Students Connecting Globally
Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE)
CARE is a network of veterinary students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine who foster and find new homes for critters without that special someone. An entirely student-run nonprofit organization, it is based out of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Its primary goal is prevent healthy homeless animals from being euthanized by helping adopt them out to forever homes. The majority of the dogs CARE deals with were recently spayed as part of the School's Shelter Animal Medicine and Surgery curriculum. All the cats (and occasionally a dog when noted) on the site were not part of this program; they usually are just looking for a home.
CARE can offer assistance in finding the perfect pet for people, through the adoption process, and even make sure the first couple weeks with a new pet go smoothly.
Rural Area Veterinary Services
Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS), a program of the Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals, is a nonprofit program combining community outreach and veterinary education to bring free veterinary services to underserved rural communities where poverty and geographic isolation make regular veterinary care inaccessible. For the years 2005–07 combined, 204 Penn students (some who have participated more than one year and/or several trips per year) have participated in these trips.
Vet School Student Clubs
Alpha Psi Veterinary Fraternity
American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Student Chapter
Behavior Club (Penn Vet Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior)
Canine Club
Christian Veterinary Missions
Club for Surgical Interests
Equine Club (Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners)
Feline Club
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Club members had many opportunities throughout the semester to participate in spaying and neutering feral cats in city shelters.The club's private-practice mentor, Dr. Diane Eigner, V'80, invited members to visit her feline hospital, The Cat Doctor, in Philadelphia.
- Dr. Eigner offered students the chance to sign up to shadow vets at Cat Doctor on Saturdays. Two student members volunteered to do this, and both gave rave reviews about the experience.
Flea Club (Penn Vet Chorale)
Food Animal Club
Holistic Club
International Veterinary Students' Association
Recent activities
- Members have held numerous fundraisers to help cover costs of their volunteer trip to improve veterinary infrastructure in developing countries of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. They look forward to sharing their outreach experience at the end of the summer.
Laboratory Animal Medicine Club
Ohe VET Jewish Graduate Student Organization
Outing Club
Penn Vet Animal Welfare Society
Public Health Club
Society for Theriogenology (Repro Club)
Recent activities
- Members participated in a sheep ultrasounding lab at a local to look for pregnant sheep. The farm must do this anyway, so the fact that students come is helpful and a good learning experience.
Spanish Club
Special Species Club
SPECIAL SPECIES MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALUMNI
Recent activities
- Plenty of club members volunteered at the Tri-state Bird Rescue and Research clean waterfowl affected by oil spills, baby bird feeding and other clinical work.
- Members participated in the toad round-up at the Baltimore Aquarium. Ten students rounded up toads in the rainforest, then did physical examinations and micro-chipped the toads in their legs (pit-tagging).
- Members participated in case studies at the Philadelphia Zoo with Dr. Hinshaw. Fifteen students attended a presentation on interesting cases the zoo has had.
- Four students visited the Delco Bird Club to learn about how to care for certain birds and to hear a talk about research involving Delco Bird Club birds.
Special Species Symposium
Student Chapter of the American Animal Hospital Association
Student Chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians
Recent activities
- Approximately 20 to 30 members currently volunteer three Sundays per month at the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to assist in spay/neuter clinics. Members also attend attend vaccination clinics being held at PAWS once a month to help provide low-cost vaccines to the public (both these events are overseen by volunteer veterinarians).
- The club has a foster care program where they provide homes for mostly kittens until they big enough for spay/neuter and adoption.
- Members are working hard to get involved in the Philadelphia community and help shelters save the lives of the animals they house. Penn Vet students are concerned about what is going on around them and are using their "free time" to help animals as well as their owners.
Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Recent activities
- In 2007 Penn Vet students held the 1st Annual 5K Dog Walk and Run for a Rabies-Free World to support World Rabies Day. The proceeds raised from this event supported the mission statements of the Alliance for Rabies Control, a nonprofit international charity based in the US and UK and SCAVMA, the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Funds raised by SCAVMA support the funding for 15 student clubs, student travel expenses to the annual National Student AVMA Symposium and other professional conferences, educational student club wet labs, community outreach activities held by students and annual scholarships.
- The club has also initiated the "Josh Project," which provides children undergoing surgery with the book I'll Be O.K., explaining what they will be going through by telling the story of Josh, a golden retriever who has to undergo surgery. When the book has been explained to them, they receive a stuffed Josh plush toy that will be with them when they go to surgery and when they wake up. The dogs and books are available for purchase and proceeds go to the Children's Miracle Network.
- SCAVMA philanthropy chairs have coordinated fundraisers this year and are working with volunteer coordinators at the Chilrden's Hospital of Philadelphia to have this program running this fall.
- The club donated the proceeds from a 2006 Octoberfest event to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to show support for to show support for a School faculty member and his family.
- Penn Vet students were engaged in letter-writing and phone campaigns to U.S. senators Arlen Specter and Robert Casey, Jr. (both PA) and U.S. Representative Chaka Fatah (PA) so that they will advocate congressional support and financial appropriations to the National Veterinary Medical Services Act Awareness, which will bring veterinary relief to underserved areas in the U.S.
- A collection of students with food / mixed / equine interests had brainstorming meetings about outreach programs designed to increase mixed-animal veterinary student education and recruitment. The club is developing a relationship between Penn Vet and the W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences to develop mentorship opportunities to high school students as well as large animal experience and elective class development at Saul’s facility.
Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
Student Chapter of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management
Student Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society
Recent activities
- This year the club reinstituted the Emergency Service Shadowing Program, allowing members to spend a few hours shadowing clinicians and residents and get a first-hand look at emergency medicine in action.
- Members also arranged a 'techniques' wet lab where they were able to practice placing chest tubes, enucleating or performing a temporary tracheostomy.
Veterinary Business Management Association
Vet Students CARE (Companion Animal Rescue Effort)
VIVA (Veterinarians Interested in Various Activities)
VOICE (Veterinary Students as One In Culture and Ethnicity)