TOH animal shelter to become college training center

In a unique partnership with LIU Post, the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh will become a training center for veterinary college students, who will treat cats and dogs in residence at the shelter under the supervision of leading doctors and professors in the field.

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen and Dr. Carmen Fuentealba, Dean of Long Island University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, announced plans for the new program, which subject to accreditation, will offer the only four-year doctorate of veterinary medicine degree in the metropolitan area.

The historic partnership will allow students at LIU access to train at the shelter; the largest municipally run animal shelter in Long Island. The Town would also benefit from state-of-the-art laboratory equipment that would be part of the approximately $40 million investment that LIU plans to make in a new facility which is scheduled to open in September, 2019 at the LIU Post Campus.

“The Town of Hempstead has a real opportunity to vastly expand the care of our shelter animals, without costing the taxpayers a dime,” said Town of Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen. “Our shelter animals will be cared for under the watchful eye of some of the leading doctors in the country, while veterinary students receive supervised, hands-on instruction before graduating. It’s a real game-changer in terms of the level of service that we will be able to provide, and it’s a great example of how government can partner with the community to affect positive change.”

“Part of developing a world-class veterinary school is ensuring our students learn in real-world situations and develop essential skills required to provide critical services to the community,” said Dr. Fuentealba.

Nassau SPCA officials said they support the partnership.

“Increasing access to veterinary care opportunities in Long Island’s largest municipal animal shelter will greatly benefit the animals,” said Nassau SPCA President Gary Rogers.

Currently, there are only 30 veterinary colleges in the United States and only three in the Northeast. The nearest veterinary college is University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Philadelphia, over 100 miles away.

Demand and employment of veterinarians is projected to grow 19 percent within the next decade, which is “much faster than the average for all occupations,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.