Fellowship Program Bolsters Community Care

PetSmart Charities has launched a Veterinary Fellowship program designed to develop future leaders in community Veterinary medicine while expanding access to care for pet families facing financial and other barriers. The initiative responds to findings from a PetSmart Charities-Gallup study showing that 94% of veterinarians say clients’ financial limitations sometimes or often restrict recommended care, with cost the leading reason owners decline treatment.

The fellowship is part of PetSmart Charities’ $100 million commitment to addressing Veterinary care access and includes partnerships with five universities: Colorado State, Cornell, Arizona, UC Davis, and Minnesota. The inaugural cohort includes 15 Veterinary students who will receive financial assistance, mentorship, peer collaboration, clinical experience, and professional development through their first four years of practice. New cohorts will enter annually. PetSmart Charities projects that by spring 2032, the program could graduate 115 community medicine veterinarians and generate more than 550,000 additional Veterinary visits annually.