Nestlé Purina PetCare Company helps future veterinarian Kimberly Bergen prepare to treat shelter pets.
Thanks to a generous grant from Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, soon-to-be Dr. Kimberly Bergen, at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine located in St. Kitts, West Indies will receive a tuition reimbursement upon her successful completion of VME 6810 Integrating Veterinary Medicine with Shelter Systems.
Integrating Veterinary Medicine with Shelter Systems is one of three online courses offered by Maddie’s® Online Certificate Program in Shelter Medicine.
Click here to read more about Nestlé Purina’s involvement in shelter programs.
Meet the Recipient
“I am currently a third year student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine located in St. Kitts, West Indies. Next April, I will return to a state side school to complete my clinical rotations. I am originally from Hillsborough, NJ and completed my undergraduate degree in Animal Science at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and graduated with honors in 2011.
I first became interested in shelter medicine when I attended an outreach trip with Animal Lifeline while in undergrad. On this trip, we rebuilt shelters, provided enrichment education to the local community, as well as transported animals to shelters in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey areas. I adopted my black lab mix, Maggie, on this first trip, and I have been hooked ever since. My heart is too big for just one dog, so even if I can’t bring them all home with me I can work to provide the best possible care for the occupants of each shelter I visit. I look forward to the great experiences and insight Maddie’s® Online Certificate Program will afford me. I anticipate upon completion of the certificate, I will be a much more efficient shelter veterinarian and be able to use my practical skills learned in vet school in a whole new way. By developing these proficiencies, I can make outbreak control recommendations, provide valuable information on the conditions of animals in abuse settings, as well as suggest behavior modification plans. Maddie’s program is a valuable adjunct to my veterinary education and future career.”