Spring/Summer 2012 Aesculapian Magazine - University of Georgia ...

will help expose students to not only
the needs of pets in shelters but also
ways to work in the community to keep
pets in their homes. She believes that
exposing future veterinarians to the
plight of impoverished pet owners in the
community and educating them about the
ways in which veterinarians can intervene
will prevent more pets from becoming
shelter statistics.
By including her students in
this project and encouraging their
participation in the pet food collections
and distributions, Martin hopes they will
graduate with a fuller understanding of
the community and their roles in it.
Heather Tucker, a DVM-MPH
dual-degree student and president of the
Shelter Medicine Club, has also become
involved in the efforts. She wants to
complete an internship and residency to
become a shelter medicine veterinarian.
She hopes that her efforts with the food
bank will help to deter the public from
relinquishing their animals to shelters.
“The fields of public health and shelter medicine
overlap in many ways,” says Tucker. “I hope to educate
the public so that fewer pets are relinquished to already
overcrowded animal shelters. As veterinarians, we have a
responsibility to help not only animals, but the people who
own them as well.”
How the program works
To obtain dog and cat food to be distributed, food
is collected continuously throughout the year in large
donation bins placed in high-traffic areas of the vet college.
Student volunteers periodically sort the food and re-bag it
into one-gallon plastic bags for easier distribution to those
who might have a limited ability to store and transport the
food. It is then handed out on a weekly basis to registered
participants at Our Daily Bread (717 Oconee St.).
The Athens Area Humane Society, an Athens Pet
Food Bank partner, also provides pet food for owners in
need. Pet owners can fill out an online application and
qualified applicants can make appointments to pick up a
month’s supply of food.
Participants agree that the main goals for the Athens
Pet Food Bank are to provide a needed service to the
community, provide opportunities for UGA students
to learn about issues involving pet owners in all areas
From left: Dr. Mary Hondalus, Food Bank advisor; Alan Power (DVM ’14), founder of the
Athens Pet Food Bank; Dr. Janet Martin, Food Bank advisor; and Heather Tucker, president
of the Shelter Medicine Club
of the Athens community, and provide ways to support
the maintenance of the human-animal bond, thereby
decreasing the number of pets going into shelters. And
they feel that their efforts are proving successful.
An Athens-area homeless man with a well-known
dog, “Cheeseburger,” has already told volunteers he is
excited about the program and using the pet food bank.
The program, in addition to making a difference in the
community, is also providing students and faculty with life
experiences that go beyond veterinary college.
“It started as a project idea, and now it’s a real
program that is making a positive difference in our
community,” says Power.
For More
InForMatIon
Visit: www.vet.uga.edu/GO/petfoodbank
Aesculapian Spring/Summer 2012 28
Photo by Sue Myers Smith