The annual ASPCA Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference took place July 22-23, 2023. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the conference, which was founded by Dr. Leslie Appel, Founder and Executive Director of Shelter Outreach Services (SOS) and Courtesy Lecturer at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, back in 2003.
The conference included:
- 461 in-person attendees, 550 registrants
- 13 sponsors
- The Keynote Address: Celebrating our Progress and Sustaining our Momentum by Matt Bershadker, President and CEO of the ASPCA
Dr. Anna Young, our Janet L. Swanson Intern of Shelter Medicine said one of her favorite lectures was listening to Ms. Kelly Bremken, Veterinary Social Worker at the Oregon Humane Society, speak about Shifting to a Culture of Wellness with the Help of Veterinary Social Work. “This is the first time I’ve heard from a veterinary social worker and it’s inspiring to listen to how this work benefits shelters and their surrounding communities,” Young said.
Dr. Lena DeTar, Interim Director of Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program (MSMP) at Cornell University and Dr. Erin Doyle, Senior Director of Shelter Medicine & Residency Programs at the ASPCA, held one of a dozen roundtable discussions available to participants on Saturday, theirs on the “ASV Well-Being Position Statement: Making our Work Sustainable.”
“The point of the position statement is to give shelter staff and veterinarians a resource when advocating for wellness improvements in their work lives, whether that is talking to administrators, managing staff, or doing what they can to create a better work culture on their own. We had a great turn-out of around 10 people, who varied from rockstar volunteers and PhDs to LVTs, vets and even Human Resources staff! We met outside on this beautiful day to improve our own wellness,” Dr. DeTar said.
Ms. Kelsey Arrison, MSMP LVT, spoke in the Veterinary Technician track on Spay-Neuter Programs, Kitten Fostering and Low Stress Cat Handling. Arrison said, “speaking at this year’s ASPCA Cornell Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference was a blast! Getting to talk with so many like-minded individuals out there and bounce ideas off of each other on how to improve the welfare of the furry friends we care for was so motivating. The ideas for next year are already rolling in.”
Day 1 of the conference concluded with a fancy wine and cheese reception, generously sponsored by Maddie’s® Fund. Conference attendees gathered to celebrate and listen to remarks by Lisa Ward, Director of Education at Maddie’s® Fund, Dr. Stephanie Janeczko, Vice President of Shelter Medicine Services at the ASPCA, Dr. Leslie Appel, Founder and Executive Director of Shelter Outreach Services (SOS; conference founder), Dr. Lila Miller, retired ASPCA veterinarian and the “mother of shelter medicine,” and Dr. Lena DeTar, Interim Director of MSMP and Assistant Clinical Professor at Cornell University. Speakers reflected on how far shelter medicine has come over the years, especially now with full approval and recognition as a veterinary specialty.
(left to right): Suzette Moschetti, Kelsey Arrison LVT, Dr. Erin Henry, Dr. Lena DeTar and Dr. Aly Cohen
At the end of the weekend, over 400 attendees headed back to homes across North America with knowledge they could apply to their own careers and shelter work, great questions asked and (mostly) answered, and a renewed source of energy to continue the positive and difficult work that is shelter medicine.
Check out more photos from the event on our Facebook page @CUMSMP.
#ThankstoMaddie
#20thanniversary
#SMC23
Written by Suzette Moschetti, Program Coordinator, Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program. Photos by Darcy Rose.
