LSU Receives Grant to Support Large Animal Shelter Program

The ASPCA grant will help enhance disaster planning and response, and expand services in underserved areas, and more.
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The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU SVM) has received a $5,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to provide care for horses in need, enhance community disaster planning and response, and expand services to underserved areas of Louisiana.

The LSU SVM Disaster Response and Training Program provides needed aid during a disaster and uses these experiential opportunities as a teaching tool for present and future veterinarians and other animal care personnel. Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Isaac; the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill; the Mississippi River flooding in Tennessee in May 2011; the flooding in south Louisiana in August 2016; and smaller scale rescues including vehicular accidents and flood rescues make up the list of responses since the program was formalized in 2005. Regular maintenance of vehicles, medicine, supplies, and travel to keep this program funded is vital. Responding to disasters and helping serve the needs of shelter horses also provides valuable experience for the LSU SVM faculty, staff, and students.

“There is a growing problem in our state and nationally with overpopulation of unwanted horses, with municipal animal shelters usually unequipped to care for so many neglected animals,” said Rebecca McConnico, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, LSU professor of equine medicine. “Engaging our veterinary students as part of a medical team to work with the shelters provides vital medical services for these animals and, at the same time, provides the students with real-life hands-on experiences, strengthening the students’ core skills and confidence as they move into the veterinary work force.

“Students participate in animal physical assessments, body scoring, vaccinations, deworming, castration procedures, first aid, dentistry, problem-solving, and client communications,” she continued. “It’s a win-win community engagement for us as it makes up an important part of the clinical training program, and the shelter horses, ponies, and donkeys receive needed care which in turn, improves their chances of having a quality life and of eventually being rehomed. Generous and continued support by groups such as the ASPCA allows us to continue this important work. We were delighted to hear this news and deeply appreciate this support

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