Have you heard about the Helping Alachua's Animals Requiring Treatment and Surgery Program?
Community Outreach
The UF College of Veterinary Medicine is involved in a variety of programs created to educate the veterinarians of the future and make a difference in the lives of pet owners and others throughout Florida and the Southeast through the advancement of human, animal and environmental health.
Shelter Medicine Programs
UF’s shelter medicine course offers several opportunities for veterinary students to improve their surgical skills while helping needy animals in the community. The program offers spay-neuter services to various animal rescue groups in the Gainesville area. Additionally, through a program known as HAARTS — Helping Alachua’s Animals Requiring Treatment and Surgery — certain animals from shelters or at rescue organizations have been able to receive life-saving medical care. The HAARTS program was conceived by UF veterinary students and has been funded by the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association and Dr. Paula Kislak, a UF veterinary college alumna.
Henry, a deaf yet rambunctious 10-week-old Great Dane mix, recently ended up at a Florida animal control shelter after being hit by a car. Due to the extent of his injuries, which included significant fractures of both his femur and tibia, Henry was slated to be euthanized.
A Second Chance
Henry, a young pup that was hit by a car, now has a second chance thanks to HAARTS. ©HSVMA
Thanks to a new program at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Henry has been given a new lease on life and the surgery necessary to repair his fractures.
Henry, and dozens of other animals in need, have received medical care through this new program called HAARTS, or Helping Alachua's Animals Requiring Treatment and Surgery, which was launched at the College of Veterinary Medicine in the fall of 2008.
Countless Benefits
The goal of the program is to expand surgical training opportunities for students, developing their skills in procedures commonly encountered in private practice in a context which does not involve medically unnecessary or terminal procedures on animals.
A related goal is to partner with animal shelters and rescue groups in the community of Alachua County, treating animals in need and offering local veterinarians the option to refer low-income caregivers to the program if they are unable to afford necessary medical treatment for their companions.
Surgical procedures offered through the program include fracture repair, mass removal, enucleations, aural hematoma surgeries, and hernia repair. Animals have also received minor wound care and treatment of some skin diseases.
Another important program is the St. Francis Pet Care Clinic, which was founded by Dr. Dale Kaplan-Stein, a local veterinary practitioner; Chris Machen, wife of UF president Bernie Machen; and Dr. Natalie Isaza, UF’s shelter medicine course coordinator. The St. Francis Pet Care Clinic offers a unique learning opportunity for veterinary students and helps disadvantaged Gainesville-area residents at the same time.
UF veterinary students who are enrolled in the college’s shelter medicine course have become involved in activities at the St. Francis Pet Care Clinic by helping to provide basic veterinary care -- with an emphasis on spay-neuter procedures -- to the pets of homeless and financially disadvantaged people living in our community. This program brings together volunteers and professionals in an effort to improve health and overall quality of life of individuals who are too frequently marginalized by society and unable to properly care for themselves or their pets.
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