UC Davis Partnership with Local PetSmart Provides Undergraduates with Low Cost Pet Care and Pre-Veterinary Experience

A new UC Davis veterinary clinic located in the PetSmart just north of campus is serving many needs for undergraduates and their pets. All UC Davis students can receive low cost primary care for their cats and dogs, including routine wellness examinations, sick visits, and vaccinations. In addition, the clinic serves as a homebase for “laboratory” sessions for pre-veterinary courses, giving pre-veterinary students hands-on experience working in a veterinary clinic.

The clinic is overseen by Dr. Emily McCobb, a professor at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, clinic manager Kelly Stetter, RVT, and a dedicated team of veterinary assistants, most of whom are also UC Davis undergraduate students. Dr. Jeannie Knuchell serves as the lead clinical veterinarian. 

As the PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care (AVC), Dr. McCobb oversees all AVC programs, including working with both undergraduate (pre-veterinary) and DVM (veterinary) students to accomplish community outreach programs. In that capacity, she is the instructor of record for VME 125, an internship-type course for undergraduate pre-veterinary students. VME 125 uses a “train the trainer” model with much of the course content being delivered by veterinary students with support from Dr. McCobb and teaching assistants (TAs).

The AVC team supported the veterinary student educators to hold a laboratory session for the course at the new UC Davis AVC PetSmart Clinic, hosting nearly all 50 students enrolled in the course. The goal for the laboratory was to provide the students with hands-on experience with live animals. Veterinary student educators, TAs, and AVC staff assisted Drs. Knuchell and McCobb to lead individual laboratory breakouts, each showcasing a different scenario of handling.

There are more than 1,000 pre-veterinary students at UC Davis and at least three student clubs for them to gain some of the experience needed to apply to veterinary school: 

• Veterinary Aide Club: Club with a long history of preparing its members to be competitive in animal care fields through hands-on experience, mentorship, and guidance. (read UC Davis feature on the club) 
• Pre-Vet Students Supporting Diversity: Club designed to support students from underrepresented/disadvantaged communities pursuing careers in veterinary medicine by providing resources that will enhance their preparation to veterinary school.
• 27 Heartbeats: Club that provides medical care to animals in need by collecting and distributing unused medical supplies.

Gabriela Escoto, a fourth-year undergraduate, is the loop abroad coordinator for 27 Heartbeats and a student in VME 125. 

“I think for a lot of undergraduates, it is difficult to gain hands-on experience with animals,” Escoto said. “But this class has allowed us to get that experience to gain animal handling and care and how we can practice those safe methods within a clinical setting. While I have worked at a spay/neuter clinic before, being able to gain that experience through a UC Davis course is a great opportunity.”

Talia Peggins, a second-year undergraduate and community service coordinator for Pre-Vet Students Supporting Diversity, is taking the course to get more comfortable in the basics of veterinary medicine. 

“Since most of our undergraduate classes do not focus on specific veterinary-related topics, I want to learn some basics of veterinary care that will help me in my volunteer work with the Mercer Clinic,” Peggins said.

The laboratory session taught the students handling techniques, identifying signs of stress in the animal, and how to best help the clinician. Specifics included different handling techniques depending on the type of examination or procedure occurring – as an example, holding an animal to get its temperature may be different than holding it during a vaccination. It also focused on different techniques needed for handling big dogs versus small dogs or cats versus dogs.

The course also explained certain common behavior patterns of animals, ways to calm them when stressed, and the best methods to make them feel safe and secure. It also gave the students hands-on experience in weighing animals and other basic procedures in a clinic.

While the UC Davis AVC PetSmart Clinic is just beginning to provide veterinary care to the pet population of the student community, Dr. McCobb looks to increase appointment availability in the near future as the clinic becomes fully staffed and fully operational. 

“We know many UC Davis students have pets,” said Dr. McCobb. “We also know that the expense of veterinary care can cause financial stress for these students. Thankfully, we’re able to ease that financial burden a bit with lower cost care at this new clinic. It’s exciting to have this resource available for students in such close proximity to campus.”

Currently, the clinic is staffed with two part-time veterinarians, a veterinary technician coordinator, and six undergraduate students, with oversight by Dr. McCobb and Stetter. 

In the 2027-28 academic year, the clinic will host an elective rotation for fourth-year DVM students. There are also additional opportunities for undergraduate students to be employed at the clinic.

The UC Davis AVC PetSmart Clinic is located at 855 Russell Boulevard, Suite 150, just northwest of the intersection of Russell Boulevard and Anderson Road. Appointments for pets of UC Davis students can be made by emailing [email protected] or online at accessvets.org.

#   #   #