Expanding Veterinary Access in Shelters: Creative Models That Drive Lifesaving
Best Friends Animal Society
Access to veterinary care has become a significant barrier to lifesaving in animal shelters. Traditional staffing models can no longer meet the medical needs of growing shelter populations. This session explores creative, flexible veterinary relationship models that expand access to care without relying solely on hiring a full-time on-site veterinarian. We will cover practical approaches including regional veterinary partnerships, telemedical support, community-based care, shared-care networks, veterinarian of record models, protocol-driven care, and leveraging non-DVM staff under appropriate oversight. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to bring more veterinary support into their shelter, reduce bottlenecks to lifesaving, and improve outcomes for animals even in resource-limited environments.
