Congratulations to the nine newest recipients of the Maddie’s® Online Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine!
Eight Practicing Veterinarians and One Vet Student Earn Graduate Certificates
We’re excited to announce the newest recipients of the Maddie’s® Online Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine!
This fall, eight professional veterinarians and one veterinary student received a graduate certification in shelter medicine through our online education program. These talented students and professionals now possess the skills and knowledge they need to make a difference in the lives of shelter pets. This semester’s certificate recipients are located all over the world: seven different US states: Hawaii, Florida, Arizona, Utah, George, California, and Ohio, and two additional countries: Canada and South Korea.
The graduate certificate is designed for working professionals and covers subjects critical to treating sheltered animals, such as sterilization, infectious diseases, animal cruelty, behavioral assessment treatment, and preventative healthcare.
Shelter medicine is now recognized as a veterinary specialty, and Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program is proud to offer current and future veterinarians the training they need to help homeless pets in shelters across the globe.
The Maddie’s® Online Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine provides the opportunity for students to engage in graduate-level coursework intended to prepare them for all aspects of a shelter medicine practice.
Through the power of distance learning, professionals and students can enhance their veterinary skills from anywhere in the world. Read about two of the new recipients:
Mary Elizabeth Ellard
“Mary-Elizabeth Ellard is a native Atlantan. She majored in religion and zoology at Duke University. She spent many pre-dawn and dusk hours at the Duke Primate Center studying the loud calls of lemurs. Her graduate research focused on dominance and aggression in Belgian draft horses. Dr. Ellard graduated from UGA with an MS in Veterinary Anatomy in 1987 and a DVM in 1992. She did her externship at ZooAtlanta. After almost twenty years in private practice in Atlanta, Dr. Ellard shifted her focus to Atlanta area animal shelters. She currently serves as the veterinarian for Atlanta Pet Rescue and Adoption, provides spay/neuter services for Lifeline Animal Project and continues private practice relief services on the side. She deeply appreciates UF’s Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program for the excellent resources they provide shelter veterinarians. Dr. Ellard served on the board of the Greater Atlanta Veterinary Medical Society. She loves to cook and hike with her husband, Bill. She serves on the board of the Georgia Battlefields Association and speaks on veterinary medicine during the American Civil War. The Ellards live in the heart of Atlanta with their cat, Annabelle.”
Rachel Barton
“After graduating from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999, I began my veterinary career as an associate veterinarian at a small animal hospital where I worked for seven years. While I enjoyed private practice, I always felt I had more to give my community. In 2006, I had a wonderful opportunity to move into the newly emerging field of shelter medicine by becoming the City of Tallahassee’s first veterinarian with Tallahassee Animal Services, an open-admission municipal shelter in Florida. Through the years, I have also had the privilege to work with the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response Team, assisting with a variety of cases. I have found my true calling and take my role as a shelter veterinarian seriously. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the University of Florida’s Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Certificate Program. It has expanded my knowledge of the field, and, ultimately, improved the quality of care that I am able to provide the animals in my care. ”
(Click here to read more about our online certificate alumni)
Learn more about the Maddie’s® Online Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine.