Bright and early, the “rig” pulls up to the shelter. The students and staff are like a well-oiled machine and work to get everything set up and ready to go. The shelter sent over their list of animals identified for surgery the day before, so the team is well prepared with enough supplies. Up first, the shelter staff brings in the dogs for examination, and then the team starts surgeries. Once the dogs are almost done, the cats are brought on board for exams and then surgery.
After completing 20–25 spay and neuter surgeries on average, the crew breaks down the rig, completes discharges, discusses any special concerns with the shelter staff, and then pulls out and heads back to Purdue. It is about a 15-hour day, and, if crew members are lucky, they squeezed in a lunch break around hour eight. When the team leaves, the shelter and the animals are positively impacted by the experience. Adoption rates go up because the animals are spayed and neutered, and then euthanasia rates at the shelter go down. But the benefits of the Priority 4 Paws program go far beyond that parking lot.
The program serves 15 shelters — 13 monthly and two quarterly. The locations are all within driving distance of Purdue, with the farthest being New Castle, Indiana. Since opening in 2012, over 6,000 surgical procedures have been performed, and the 136 students trained so far averaged 50 procedures during their rotation. This surgical opportunity has proven invaluable to the students.
“During exit interviews with our fourth-year students, we were getting the feedback that there was not enough surgery experience,” says Dr. Carol Fellenstein, the mobile shelter surgery clinician. “This is important because our students need to be confident when they perform surgery. When they are more confident, then they land better jobs with higher salaries. By the time they finish their rotation on the rig, they have fine-tuned their skills and feel more comfortable in a high-quality, high-volume surgical environment.”
The concept originated in a program that Dr. Lyn Freeman saw at Mississippi State. They had started a mobile unit program with funding from PetSmart Charities. Purdue modeled Priority 4 Paws after that program and also secured funding through PetSmart Charities. However, the funding has since been lost due to PetSmart being acquired by venture capitalists. Currently, only 60 out of 110 fourth-year students get the chance to do a rotation with the Priority 4 Paws program. The students go to the shelters as part of the program. Of the three weeks that make up one Priority 4 Paws block, two weeks are spent on the rig and the third week is at the shelter. Unfortunately, students who don’t get on the Priority 4 Paws rotation have no access to any of it.
“Surgery is something that improves with hands-on practice. We initially learn through text, pictures, and sometimes video, but you only truly get better at surgery with application of this knowledge,” says Christopher Robinette, a master of public health candidate from Anderson, Indiana. “After completing Priority 4 Paws, students averaged over 40–50 surgeries. It was a wonderfully unique program that gave me great insight into shelter medicine and allowed me to enhance my clinical and surgical skills. ”
The college is currently seeking a new funding source but is committed to the program and even hopes to expand. A focus on expansion aligns nicely with the plans for growth at Purdue. Currently, a timeline for implementation is in the works for a shelter medicine program. Shelter medicine and animal welfare both just became board certified as a recognized specialty by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“We have a clean slate and can build the program,” says Fellenstein. “We also have the opportunity to drive change in the state of Indiana. The shelters are managed by the counties, so every shelter is different. Many shelters really struggle, and we can come alongside them and make recommendations for practices that will keep the animals healthy, increase adoption rates, and improve processes. We can provide a lot more than just a mobile surgical visit.”
This is a rallying cry echoed by the New Castle/Henry County Animal Shelter. For the first time ever, 2015 was a no-kill year for healthy animals at the shelter. “The time Dr. Fellenstein and her students have taken to teach my staff and me the proper methods for the housing of our animals and simple testing has saved countless lives,” says Linda Bir-Conn, executive director. “Many more animals have been saved due to us being able to treat various conditions versus euthanizing for lack of funds.”
The term “no-kill” brings a smile to the face of Dr. Fellenstein. Priority 4 Paws isn’t just a service-learning project but a difference-maker in local communities. By increasing adoption rates, Priority 4 Paws is playing a vital role in speeding up the process of placing cats and dogs in their forever homes.