Shelter Veterinarian salaries can vary depending on location, experience, and the shelter they work for. Salaries can also be influenced by the type of shelter (private, nonprofit, government-run) and the region or country.
The average salaries of veterinarians in the United States is $106,037 a year according to latests stats listed by the bureau of labor statistics, salary.com, indeed.com, payscale.com, and salaryexplorer.com.
Veterinarians working in animal shelters may have different compensation structures compared to those in private practice. Some may receive a fixed salary, while others might receive additional benefits such as housing allowances or loan forgiveness programs.
One of the highest paying shelter veterinarian positions in the US is with the Kalamazoo Humane Society. Not only is the salary and bonus competitive, $140K plus but it also offers free college tuition (for any in-state Michigan public college) when your child graduates from a Kalamazoo high school. Here is more information about this wonderful opportunity.
Shelter veterinarians usually work with Humane Societies across the country. Humane Societies rely heavily on donations and fundraising efforts to support their operations, which can impact their ability to offer competitive salaries. For example, Kalamazoo Humane Society has an endowment of $5 million dollars to help financially support pet owners be able to keep their pets thus creating a no-kill shelter.
Veterinarians, veterinarian assistants, nurses, operations managers, other staff are motivated by their passion for animal welfare and the opportunity to make a positive impact of the lives of both the animals and owners in need.
What are some of the benefits in working in Shelter Medicine?
- Able to give back to the community
- Do the job you love
- Work with colleagues and assistants who are passionate about caring for animals
- No evenings or weekends
- New veterinarian graduate opportunities
- Retired veterinarians who lend their experience
- Provide excellent care for your patients
- Veterinary shelter medicine has excellent continuing education
The Journal of Shelter Medicine & Community Animal Health is an independent online journal published by the ASV. The journal publishes original research, case studies, professional guidelines, and review articles relevant to shelter and community animal health, behavior, and welfare.
Most veterinary colleges in the US now include shelter medicine content in their elective and, increasingly, core curricula. Training opportunities for veterinarians continue to expand and include online graduate programs, fellowship opportunities for practicing veterinarians, an increasing number of specialty internships, and residency programs offered through private shelters, national animal welfare organizations, and academic institutions.
Shelter Medicine Achievements
Since its inception as an area of veterinary practice, shelter medicine practitioners have been invaluable contributors to the animal welfare field, including the following achievements:
- Creating and supporting the widespread implementation of shelter health and operational guidelines
- Establishing High-Quality, High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) as a respected field with evidence-based practice guidelines
- Generating new strategies that reduce the impact of infectious diseases like parvovirus, distemper, and ringworm
- Formalizing and championing an approach that considers and addresses all aspects of animals and their needs, medically, behaviorally, and operationally
- Fostering effective population management with techniques like daily rounds, pathway planning, and actively managing capacity for care
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