Grant will increase access to affordable veterinary care in the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) is pleased to partner with PetSmart Charities to enhance teaching and learning opportunities for RUSVM students and provide low-cost support for animal patients.

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The PetSmart Charities grant provides funds to support training veterinary students to care for under-resourced populations. This $387,168 grant has been awarded to the One Health Research Foundation (OHRF), a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization that promotes and advances One Health, a trans-disciplinary approach to address societal needs. In partnership with the OHRF, RUSVM will use the funds from this grant to support the Basseterre Animal Rescue Center (BARC), a low-cost animal wellness clinic in the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis, where RUSVM is located and expose its students to the experiences of shelter and community medicine.

“At PetSmart Charities, we believe that all pet parents want to provide the very best care to their pets, and we want to help them access that care,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president of the national pet charity. “At the same time, we know that students pursue a career in veterinary medicine because they want to help all pets in need. Grants like this one enable us to bring those two principles together by funding community veterinary services that will help pets and their people to live their healthiest, happiest lives together.”

“We are grateful to PetSmart Charities for the opportunity to provide an enhanced and enriching student experience and at the same time expanding access to veterinary services within the community,” said RUSVM Dean Sean Callanan, Ph.D., MVB, MRCVS CertVR, DipECVP, FRCPath. “RUSVM graduates accounted for roughly 9% of DVMs who are U.S. citizens graduating from U.S. and internationally based colleges of veterinary medicine in 2019, so it is truly special to collaborate with the leading funder of animal welfare in North America as we continue to partner with the government in providing animal care in the Federation.”

RUSVM works diligently along with the local and government veterinarians to ensure the health and well-being of the animals in the community. The project will help RUSVM to provide increased access to important veterinary care to pet owners while also increasing opportunities for real-life, hands-on care experience for RUSVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students. The Ministry of Agriculture is in support of the project and hopeful for the positive impact it will have on the community.

RUSVM aims to provide vet wellness services to an additional 2,500 animals, while doubling the hands-on experience and exposure for current preclinical students. This opportunity will also allow for a sustainable spay and neuter program and provide an additional animal transportation vehicle to transport pets to receive veterinary care and act as a mobile care unit.

To learn more about BARC and its services, click here.

About Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) is an institution of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE; member S&P MidCap 400 Index). Founded in 1982, RUSVM is committed to preparing students to become members and leaders of the worldwide public and professional healthcare team and to advance human, animal and ecosystem health (One Health Initiative). RUSVM offers postgraduate Masters’, Ph.D. and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programs accredited by the St. Christopher & Nevis Accreditation Board. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine confers a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE), 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173, Tel: 800.248.2862. Ross Veterinary Clinic is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information visit http://veterinary.rossu.edu/ and follow RUSVM on Twitter (@RossVetSchool), Instagram (@rossvetschool) and Facebook (@RossVetSchool).

About Adtalem Global Education

The purpose of Adtalem Global Education is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community. Adtalem Global Education Inc. (NYSE: ATGE; member S&P MidCap 400 Index) is a leading workforce solutions provider and the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education, Chamberlain University, EduPristine, OnCourse Learning, Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, please visit adtalem.com and follow us on Twitter (@adtalemglobal) and LinkedIn.

About One Health Research Foundation

The One Health Research Foundation, established in 2017, is based in Miramar, Florida with a Caribbean office at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts and Nevis. The mission of the One Health Research Foundation is to improve human, animal and environmental health in the Caribbean and other tropical areas of the world through support of integrative, multidisciplinary research and innovation. The Foundation was organized for charitable research and training purposes. Its charitable activities will be both in the United States and abroad, with special focus on the Caribbean. One Health Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity organization comprised of a Board of Directors which meets at least twice a year to review and set policies, procedures and budgets and to oversee the grant making process. All program funding and philanthropic resources come from grants, gifts and contributions from publicly supported organizations, governmental units and general public. The Foundation will support Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and partner institutes’ Faculty and OHRF Research Fellows and Scientists to secure externally funded research grants as well as providing grants to fulfil its mission based on donations. The Foundation utilizes RUSVM’s Institutional Review Board and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and its own Scientific Advisory Board for ethical and scientific review of proposals considered for support. RUSVM contributes an office on its campus to the Foundation and donates time of its faculty and staff who serve as the Foundation’s officers. For more information visit: http://www.ohreasearchfoundation.org/

About PetSmart Charities^®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for nearly 600,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting nearly $430 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 17 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs

Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities

See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

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