This session will discuss behavioral information that you will want to obtain prior to intaking an animal in to the shelter, how to use this information (can we divert this intake, provide outside resources or have a plan to successfully move this animal through the shelter), how to collect information about this animal in the shelter (straying away from single point in time behavior tests and taking a more comprehensive approach) and what treatment of behavior issues can look like for those who have resources to do so in the shelter.

Pet owners who are experiencing homelessness face a hard life made harder by the barriers that pet ownership adds to an already challenging life on the street. This talk will explore the paradox that exists between the high value that pets can add to folks living lives marked by hopelessness, social isolation, and violence on the streets of most US cities. Yet having a dog (or cat) with you 24/ 7 closes many doors, including those on a bus, at a doctor’s office, 7-11 or homeless shelter.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a foreign animal disease in the United States and a highly infectious and lethal calicivirus that infects lagomorphs. An outbreak of RHDV2 in the United States occurred in early 2020 in the SE United States and has continued to spread through a large portion of the West and into Mexico. This presentation will cover the disease, its history and the most recent outbreak in the US. We will also discuss implications of the disease in animal shelters and recommendations for managing rabbits in the shelter environment.

A look into the effect of a provincial ban on elective onychectomy (declaw) and its impact on provincial shelter intake, specifically cats surrendered for destructive scratching behaviour, as well as other shelter metrics.

Parvovirus infections are an important health concern for dogs and cats. Although parvoviruses are easily spread, environmentally resilient, and capable of causing severe, sometimes fatal disease infection is not inevitable.

In this session, learn how animal shelters implement transport programs to save the lives of pets and how private practitioners can help. Animal relocation programs seek to address the issue of supply and demand by moving pets from areas of oversupply to areas of undersupply and higher demand. Many overburdened source shelters, though, are located in areas where infectious diseases like heartworm disease and distemper are constant threats. This session will address how shelters and veterinarians on both the sending and receiving ends of transport programs can safely relocate animals without spreading infectious disease. The session will also cover basic management of some of these diseases for practitioners less familiar with them, as receiving organizations often have more resources to address treatment, allowing sending shelters to allocate limited resources to address their local community challenges. It is through collaboration and partnership that more lives are saved.

Case studies of contagious vomiting and diarrhea outbreaks in shelter cats will be presented, covering outbreak investigations, research discovery, and learnings for future case management.

For many of those living unsheltered, their pets’ welfare becomes their primary focus and purpose, yet resources are scarce. We can help, and this presentation will discuss why and how. Topics covered will include life on the street for the unsheltered and their pets, co-sheltering, cross-sheltering, and the art and science of street medicine, which provides care to both ends of the leash.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to drastic alterations in many industries, and shelter medicine and animal welfare were no exceptions. Veterinarians and public health experts worked together to create strategies for dealing with COVID-exposed pets. Animal shelters shifted to a community-supported model, where animals were no longer housed within the walls of the shelter, but out in the community, in foster homes. Adoption of homeless pets skyrocketed, and citizens joined in shelters’ efforts to reunite lost pets with their people. A looming eviction crisis has led to a critical evaluation of veterinary services and access to care, even as private veterinary practices remain overwhelmed. This session takes an in-depth look at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on animal sheltering, both positive and negative, and will highlight what it has shown us about the future of animal welfare.

1. Enrollment qualifications: This VIN CE conference is open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians.
2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
3. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN. Please include the conference title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.