News
Animal shelter launches UGA program
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| University of Georgia veterinary student Siomara Acevedo, left, and veterinary assistant Jessica Mauck attend to Snookums at Rabun Animal Hospital. |
By Chris McCaa Staff Writer
Boggs Mountain Humane Shelter is teaming up with the University of Georgia to help reduce the animal overpopulation problem and improve the lives of county residents.
As part of the program, students will work at the shelter and perform supervised spay/neuter surgeries at the on-site clinic.
“Were gonna bring in numerous students so they can improve their surgical skills,” said Bob Citrullo, shelter director.
While the externs sharpen their skills, they will also be providing a valuable service for Rabun County.
Through their spay/neuter program the shelter is working to solve the county's animal overpopulation problem. "Our UGA students are integral in this objective," said Boggs Mountain president Penny Burkitt.
“Now we're gonna start decreasing the number of unwanted litters,” Citrullo said.
By reducing the stray animal population, the shelter is helping ensure the health of county residents. These strays, who some may consider a nuisance, also present a health risk to humans, said Rabun Animal Hospital veterinarian Stephen Arbitter.
“Many of them carry hook worms and roundworms,” he said. “People could get those.”
According to Arbitter, the origin of the stray population is clear.
“Where all this starts, all the feral animals in the county, that all starts with somebody not spaying or neutering their pet cat or pet dog,” Arbitter said.
“If everybody had personal responsibility and spayed and neutered their own pets, in a generation of animals the stray population could be almost nothing,” he added.
Rabun Animal Hospital customer Erin Bishop of Macon County, N.C., stands as an example of such personal responsibility. The owner of seven cats also brings stray cats in to be spayed and neutered.
“They spay or neuter them and then I just take them back and release them,” Bishop said.
Even though Bishop can only bring in a limited number of strays, just one spay or neuter can have a sizable impact on the population at large.
“One single cat in a lifetime can put out hundreds of animals, because they can breed so quickly and so easily,” said Siomara Acevedo, University of Georgia veterinary student.
Acevedo is nearing the completion of her three-week rotation in the student extern program at the Boggs Mountain Humane Shelter. During her time in Rabun, she conducted surgeries at least three days a week. Arbitter also went to the shelter once a week to oversee Acevedo during surgery. The other two days Acevedo conducted surgeries at Rabun Animal Hospital.
“It's a win-win for the county and for the students,” Acevedo said. “We learn and people benefit from getting their pets spayed and neutered.”
The shelter spent four years trying to establish the program with the University of Georgia. In August 2007, the shelter was chosen from among six others for the program.
“Our director, Bob Citrullo, has devoted countless hours negotiating and implementing this very exciting externship program with the University of Georgia. Without Bob's passion and love of animals, this program would still be on the drawing board,” Burkitt said.
Now that the shelter has achieved one of its main goals with the student extern program, Burkitt has new ones for the future.
“Our 2008 objective is to perform 600 spay/neuters in our on-site clinic at the shelter, not only for shelter animals, but for low cost spay/neuter events for the general public as well," she said.
As part of the program, students will work at the shelter and perform supervised spay/neuter surgeries at the on-site clinic.
“Were gonna bring in numerous students so they can improve their surgical skills,” said Bob Citrullo, shelter director.
While the externs sharpen their skills, they will also be providing a valuable service for Rabun County.
Through their spay/neuter program the shelter is working to solve the county's animal overpopulation problem. "Our UGA students are integral in this objective," said Boggs Mountain president Penny Burkitt.
“Now we're gonna start decreasing the number of unwanted litters,” Citrullo said.
By reducing the stray animal population, the shelter is helping ensure the health of county residents. These strays, who some may consider a nuisance, also present a health risk to humans, said Rabun Animal Hospital veterinarian Stephen Arbitter.
“Many of them carry hook worms and roundworms,” he said. “People could get those.”
According to Arbitter, the origin of the stray population is clear.
“Where all this starts, all the feral animals in the county, that all starts with somebody not spaying or neutering their pet cat or pet dog,” Arbitter said.
“If everybody had personal responsibility and spayed and neutered their own pets, in a generation of animals the stray population could be almost nothing,” he added.
Rabun Animal Hospital customer Erin Bishop of Macon County, N.C., stands as an example of such personal responsibility. The owner of seven cats also brings stray cats in to be spayed and neutered.
“They spay or neuter them and then I just take them back and release them,” Bishop said.
Even though Bishop can only bring in a limited number of strays, just one spay or neuter can have a sizable impact on the population at large.
“One single cat in a lifetime can put out hundreds of animals, because they can breed so quickly and so easily,” said Siomara Acevedo, University of Georgia veterinary student.
Acevedo is nearing the completion of her three-week rotation in the student extern program at the Boggs Mountain Humane Shelter. During her time in Rabun, she conducted surgeries at least three days a week. Arbitter also went to the shelter once a week to oversee Acevedo during surgery. The other two days Acevedo conducted surgeries at Rabun Animal Hospital.
“It's a win-win for the county and for the students,” Acevedo said. “We learn and people benefit from getting their pets spayed and neutered.”
The shelter spent four years trying to establish the program with the University of Georgia. In August 2007, the shelter was chosen from among six others for the program.
“Our director, Bob Citrullo, has devoted countless hours negotiating and implementing this very exciting externship program with the University of Georgia. Without Bob's passion and love of animals, this program would still be on the drawing board,” Burkitt said.
Now that the shelter has achieved one of its main goals with the student extern program, Burkitt has new ones for the future.
“Our 2008 objective is to perform 600 spay/neuters in our on-site clinic at the shelter, not only for shelter animals, but for low cost spay/neuter events for the general public as well," she said.
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