types in a variety of geographic areas.In addition to these clinical training experiences, the resident will actively contribute to research and the publication of scientific findings that support the advancement of shelter medicine. Ample opportunities that support the resident’s continued professional development, including regular clinical rounds and journal club discussions, internal trainings and teaching opportunities, and opportunities to learn and present at national veterinary and animal welfare conferences and meetings will be provided.Key job responsibilities include:•Provide high-quality, practical, efficient, compassionate, and cost-effective care that balances individual animal and population level considerations in accordance with shelter medicine principles and best practices•Achieve competency in recognizing, diagnosing, and managing infectious disease outbreaks; thoughtfully mitigate disease spread and manage outbreaks; ensure effective use of quarantine and isolation spaces to manage herd health; ensure appropriate use of PPE•Design and implement protocols for specific programs and shelters, including written documentation, staff training, monitoring, evaluation, and revision in collaboration with SMS mentoring and leadership involvement appropriate to the team, department, or partner shelter•Develop skills in performing HQHVSN techniques and awareness of differing management styles for operating HQHVSN clinics•Provide accessible veterinary care for client owned pets, understanding the spectrum of veterinary care and principles of community engagement•Develop a thorough understanding of the spectrum and range of cruelty cases, the types of assets and logistics required for investigating and responding to large scale cases, and knowledge of the agencies engaged in the reporting, investigation, intervention, prosecution, and enforcement as well as applicable statutes and laws•Perform live animal exams, forensic exams, and participate in evidence collection. Gain exposure to and, where applicable, supervised practice in preparing written reports, maintaining chain of evidence, providing expert witness testimony and communicating with legal authorities•Gain an understanding of and experience in disaster response involving companion animals, including response, reporting and coordination; methods of safe transport; measures to control disease and other risks in temporary sheltering; and animal reunification practices•Contribute to a culture of learning; teach and mentor junior residents, interns, externs, staff and volunteers on shelter medicine principles and shelter medicine protocols•Consult with veterinarians and other animal welfare professionals representative of a wide range of organizations and communities on medical issues pertaining to shelters through email, video, telephone, and in-person means as appropriate to the topic and residency program requirements•Gain mastery in systematically gathering data, performing observations, communicating findings, and providing resources for use by animal welfare organizations to improve animal health and welfare•Engage in collaborative research to provide expertise and evidence-based support for implementation and evaluation of shelter medical programs and protocols, including publication of results•Develop and coordinate new and continuing education for professional veterinary and lay shelter staff; deliver formal presentations to shelter staff and professional audiences as per ABVP requirementsThe American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is the first animal welfare organization established in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. The organization’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States through embodiment of our core values:•Commitment: Dedicated to improving the lives of animals•Ownership: Responsible for the outcome•Team: Stronger together•Elevate: Reimagining what is possible•Impact: Making change for animalsThe ASPCA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.We are able to consider candidates who are authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. Anyone hired by the ASPCA will be required to complete a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, at the start of employment.

Samples may be sent to Antech, IDEXX, or the Florida, New York State, or Wisconsin Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratories as appropriate for the particular specimen and test(s) needed. Gross forensic necropsies with tissue sample collection are performed on-site, but all histopathology as well as virology and microbiology services are provided via the off-site facilities previously mentioned. The sheltering programs routinely perform in-house DTM cultures for diagnosis and monitoring response to treatment for shelter animals with ringworm. A board certified cardiologist visits 1-2 times per month to perform echocardiograms for specific patients.