UF Shelter Medicine Online

08/27/2026

For Kaitlyn Purzycki, shelter medicine has always been about more than animal care alone. 🐾

Kaitlyn '25 has been working with animals since she was 14, starting in wildlife conservation and continuing today as a reproduction veterinary technician and volunteer manager at The Seeing Eye guide dog school. She is also a lead researcher and field technician at the wildlife conservation nonprofit, Terrapin Nesting Project.

Across each role, one thing stays the same. Kaitlyn believes in what can happen when animals are given the time, patience and support they need to thrive. And that belief is what brought her to our online Shelter Medicine master's degree program.

Kaitlyn used her time in the program to better understand how shelters can support the health and wellbeing of the animals in their care, including non-traditional species like horses, reptiles and birds.

For her capstone, Kaitlyn focused on a topic that connected her experience at a guide dog school with her interest in the human-animal bond. Her project, “Dogs Helping Humans: A Path Out of the Shelter Into Service,” explored how shelter dogs could be trained as service animals for people living with PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

She hopes the project helps people see another possible pathway for shelter dogs, one that helps them move through the shelter, find a positive outcome and support someone who needs them.

For Kaitlyn, there is a hidden beauty in animals that you only see when you work or live with them. They provide a comfort that is nonjudgmental and unconditional, which can be healing for so many people. She hopes to continue working with organizations that recognize the comfort, connection and healing those animals can bring to people through adoption, service work, therapy and more.

08/20/2026

Welcome back and happy first day of class, future Gator alumni!! 🐊✨

We think first day introductions are in order!

Whether you’re working in a shelter or in veterinary medicine, logging on from Gainesville, Michigan or somewhere in between, say hi in the comments!!

Bonus points for introducing the pet who will inevitably be studying alongside you this semester. 🐶🐱📚

08/13/2026

New World Screwworm is probably a name you already know. But after being pushed out of the U.S. decades ago, it’s something we have to talk about again.

While companion animal cases remain uncommon, shelters, rescues and community cat programs should know what to look for and how to prepare. The UF Shelter Medicine Program has brought together resources from trusted veterinary, animal welfare and government organizations covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment, transport considerations and more.

We hope these resources can help animal welfare organizations stay informed, prepared and ready to protect the animals in their care as we learn more.

Find our New World Screwworm resources here: https://bit.ly/45Zvu0B

New World Screwworm (NWS) is an emerging concern for animal shelters, rescue organizations, and community cat programs.

08/07/2026

To all of our Summer 2026 UF Shelter Medicine graduates, congratulations! 🎓✨

We’re proud of the passion and dedication you bring to protecting animals everywhere. The work you’ve done and continue to do matters, and we know you’ll carry that same commitment into every animal, shelter and community you serve. 🐊

Meet our Summer 2026 grads here: https://bit.ly/45dtd1y

07/31/2026

Our own Dr. Becky Morrow has received the 2026 AVMA Meritorious Service Award! 🎉

The award recognizes a veterinarian whose service has brought honor and distinction to the profession. Through her work expanding access to veterinary care, training professionals around the world and supporting animal cruelty investigations as a volunteer forensic veterinarian, Dr. Morrow has made an impact on countless animals and communities.

We’re also fortunate to have her share that experience with students across multiple courses in our online Shelter Medicine Graduate Program.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Morrow on this well-deserved recognition! 🐾

07/24/2026

🐈Shelter Scenario:

A litter of recently admitted kittens is moved into the general cat population after intake. Within a few days, staff notice vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and a sudden drop in appetite. One kitten declines quickly, and now another cat housed nearby is starting to look “off.”

For shelter professionals, this is a situation where timing, housing history, vaccination status and quick decision-making matter.

What’s going on here, and what would your next step be?

07/16/2026

In animal shelters, data can tell a bigger story than what’s happening on any one day. 📊

VME 6815: Animal Shelter Population Management by the Metrics teaches students how to retrieve, assess and interpret population-level shelter data to make more timely, data-driven decisions. From animal flow to disease monitoring, this course helps students look beyond annual reports and use metrics proactively to support animal health and improve shelter operations. Students will explore data collection, basic epidemiological and statistical principles and how to evaluate data quality so they can better understand what the numbers are really saying.

Learn more about the course below. ⬇️

https://bit.ly/4vAbCeW

07/08/2026

There’s only one week left to apply for Fall 2026! 🐾

Designed for working professionals and aspiring leaders, UF's 100% online Shelter Medicine program offers master’s, graduate certificate and non-degree options to help you grow your impact without stepping away from your career.

Applications are closing soon. Take the next step toward the role you’ve been working for. ⬇️

https://bit.ly/4vuab1L

07/02/2026

Shelter leaders, how does your community prepare for July 4th?🎆

For many shelters, the holiday does not end when the fireworks stop. The days around July 4th can bring an increase in lost pets, stray intakes, reunification efforts and urgent community messaging.
Some shelters focus on microchip clinics or ID tag events before the holiday. Others increase lost-and-found communication, prepare foster pleas, adjust staffing or share very specific pet safety reminders with their communities.

We’d love to hear what has worked where you are.

What does your shelter do before, during or after July 4th that has made a difference for pets and families in your community?🐾