A program at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine dedicated to improving the health and well-being of shelter animals has received a $1 million gift from Koret Foundation Funds of San Francisco. The UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program -- as it will be known during the course of Koret's five-year funding commitment -- is the nation's first program to emphasize shelter medicine as a veterinary specialty.

"This grant from Koret Foundation Funds will allow us to expand our shelter outreach and consultation services while training veterinary students and residents in this emerging specialty" said Kate Hurley, director of the Koret Shelter Medicine Program. "Koret's support comes at a pivotal time. We are training more students and residents than ever, and as shelters from across the country learn of our services and special expertise, their shelter staffs are seeking help with their critical animal health and management issues. This past year we responded to more than 500 consultation requests."

In addition to preparing veterinarians for careers in shelter medicine, Koret's support will provide expanded consultation services nationwide and allow shelter medicine specialists to pursue scientific research that will improve the welfare of animals in shelters.

An entrepreneurial spirit guides Koret in addressing societal challenges and strengthening Bay Area life. By investing in strategic, local solutions, Koret helps to inspire a multiplier effect -- encouraging collaborative funding and developing model initiatives.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Koret adds to the region's vitality by promoting educational opportunity, contributing to a diverse cultural landscape, and bolstering organizations that are innovative in their approaches to meeting community needs.

The Koret Foundation and the Koret Fund are private philanthropic organizations run by independent boards of directors. Since 1979, these boards have directed more than $355 million toward projects that reflect a new philanthropic vision for Northern California. Koret has previously supported UC Davis' Center for Companion Animal Health at its School of Veterinary Medicine, to create the Koret Foundation Center for Veterinary Genetics, as well as the veterinary student exchange program with the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine serves California through statewide teaching, research and service programs that benefit animal health, protect public health and enhance environmental health.