Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians and Staff - Tapa blanda

Rarely has an animal welfare training manual been as comprehensive and cogent as this 546-page compilation of 30 practical essays. Although this book is ostensibly earmarked for the small but growing specialty of animal shelter veterinarians, the chapters have tremendous relevance to anyone who manages animal care and control shelters. This book should be a "bible" for anyone seeking to run a professional animal sheltering operation. Miller and Zawistowski, veterinary and science advisors, respectively, for the ASPCA, have assembled an impressive array of authorities, primarily from the veterinary field. The chapters include husbandry issues, such as nutritional challenges for shelter animals; care of dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, horses and small mammals; and the design and maintenance of healthy and efficient facilities. Four chapters discuss disease management. Seven chapters explore shelter and community programs such as behavior education, foster care, spay/neuter techniques, disaster medicine, feral cat management, and euthanasia. The introductory section includes a fascinating history of the evolution of animal shelters, a realist study of pet population dynamics, and the administrative and legal hurdles facing shelter vets. My primary interest in this book was the section on animal cruelty and its links to interpersonal violence, and I was most impressed. Chapters about animal abuse, the links, medical evaluation and documentation of animal abuse, veterinary forensics, equine abuse and animal fighting are extremely informative and truly ground breaking. Every shelter should have a copy of this book which, though expensive, presents a highly readable and useful guide for operations. It can easily form the basis for many staff training programs. (Reviewed by Phil Arkow, Chair, Animal Abuse & Family Violence Prevention Project, The Latham Foundation Reprinted courtesy of The Latham Letter, Vol XXVII, Number 2, Spring 2006, quarterly publication of The Latham Foundation for the Promotion of Humane Education www.latham.org)

The ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Program estimates there are 4000-6000 animal shelters in the United States. As the U.S. moves toward reducing the number of animals euthanized in its shelters, access to informed medical care and sound management procedures becomes increasingly critical. Veterinary schools have recently begun offering courses in shelter medicine. This premier text, dedicated to the field of shelter medicine, is a welcome addition to veterinary literature. This text will prove helpful to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other veterinary health professionals seeking job opportunities outside of the traditional veterinary practice, research, and industry venues. Shelter professionals will also want this reference text in their library. In addition to issues of epidemiology, "Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians and Staff", also addresses issues like feral cat programs, basic sanitation, shelter design, cruelty investigations and euthanasia. This book is the first ever to involve principles of herd health management in companion animal species in shelters.