With an estimated 6.3 million animals entering animal shelters around the United States each year and 920,000 animals euthanized in animal shelters annually (ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/helping-people-pets/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics),  shelter medicine is an important facet of the veterinary field. Shelters are at the forefront of community public health and are leaders in considering access to care and knowledge, encapsulating an important aspect of the One Health concept.  

The Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program focuses shelter medicine efforts not only within the sheltering facility, but includes a wider sociological, economic, and cultural perspective allowing for a greater examination of human-animal-environmental interactions and link between human and animal health.

The Penn Vet Shelter Medicine Program not only provides medical care to those who need it, as we also interact with community members and engage in outreach to try to prevent animals from ever entering the sheltering system in the first place.  The program also works in partnership with community organizations to build towards common goals in human, animal, and environmental health including training, research, education, and access.