Veterinary professionals and those who work with shelters or animal rescue groups in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are being encouraged to attend the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine's sixth annual Shelter Medicine Symposium scheduled for Jan. 12.

The event will be held at the veterinary school and give attendees a variety of perspectives on key issues and opportunities that are currently facing shelter medicine, the school reported in a news release.

Emi Kooyman, DVM 2016, president of the UGA Shelter Medicine Club, said the symposium is highly beneficial for attendees who are seeking to improve their local shelter medicine systems.

"The overwhelmingly positive feedback from past attendees and the growing number of dedicated shelter professionals who make the trip to Athens to attend every year has shown us how important this symposium is to the community," Kooyman said. "Our goal is to share knowledge and help raise the bar for shelter animal care in Georgia and the surrounding areas."

According to UGA, speakers at the symposium will include:

• Keynote speaker Scott Trebatoski, division chief of Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services. He will discuss results he has achieved over the years, including taking the shelter from a euthanasia rate of over 85 percent to an adoption rate of more than 87 percent.
• Sara Pizano, DVM, MA, medical assessment and curriculum specialist for Target Zero Institute and former director for Miami-Dade County Animal Services.
• Staci Cannon, DVM 2010, member of residency program in shelter medicine at the University of Florida.
• Janet Martin, DVM, developer of the veterinary school's shelter medicine program.

How to participate

To sign up for the event, register online at the school website by Jan. 4. Email Martin at [email protected] for more information.