Association of Shelter Veterinarians launches updated guidelines
The updated document provides the most comprehensive guidelines in the shelter veterinary community
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) has just released the second edition of the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. The Guidelines were originally created in 2010 to provide a trustworthy resource for the housing, husbandry, medical and behavioral care of animals living in animal shelters. Following an extensive review process, the guidelines have been updated to include expanded research and information in the field of shelter veterinary medicine.
“Since our founding, we’ve maintained the same dedication to establishing and advancing consistent care in animal shelters,” said Tom Van Winkle, Executive Director of ASV. “With the advancement of research and changes in shelter medicine, we knew it was time to update the guidelines to provide the best possible resource to shelters and veterinarians everywhere.”
The Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters provide evidence-based support to those caring for animals in shelters, rescues, fosters, sanctuaries, and other population settings. They are used as a benchmark for organizational self-assessment and improvement, a framework for shelter consultations, and a basis for shelter regulation.
In 2019, ASV began the review process with a survey of shelter professionals, to reflect the diversity and breadth of tasks shelter professionals encounter every day. The task force, consisting of 19 shelter veterinarians selected for their subject matter expertise, summarized current knowledge and literature to create this consensus document of guidelines and recommendations. The second edition shifts its ethical framework from the Five Freedoms to the Five Domains, which provides a broader approach to achieving and maintaining positive welfare and expands on the previous document with two new sections: additional references and expanded resources.
“The Guidelines are an extremely important part of the work we do,” said Lena DeTar, DVM, DABVP, DACVPM, interim director of Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University, ASV vice president, and one of the editors of The Guidelines revision. “With these updates and the recent launch of the Journal of Shelter Medicine & Community Animal Health (JSMCAH), we’re continuing to expand the resources we
provide to veterinarians and shelters, especially the evidence-based research that impacts the welfare of animals in shelters and communities.”
For more information on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and its resources, click on the link below: