PetSmart Charities Introduces Veterinary Fellowship to Boost Community Care

PetSmart Charities has announced a new Veterinary Fellowship program designed to nurture a generation of veterinarians focused on community medicine. The initiative combines tuition assistance, mentorship, and post-graduation career support to help young professionals address the financial obstacles that many pet owners encounter when seeking care. ## Program structure and partners The fellowship is being rolled out in collaboration with five veterinary schools noted for their commitment to affordable care: Colorado State University, Cornell University, the University of Arizona, UC Davis, and the University of Minnesota. The inaugural cohort consists of fifteen students who will start the program this fall and are slated to graduate in 2028. Unlike a traditional scholarship, the fellowship extends beyond the classroom, providing financial aid during veterinary school and then linking fellows with clinical partners, peer networks, and community-medicine leaders for four years after they begin practicing. The aim is to ease the transition from academic training to real-world clinic work and keep new veterinarians engaged in serving underserved pet owners. ## Voices from the first cohort Amy Salim, a Cornell student selected for the first group, said her experience working in clinics that serve low-income communities sparked her interest in the fellowship. She expressed gratitude for the chance to deepen her commitment to community veterinary medicine while learning practical ways to expand access to compassionate, equitable care. Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities, described the program as a step toward building a self-sustaining network of community-medicine veterinarians who will eventually mentor future fellows. Emily McCobb, DVM, who holds the PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair at UC Davis, highlighted the partnership as evidence of what can be achieved when academic institutions and mission-driven funders align around a shared goal of producing clinicians ready to meet the demand for affordable pet care. ## Projected impact and future growth PetSmart Charities projects that by spring 2032, up to 115 veterinarians will have completed the fellowship, each focusing on community medicine. The organization estimates that the program could generate more than 550,000 additional community-medicine veterinary visits each year once the pipeline is fully established. New cohorts will be admitted annually, creating a continuous flow of trained professionals into the field. ## Addressing the cost barrier identified in research The fellowship stems from findings of the PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study, which identified client financial limitations as the primary factor preventing veterinarians from recommending optimal treatments. By equipping new veterinarians with the resources and mentorship needed to serve cost-constrained pet owners, the program seeks to close the gap highlighted by the study and improve access to veterinary care across the United States.