Dr. Joy Keaton, Janet L. Swanson Intern of Shelter Medicine, has completed her time with the Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine program at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Although this past year presented many hurdles with COVID-19, Dr. Keaton had many highpoints.
Particularly, she enjoyed all of the extra surgical experience she was able to gain. Anywhere between 12-16 hrs/week, Dr. Keaton saw a range of surgical and medicine cases. From neck wounds to large malignant trichoepitheliomas, Keaton was able to gain invaluable knowledge over the course of the past year. That being said, COVID-19 did present some challenges. Most notably, striving to maintain the same level of medical care with reduced personnel and frequent COVID testing policies and procedures that were ever-changing.
Although this past internship year was significantly different from previous years due to the pandemic, Dr. Keaton is grateful not only for her time with the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program and the SPCA of Tompkins County, but also for the experience she gained on different Cornell service rotations. When asked to name a highlight, Dr. Keaton recalled her experience on the Cornell Wildlife Service. Whether she was assisting a porcupine to regain their appetite, or rehabilitating a possum with frost-bitten toes, Dr. Keaton saw and treated a wide variety of cases.
Beginning next month, Dr. Keaton will join Columbus Humane in Ohio as one of their shelter medicine veterinarians. In the future, Dr. Keaton will work towards becoming boarded and hopes to bring some of the Cornell elements that have stuck with her to Ohio. Keaton says her passion for shelter medicine lies with being able to help animals without a voice and fostering the human/animal bond.
Dr. Elizabeth Mulhall, Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Intern, has also completed the program. Dr. Mulhall fondly looks back over the course of the past year and how she’s been able to develop more as a clinician and refine her surgery skills. She’s grateful for the outreach medicine and public assistance she was able to be a part of and for all of the “happy ending” stories, where she saved lives and brought humans and animals together.
Dr. Mulhall also noted COVID-19 as challenging, particularly with its impact on shelter consultations, normally a large part of the shelter medicine internship. However, the pandemic did allow for extra surgery cases and Cornell service rotations. Mulhall enjoyed her opportunities with the Emergency and Critical Care, Wildlife, Exotics, Clinical Pathology, Necropsy, and Dermatology rotations.
Up next for Dr. Mulhull is the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburg (HARP), where she will be able to continue with community outreach clinics and aid with wildlife cases. Mulhall said that her passion for shelter medicine developed when she was 16 years old, although at the time, she didn’t realize it could be its own field. She hopes to continue working with and for special needs animals and providing medical expertise and support to the local communities.
