The University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is excited to welcome Dr. Staci Cannon as the college’s first faculty shelter medicine specialist. Dr. Cannon joined the faculty on July 1, 2022, as part of a newly established partnership with the Athens Area Humane Society (AAHS) aimed at supporting the shelter community in the Athens area while providing valuable training to veterinarian students.
“We are honored to partner with CVM to offer a robust, hands-on shelter medicine rotation for fourth-year veterinary students within our state-of-the-art spay/neuter clinic and wellness center,” said Dr. Cheryl McCormick, CEO of the Athens Area Humane Society. “Having Dr. Cannon on-site to guide students’ clinical work and engage AAHS’s clinical team will have a remarkable impact, both in terms of health outcomes for companion animals and the future of shelter medicine in the State of Georgia.”
Dr. Cannon will help develop the new program while teaching and providing surgical and medical instruction to fourth-year veterinary students at the Athens Area Humane Society. Students will complete a clinical rotation at the AAHS to gain valuable clinical skills performing spay/neuter, minor surgical, and dental procedures on this population of animals. In addition to surgical experience, students will learn about other aspects of shelter medicine, including infectious disease control under mass housing conditions and interaction with the public regarding pet care and pet overpopulation. Annually, AAHS has approximately 1600 adoptions, and through collaborative agreements with other shelters and organizations, does approximately 5000 surgeries.
“We are very excited that Dr. Cannon is joining the University of Georgia to provide this valuable instruction for our veterinary students,” said Dr. Spencer Johnston, Department Head for Small Animal Medicine. “Hands-on training in shelter medicine not only serves the public by creating graduate veterinarians who can use that shelter medicine knowledge for the benefit of their community, it also greatly contributes to a student’s skills, confidence, and ability to succeed in all aspects of veterinary practice.”
Dr. Cannon is an alumna of the University of Georgia where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine before earning her Master in Public Health at the University of Florida. Prior to her return to Athens, she served as the Medical Director of Metro Animal Care and Control in Nashville, TN. She is certified with the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Shelter Medicine Practice.
