UW/UCD Shelter Medicine Fellowship 2025-2026
Applications accepted through June 9th, 9:00 am CT! The Maddie’s UW/UCD fellowship was created to build a learning community that provides training and support for veterinarians to make a positive lifesaving impact in their organizations and the communities they serve.
The fellowships provide unique opportunities for practitioners to learn via clinical interaction with the University of Wisconsin and UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Programs and with a variety of animal shelters throughout the United States and Canada, as well as other international countries. In addition, fellows may have opportunities to interact with other academic and clinical programs, including other university shelter medicine programs as well as national animal welfare organizations.
Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Fellows will focus on advanced shelter medicine training beginning in August 2025 and running through summer 2026. This time is comprised of a week long in-person kick-off event followed by weekly 1.5 hour Zoom discussions as a group, which currently take place on Thursday afternoons CT and will require video and audio accessibility in a private space.
Through participation in this program, the Fellow will:
- Become familiar with resources to improve shelter and community animal health, through a One Health approach, including detailed knowledge of the resources available through our websites, www.uwsheltermedicine.com, www.sheltermedicine.com, other organizations with whom we regularly partner (e.g. Maddie’s Fund, HSUS, Pets for Life, ASPCA, the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and American Animal Hospital Association), and the scientific literature.
- Become familiar with the ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care.
- Learn many important elements of shelter consultation, including considerations for housing, population planning, sanitation, physical and behavioral well-being, etc.
- Interact closely with shelter medicine faculty, residents, fellow alums and students with a goal that relationships will develop that promote life-long learning and collaboration between practitioners and academics.
The Fellows will be able to put their new skills to work with their own organizations, directly benefiting animals and communities. Additionally, the shelter medicine programs and UW veterinary students involved will benefit from the infusion of practical experience brought by the Shelter Medicine Fellows. Many Fellows continue on with the program as alums and mentors while working in or with shelters for years to come, greatly magnifying the benefit of this investment in their training.
Cost: Free! Fellows do not pay registration fees or tuition. Training and any travel costs within the U.S. associated with the fellowship are covered by the fellowship and made possible by a grant from Maddie’s Fund®. No other direct financial support to fellows is provided. At this time, it is unknown if fellows outside the U.S. will be accepted for the 2025-2026 Fellowship. If you reside outside the U.S., please email uwsheltermedicine@vetmed.wisc.edu expressing your interest.
Selection and review committee: A committee will review applications, conduct interviews, and select candidates. The review and selection committee will be comprised of members of the UW and UCD Shelter Medicine Program. Consideration will be given to selecting candidates representing a variety of geographical locations, shelter types, and scope of work within the shelter. Interviews will likely take place the weeks of June 9th-June 20th.
Fellowship requirements: Fellows will spend their time working in person during camp and remotely throughout the year with the University of Wisconsin and UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Programs which includes:
- Attendance at the August 25th-29th Shelter Medicine Intensive in Madison, WI required (described further below).
- Prepare and participate (e.g. provision of written recommendations or verbal presentation) on remote or on-site consultations on one or more of the following topics: shelter facility design; animal husbandry; outbreak management; data collection and analysis; or full shelter health evaluations (completed as a part of Intensive)
- Attend weekly fellowship group meetings virtually (1.5 hours per meeting) with access to a private space.
- A primary goal of the Fellowship is for fellows to make at least one positive change in their shelter or community. Candidates should be willing and empowered to make meaningful change throughout the Fellowship.
- Possibility of delivering a presentation on what was learned through the fellowship, giving examples of positive changes that were made at your organization and/or within your community as a result of the experience.
- Possibility of travel one additional time throughout fellowship year for learning purposes.
Attendance is required at a week long in-person fellowship training event ‘Shelter Medicine Intensive’ to work closely with other fellows in the program as well as the UW and UC Davis Shelter Medicine teams and veterinary students. This will be held August 25-August 29th 2025 in Madison, WI. Travel on the day before and/or after the event may be required. Participation in this training is a requirement of the fellowship and expenses for this event, including fellows’ travel, will be covered thanks to a grant from Maddie’s Fund.
*We will be required to follow any University of Wisconsin event and travel policies or procedures, including illness policies.*
How to apply:
Applicants must be licensed veterinarians working with a shelter, animal welfare, or community medicine organization in some capacity (as employees, contractual or volunteer).
Application must include:
- Completed Google form
- A current CV (attach)
- A letter of intent (attach, 1 page max). Letter of intent describing why you are interested in the fellowship, how you hope it will benefit animals in your community in the near and/or long term future, further details on the answers above you feel may need clarification, and anything else you think we should know as we consider your application.
- A signed copy of the provided letter of support from organization management. If you are unable to provide a signed copy of support please explain further in your application materials. Printable version here.
**Please have all 3 required documents to upload prepared when completing this application (CV, letter of intent, letter of support from shelter management). You will be able to save/edit your application (BUT YOU MUST SAVE THE LINK THAT POPS UP AS SOON AS YOU SUBMIT in order to do so). Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Click here to view and complete the Shelter Medicine Fellowship Application.
Questions regarding the Maddie’s UW/UCD Shelter Medicine fellowship program and application can be sent to uwsheltermedicine@vetmed.wisc.edu. Deadline for applications is by 9:00am CT, Monday, June 9th.
UW Shelter Medicine Program and UCD Shelter Medicine Programs share a commitment to fighting against systemic oppression, which will be reflected throughout the fellowship program. Our joint statement can be found here: https://www.uwsheltermedicine.com/library/resources/joint-statement-from-uw-and-ucd-shelter-medicine-programs-on-commitment-to-fighting-against-systemic-oppression