John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation Donates to ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance Externship Program

NEW YORK – The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today announced a generous donation from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation in support of the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA) Veterinary Student Externship program. The program delivers spay/neuter surgical instruction to senior veterinary students and offers a comprehensive look into the shelter medicine field. The ASPCA recognizes that spay/neuter is currently among the most effective methods to combat animal homelessness and reduce euthanasia of cats and dogs. The foundation’s contribution will support the training of additional veterinary students in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter, with the goal of creating better access to affordable veterinary care nationwide.

“On behalf of the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, we are pleased to support the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance Veterinary Student Externship Program,” said Leslie Harris, Board Chair of the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation. “This program will train veterinarians and help animals and their guardians by making veterinary care and spay/neuter affordable and accessible.”

The veterinary externship is a two-week program in which students receive hands-on surgical instruction. In addition to direct training, externs participate in classroom lectures and discussions including sessions on community cats, surgical anomalies, and surgical complications. Students also conduct a working visit to local animal shelters, preparing them for work in the field of shelter medicine. Over 2,500 students have participated in the program to date.

The ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA) is a nationally recognized leader in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter and operates two training facilities on its Asheville, N.C. campus, with training programs available for veterinary students, licensed veterinarians, and medical teams that work in mid- to high-volume spay/neuter environments. ASNA has provided over 500,000 spay/neuter surgeries to owned pets and shelter animals in the Western North Carolina region since its opening in 1994. Through its national clinic mentorship program, more than 10 million animals have been spayed or neutered across the country.

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About the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation
The John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation was created for the purpose of protecting and improving the welfare of animals of all kinds with a focus on cats and dogs, the promotion of veterinary programs, and the protection of wildlife, including endangered species, flora and fauna.