Capacity for Care is at the Heart of Our Work

Simply put, Capacity for Care means shelters can provide conditions where animals are free from suffering. This is the foundation on which Shelter Medicine rests: freedom from hunger and thirst, from unrelenting fear and widespread exposure to disease, and the freedom to express basic normal behaviors. This is not only a minimum standard of fairness for animals—it is essential to the sustainable success of animal welfare organizations.

Compassionate volunteers, staff, veterinarians, and leaders cannot thrive in systems where animal suffering is inevitable. Conversely, modeling humane care for shelter animals serves as a powerful statement about the value of these animals’ lives, while also supporting the well-being and inherent worth of all people involved in sheltering systems—whether staff, volunteer, foster caregiver, reclaimer, adopter, or client.

We reject the idea that there must be a trade-off between humane care and life-saving. When such dichotomies appear to exist, we seek a third way where both goals are served.

Shelter Medicine is for Everyone

Our work is for any shelter—of any size, policy, philosophy, level of resources, or degree of success. We don’t have to agree on everything to be open to working together. We engage with shelters and organizational partners across differences as long as our work can align and serve the mission in even one area.

We know that big change can start with small shifts. Whether a shelter has many resources or very few, we aim to offer solutions that are accessible and meet the organization where they are. We embrace incremental opportunities for change, support harm reduction, and avoid letting perfect be the enemy of good.

A Bridge Between Research and Practice

We believe that everyone working in a shelter—at any level, staff or volunteer—should have access to the best science behind their work. That’s why we offer freely accessible resources through our website, webinars, newsletters, and more.

Being part of a university gives us unique access to the ever-evolving science that guides best practices for shelters. Consulting with a wide range of organizations gives us a window into what’s actually working—and where persistent challenges remain.

We see it as our responsibility to share knowledge in both directions: translating science into practical tools for shelters, and bringing shelter experiences and needs back to inform research and reexamine long-held beliefs.

We Make Room for Joy and Fun

We know this work can be hard, serious, and sometimes heartbreaking. Not in spite of that, but because of it, we believe that the energy, creativity, and connection unleashed by joy is vital to our mission.

We will write limericks and haikus, make up funny acronyms, sing songs, and send cakes. We’ll have foolish contests with ridiculous prizes. We’ll find excuses to celebrate—and invite everyone we can to the party.

Joy is not a distraction from our work. It is part of how we stay connected, resilient, and inspired to keep going.