I feel very fortunate to be on my third career within veterinary medicine. I spent the first five years of my career as an emergency veterinarian. I spent the next 21 years in zoological medicine, first as a clinician and later as an executive. And for the last five years, I have had the privilege of being the president of The Anti-Cruelty Society, Chicago’s oldest and largest animal welfare organization.
During my 20-plus years in zoos, I witnessed an amazing evolution. I am fortunate to have joined the shelter medicine community during an exciting time of similar growth. The first shelter medicine textbook was published in 2004, and now a specialty in shelter medicine is being proposed.
To work in a shelter environment, a veterinarian has to have excellent surgical skills, a solid understanding of epidemiology and population management, superb communication skills, and of course, compassion.
The increasing attention that has accompanied the field’s growth has brought a lot of public focus on one particular and challenging facet of shelter medicine: euthanasia.
All shelters, even those that call themselves “no kill,” euthanize animals with severe medical or behavioral conditions. The term has been divisive among organizations, and the Society has made an informed decision not to use what we consider to be a deceiving term. The majority of limited-admission shelters, those who often adopt the “no kill” term, have lower euthanasia rates because they choose the animals they admit and turn away those who would otherwise be euthanized.
“I have had the joy and honor to use my knowledge and training to positively impact the community. As an emergency veterinarian, at Lincoln Park Zoo, and at The Anti-Cruelty Society, I have been fortunate to work with incredible and passionate people.”
The Anti-Cruelty Society is an open-admission shelter and will not turn away any cat or dog in need. I am thankful that we can provide euthanasia services to these otherwise rejected animals, as well as for owners whose pet’s quality of life is severely compromised. No caring professional takes the decision to euthanize lightly, and I strongly feel that at times euthanasia is the most compassionate option. All shelters have the common goal of no more homeless pets and we need to work together to accomplish that.
Many individuals have helped me become the veterinarian and person I am today. At MSU, Dr. Duane Ullrey introduced me to zoological medicine. Dr. Bill Leeds mentored me at my first job and, at my first zoo job in Detroit, Mr. Bill Pasanen watched out for me. I knew I had finally made it when Mr. Bill went from calling me “The Kid” to “Doc.”
December 2013