The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is proud to announce a new partnership with the animal welfare charity, Mayhew. This partnership will see the two organisations join forces to enhance the health and well-being of vulnerable companion animals through the principles of shelter medicine – an emerging veterinary medicine field.
This collaboration represents a shared commitment to improving the lives of homeless and at-risk animals, whether they reside in state-of-the-art rehoming facilities or face life on the streets. Through this partnership, the RVC’s shelter medicine programme and Mayhew will provide additional capacity, with the RVC team performing free neutering, at Mayhew’s on-site community vet clinic, for pet owners who otherwise could not afford to neuter their animals.
Shelter medicine integrates surgical and medical care and has an emphasis on problem-solving. Encompassing several areas of veterinary care, it can include disease management, such as preventative healthcare, knowledge of infectious diseases, housing and disinfection; population control, including neutering programmes; behavioural health; and cruelty and forensic investigations.
The RVC’s shelter medicine programme, launched in 2014 and is the UK’s first formal student rotation dedicated to this field. It provides students with the opportunity to work alongside dedicated shelter vets and gain first-hand experience of the challenges and rewards of looking after animals in shelters and providing accessible care. With a team of twelve dedicated shelter medicine veterinarians, the programme currently collaborates with leading charities including Blue Cross, RSPCA and Wood Green and now Mayhew.
Louise Allum, head of shelter medicine at the RVC, said: “We are excited to announce this new partnership with the Mayhew, a hardworking charity which is passionate about serving the local community. So many animal shelters in London are at, or over capacity, so performing these neutering procedures will be a significant step in reducing the number of unwanted cats and dogs.
“The Mayhew team has been incredibly welcoming and we look forward to continuing this partnership and important work.”
Samantha Aronson, head of clinic at Mayhew, said: “”We are delighted to be working with the RVC in this new partnership, helping to upskill student vets in an incredibly important area of preventative care.
“Demand for Mayhew’s preventative services has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Being able to treat both animals that come into our care and support owners who could not otherwise afford to neuter their cats and dogs is a vital step in addressing the sad overcrowding shelters are experiencing. We’re so pleased to be working with the RVC team to reach many more dogs and cats that need us.”
