At the beginning of this month, the Clay County Emergency Management department issued an urgent request for help through the Florida Animal Control Association listserv.
They were closing their municipal shelter, Clay County Animal Services, because nearly all the animal care and medical staff had COVID or were exposed and could not work. They needed a veterinarian and vet techs to care for the animals until their veterinary crew could return to work.
Our program responded immediately to provide medical care for the shelter animals. Our shelter medicine interns, Drs. Rowlison and Naples, worked at the shelter all week. They were joined by four of our shelter medicine students, Alyssa Middleton, Jennifer Lane, Erica Castaneda, and Griffyn Krause. The Clay Manager and Assistant Manager were thrilled that our program stepped up to fill the need.
We are so proud of and grateful for these veterinarian and vet student heroes that responded to the staffing crisis at Clay County Animal Services!
We are especially happy our program could help this shelter, because Dr. Jennifer Broadhurst and the shelter staff have provided invaluable mentoring to our veterinary students, residents, and interns for more than 10 years now.