Dr. Cynthia Karsten serves as an outreach veterinarian with the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, where she mentors students, interns, and residents while supporting shelter medical staff and leadership. Dr. Karsten graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and completed both a shelter medicine internship at Colorado State University and residency at UC Davis. She is the lead veterinarian for the Sacramento chapter of The Street Dog Coalition and serves on the boards of Mercer Veterinary Clinic and Compassion Without Borders. Dr. Karsten’s work focuses on expanding access to veterinary care and addressing systemic barriers within animal sheltering.
8:00 AM–9:15 AM
Shelter and Community Medicine Conversations: Convergence and Divergence of Practice, Place, and Purpose in Support of Accessible Veterinary Care (with Drs. Emily McCobb and Jena Valdez)
Shelter and community medicine have long shared a commitment to improving the wellbeing of animals and the people who care for them, yet the relationship between these two disciplines has not been defined. As the field of accessible veterinary care grows, shelters redefine their roles, and communities seek more integrated support systems, the boundaries between “shelter” and “community” medicine need to be better understood. Moreover, organizations need to consider which models of care best fit their mission.
This panel will explore the dynamic conversation unfolding across these fields: How do these disciplines complement each other? Where do their missions and methods diverge? And what innovations are shaping the shared future of animal welfare and veterinary accessibility? Through discussion with leaders in both areas, we will examine emerging service models, ethical considerations, workforce challenges, and opportunities for more collaborative, community-driven systems of care.
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Caught in the Middle: Navigating the Complex Web of Shelter Medicine
As shelter veterinarians, we stand at the intersection of competing pressures: contracts demanding public safety, pet owners seeking support, concerned community members with strong opinions, leadership balancing impossible budgets, coworkers carrying their own beliefs and biases, and animals needing individualized care within population constraints. Each stakeholder brings legitimate values and needs—and they’re often in direct conflict.
This presentation names what many of us feel but can’t always express: the unique stress of working in a system where expectations routinely exceed resources, where our medical decisions become public debate, and where doing “the right thing” can mean something completely different to seven different groups on any given day. The reality? We can’t change other people’s values or eliminate these tensions. We can change how we understand and respond to them. This session will help you recognize the specific pressures you’re navigating, understand why the work feels so impossibly complicated (because it is), and develop practical strategies for preserving your well-being and effectiveness within a system that won’t become simple anytime soon.
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