Association of Shelter Veterinarians launches updated guidelines for standards of care
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) released in January 2023 the second edition of the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters. The guidelines were originally created in 2010 to provide a resource for the housing, husbandry, medical and behavioral care of animals living in animal shelters. Following an extensive review process, the guidelines have been updated to include expanded research and information in the field of shelter veterinary medicine.
Tom Van Winkle, executive director of ASV, said in a news release that since the association’s founding, leaders have maintained the same dedication to establishing and advancing consistent care in animal shelters.
“With the advancement of research and changes in shelter medicine, we knew it was time to update the guidelines to provide the best possible resource to shelters and veterinarians everywhere,” he said.
The Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters provide evidence-based support to those caring for animals in shelters, rescues, fosters and sanctuaries. They are used as a benchmark for organizational self-assessment and improvement, a framework for shelter consultations and a basis for shelter regulation.
In 2019, ASV began the review process of its guidelines with a survey of shelter professionals, seeking to reflect the diversity and breadth of tasks shelter professionals encounter every day. The task force included 19 shelter veterinarians selected for their subject matter expertise. They summarized current literature to create this consensus document of guidelines and recommendations.
The second edition shifts its ethical framework from the Five Freedoms to the Five Domains, which provides a broader approach to achieving and maintaining positive welfare and expands on the previous document with additional references and expanded resources.
“The Guidelines are an extremely important part of the work we do,” said Dr. Lena DeTar, DVM, DABVP, DACVPM, interim director of Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University, ASV vice president, and one of the editors of the revised guidelines.
“With these updates and the recent launch of the Journal of Shelter Medicine & Community Animal Health (JSMCAH), we’re continuing to expand the resources we provide to veterinarians and shelters, especially the evidence-based research that impacts the welfare of animals in shelters and communities.”
For more information on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and its resources, visit https://www.sheltervet.org/
About the Association of Shelter Veterinarians
The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) was founded in 2001 at the American Humane Conference. Since its founding, ASV has served as the voice of veterinary shelter medicine, providing access to comprehensive, evidence-based resources, education, and support for its members and the shelters they serve. These resources include efforts to develop a Board-recognized specialty in shelter medicine, now with over 30 diplomates under the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters, which were initially completed in 2010 and revised in 2022, and the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health, launched in 2022 to advance the evidence base in the field of shelter and community veterinary medicine. ASV has more than 2,000 active members and 20 national and international student chapters.
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