Woodie, a 1-year-old pit bull mix, is now pain free and seeing better thanks to community-based veterinary programs that came together to care for him. Born with a dermoid mass in the corner of his left eye, Woodie recently underwent surgery at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) to have the benign growth removed.
Across California, shelters and communities are faced with unprecedented challenges to accessing essential veterinary care that helps ensure pets spend fewer nights waiting in shelters and more time happy at home. Since its launch in February 2022, California for All Animals has awarded $16.5 million in funding for spay/neuter services and $20 million for programs and services that keep pets and people together.
California for All Animals has completed awards totaling more than $5.8 million to animal shelters across the state through its spring 2022 “Open Grant” cycle.
Christine Lynch and UC Davis alumnus William C. Tanner have a special place in their hearts for shelter animals, especially their feline companions Abby, Baxter, Biscuit and Tobias—who once faced uncertain futures. Lynch has made a difference in the lives of countless cats, dogs and other companion animals at their local shelter in Puyallup, Washington, where she has volunteered more than 7,000 hours over the past 14 years. “Bill and I are committed to creating a brighter future for animals and were inspired to support the Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP),” Lynch said.
The Koret Shelter Medicine Program, a UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine program that works to improve the welfare of homeless animals and reduce euthanasia in animal shelters, is turning its attention to behavior and training.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed budget legislation that includes $45 million in one-time support for a statewide Animal Shelter Assistance Program. The program will be administered by the Koret Shelter Medicine Program, at the University of California, Davis, Center for Companion Animal Health. The increase will be used to fund grants and outreach for the state’s animal shelters over a period of five years.
When Dr. Sabrina Wu was a baby, one of her first words was ‘cat’—which is a little weird because she didn’t have any pets growing up in Southern California. But that didn’t stop her fascination with all things related to animals.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of kittens end up in animal shelters, in need of permanent homes. But raising orphaned newborns into healthy, fluffy, frisky 2-month-olds ready to be adopted requires an enormous behind-the-scenes effort.
Maddie’s Fund, a national nonprofit that supports the status and well-being of companion animals, is granting more than $2.5 million to support the Million Cat Challenge as it expands to into its next phase of animal lifesaving in shelters across North America.
