Dr. Emily McCobb Joins UC Davis as PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care
Dr. Emily McCobb, DVM, MS, DACVAA, has been appointed the inaugural PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. This prestigious role, permanently funded by a $6 million grant—the largest in PetSmart Charities' 30-year history—marks a significant step forward in making veterinary care more accessible across the United States.
Dr. McCobb’s appointment reflects UC Davis's commitment to ensuring that pets and their families have access to the care they need, regardless of financial constraints. With more than 60% of American households including pets as cherished family members, the inability of some pet owners to afford necessary veterinary care often leads to heartbreaking decisions, including surrendering pets to shelters. McCobb's role will focus on driving innovation across the veterinary system to address these challenges.
"I'm extremely honored to have been selected. UC Davis is the pinnacle of veterinary education and a school we all look up to," McCobb said. "It's time to reshape our profession and drive efforts like those in human medicine to ensure more pets get the care they need to thrive. As veterinarians, we took an oath to care for all animals, not just those from privileged backgrounds. I'm also grateful to PetSmart Charities for their vision in sustaining this kind of support. It will inspire other universities to launch programs designed to expand care models that serve a wider array of families."
In 2023, PetSmart Charities committed $100 million over five years to improve veterinary care models, ensuring that more pets receive the care they need to thrive. The endowment of this faculty role at one of the nation’s top veterinary schools is a cornerstone of that commitment, addressing barriers to care such as rising costs, practitioner shortages, and outdated payment models.
UC Davis's Access to Care program has already pioneered new models of care within the veterinary profession. As the PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care, Dr. McCobb will further develop these models and provide national leadership in this critical area.
The urgency of accessible veterinary care is underscored by several alarming statistics:
PetSmart Charities estimates that 50 million pets each year lack access to standard and preventive veterinary care.
Urban veterinary service prices increased by 7.9% from February 2023 to February 2024, significantly outpacing the average rise in consumer prices.
Nearly 30% of pet owners report that a veterinary bill of $499 or less would put them in debt.
Dr. McCobb brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She has spent years at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, where she served as a clinical associate professor of anesthesiology and directed the school’s shelter medicine program. Her work with community programs at Tufts, including student-led efforts to deliver care to local communities, has deeply informed her approach to making veterinary care more accessible.
One of Dr. McCobb's key goals is to empower students to advocate for a spectrum of veterinary care options, ensuring that they can partner with pet owners to provide care that considers their financial needs. Her role will also involve influencing change across the broader veterinary ecosystem, as she takes to the speaker circuit to share her insights and drive innovation.
"We're thrilled Dr. McCobb is taking on this incredible opportunity," said Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities. "We know she'll bring expert leadership and representation to the academic and broader veterinary communities while also helping to mitigate barriers to care, advance research and innovation, and gather stakeholders to address this increasingly pressing problem with creativity and resolve."
Dr. Mark Stetter, DVM, DACZM, dean of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, echoed this sentiment. "Dr. McCobb was an ideal choice—her proven leadership and passion for accessible veterinary care are exactly what is needed in this role. She has helped to build a curriculum and explored research in this area so that others can learn about this increasingly important topic. In this new role, she now has the opportunity at UC Davis to elevate this work and make an even greater impact."
Endowed chair roles like this are designed to attract the best and brightest in academia. These positions provide the permanent funding necessary to investigate, innovate, and develop solutions that can be shared broadly. The creation of the PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care ensures that this vital work will continue for generations to come.
"It's exciting to know that this endowment means someone will always take on this role," said Dr. McCobb. "I'm the first to hold the distinction and intend to create a strong program for the future."
