The History of ASV

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians was officially founded during the American Humane Conference in Washington, D.C.

UC Davis adds Shelter Medicine Residency to their offerings in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

This annual meeting, held in the spring, brings together members to celebrate those who improve community animal health and discuss upcoming initiatives.

This task force worked to establish the first set of guidelines to establish a standard of care in shelters across the country.

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) formed a task force to explore the development of a specialty in Shelter Medicine. A letter of intent was sent to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS).

Recognizing the importance of spay/neuter programs, ASV convened a task force to develop veterinary medical care guidelines for spay-neuter programs.

Eleven Shelter Medicine veterinarians met in Orlando, FL with facilitators from the Ohio State University Center on Education and Training to draft the job task analysis.

The American Veterinary Medical Association introduced a dedicated Shelter Medicine track, increasing visibility and advocacy for the field.

Results of the job task analysis are validated through a survey of the ASV membership. Faculty members representing 9 different veterinary colleges form a Residency Standards Task Force to develop standards for residency training in Shelter Medicine.

After two years of work by the task force of veterinarians to develop these guidelines, they were published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association's July 2008 issue.

Organizing committee members included:

Claudia J. Baldwin, Elizabeth Berliner, Philip A. Bushby, Cynthia Barker Cox, Brian A. DiGangi, Elise N. Gingrich, Brenda Griffin (co-chair), Lesli Groshong, Kate F. Hurley (co-chair), Stephanie D. Janeczko, Michael R. Lappin, Julie K. Levy, Kathleen Makolinski, Melinda D. Merck, Lila Miller, Sandra P. Newbury, Jeanette O'Quin, Kris Otteman, Gary J. Patronek, Rebecca Rhoades, Janet M. Scarlett, Martha Smith-Blackmore, Sheila (D'Aprino) Segurson, Miranda Spindel, and Bonnie Yoffe-Sharp

The first edition of the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters were released in 2010 to provide a trustworthy resource for the housing, husbandry, medical, and behavioral care of animals living in animal shelters. Rather than being prescriptive or operational, the recommendations focused on meeting the animals’ needs while recognizing that there were many ways in which to do this. The Guidelines offered evidence-based support to those caring for animals in shelters, rescues, fosters, sanctuaries, and other population settings.

Organizing committee members conduct surveys of veterinary curricula through the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, surveys of shelter practitioners through the Veterinary Information Network, and surveys of the ASV membership regarding their interest in certification. The committee’s research culminates in a decision to pursue the development of a Shelter Medicine specialty under the auspices of the ABVP.

A formal petition for a recognized veterinary specialty is created and presented to the ABVP’s Council of Regents (COR). The ABVP COR votes to accept the petition and forwards it to the ABVS’s Committee on New Specialty Development (CNSD).

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ (ASV) Board of Directors (BOD) developed the first set of position statements in 2013 and has since published 20+ position statements in response to the growing demand from ASV members, state veterinary boards and animal shelters for guidelines and expert opinions on a variety of subjects that present common medical and management dilemmas. 

The 18th Annual ABVP Symposium in Phoenix featured its first Shelter Medicine Track. Sessions were led by Brenda Griffin, Kate Hurley, and Stephanie Janeczko.

The American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) votes to recommend provisional recognition for the shelter medicine practice specialty under the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

The American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) votes to recommend provisional recognition for the shelter medicine practice specialty under the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

ABVP requires diplomates to be skilled in the art and science of medicine and surgery as well as other areas such as preventative and wellness care, behavior, and public health. Shelter veterinarians must have at least 4 years of full-time, high-quality practice experience with shelter medicine and be able to document a commitment to high-level continuing education. 

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians convened a task force to update the existing guidelines. This group of veterinarians envisions that these guidelines will be used by the profession to maintain consistent veterinary medical care in all settings where spay-neuter services are provided and to promote these services as a means of reducing sheltering and euthanasia of cats and dogs.

The authors of both the original Guidelines and the second edition are all shelter veterinarians active within the ASV community who are deeply passionate about supporting shelter animals and the people who care for them. The authors represent different areas of expertise, geographical locations, and current or previous roles in a variety of shelter types.

For 20 years, ASV has brought shelter veterinarians together to share and learn from each other. This work has included setting guidelines for shelter animal care, guidelines for spaying & neutering, promoting the teaching of shelter medicine in veterinary colleges, and serving as a resource to other professional organizations (AVMA, USDS, etc) on legislative or regulatory issues pertaining to animal care and welfare in group housing facilities.

The Association of Shelter Veterinarians began publishing the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health (JSMCAH, or "jazz macaw") in 2022 to support its mission: to advance and support the practice of shelter medicine to improve community animal health and well-being. JSMCAH is a rolling admission, online, gold open access journal that publishes evidence-based research impacting the welfare of animals in shelters and communities.

The path to achieving Diplomate status is demanding and involves a comprehensive application process, submission of detailed case reports and professional references, and a thorough review of practice procedures and educational records. The final step is a day-long examination.