Science & Technology

UGA to host annual shelter medicine symposium on Feb. 6

Athens, Ga. – The eighth annual Shelter Medicine Symposium will be held at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine on Saturday, Feb. 6. The all-day event is focused on best management and medicine practices for local and regional animal shelters.

Veterinary professionals and others who work in animal control facilities and humane societies or with animal rescue groups in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennesee and South Carolina are encouraged to attend.

The event is hosted by the Student Chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians at UGA. There is no registration fee, but all attendees must register by Jan. 25.

“The mission of this symposium is to provide an opportunity for those practicing shelter medicine to share their ideas and collaborate with one another and learn from professionals in the industry. Our hope is that it will help improve the quality of shelter medicine in Georgia and beyond,” said Cher Hung, president of the UGA Shelter Medicine Club.

“We are extremely excited about the positive feedback we have received from previous symposiums. Last year, we had a record-breaking 300 registrations, and it just shows how much our symposium is growing each year and how important shelter medicine is.”

Scheduled conference speakers include:
• Gerryll Hall, lead veterinarian for Merck Animal Health;
• Michaela Austell, a dermatologist at North Georgia Veterinary Specialists;
• Andy Moorhead, an assistant research scientist in the college and director of the NIH-funded Filariasis Research Reagent Resource Center;
• Sharon Crowell-Davis, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and professor in the college.

To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/shelter2016. For an up-to-date list of speakers and other conference information, visit http://tinyurl.com/sheltermed. For more information, email Cher Hung at ugasheltermedicineseminar@gmail.com.

Sponsors for the 2016 UGA Shelter Medicine Seminar include Nestlé Purina, the UGA Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association.

UGA College of Veterinary Medicine
The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, conducting research related to animal and human diseases and providing veterinary services for animals and their owners. Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share. The college enrolls 114 students each fall out of more than 1,100 who apply. For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.