Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss--During Wednesday [Jan. 31] ceremonies at Mississippi State, representatives from the nation's largest animal protection organization presented a $900,000 check to the university's College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Humane Society of the United States' two-year grant will establish spay and neuter surgical programs at Mississippi's only veterinary medical training facility.
MSU officials officially accepted the check from Dr. Andrew Rowan, executive vice president, and Melissa Rubin, vice president of field and disaster services, for the 10 million-member society.
"This support from the Humane Society of the United States will allow Mississippi State to continue its significant response to animal needs following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina," said Vance H. Watson, vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine.
In collaboration with the HSUS' Rural Area Veterinary Services program, MSU is launching a comprehensive program to assist low-income families--especially those affected by Katrina--with spay and neuter services as well as basic animal health care. The program also is designed to foster relationships with local humane organizations in reducing pet overpopulation, as well as to provide students with hands-on veterinary experience.
Rowan said the grant is funded by donations specifically designated to help animals in the communities affected by the massive 2005 Gulf storm. "This program not only provides real-world training for students, it is an opportunity to have a long-term positive impact in the lives of people and animals in these communities," he observed.
Also participating in the announcement were Dr. Kent Hoblet, dean of the veterinary college, and Dr. Philip A. Bushby, the longtime faculty member recently named as Marcia Lane Endowed Professor in Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare [See MSU news article archive, Jan. 19.] Bushby will oversee the program.
"This partnership will be a comprehensive program that will provide basic veterinary care, as well as spay and neuter procedures for animals whose owners cannot afford veterinary services," Bushby said.
He added: "It will also create opportunities to educate school children and animal owners on the need for routine medical care for their animals and on the prevention of animal overpopulation."
The program also will insert an information microchip into the animal patients and provide vaccinations at the time of surgery.
MSU's effort will be modeled after HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Services program, which combines community outreach and veterinary education to bring free veterinary services to underserved rural communities where poverty and geographic isolation make regular veterinary care inaccessible.
"Through their support, the HSUS has provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to positively impact the people and pets of our region, particularly those affected by Hurricane Katrina," said Hoblet. "This program will enhance our ability to meet the needs of the community while examining components of the pet population."
In 2006, the RAVS program's seven staff members and more than 900 volunteers provided veterinary care for animals in more than 50 communities without animal services. RAVS annually provides more than $1 million in free veterinary services to more than 10,000 animals, all at no cost to the clients or communities served.
Pet owners participating in the MSU program will receive vouchers to cover the costs of post-operative care and follow-up vaccinations for their pets at local clinics, ensuring the long-term health care of the pets.
"There is little doubt that this program will have a lasting effect on our students as well as countless animals throughout the state," Hoblet said.
ATTN: NEWS/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: For more information, telephone Dean Hoblet at 662-325-1418.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.