The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) is deploying its mobile veterinary clinic to Carter County, Tennessee, in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. This deployment is in response to a request from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).
Disaster Veterinary Services Clinic
A dedicated shelter medicine team—including faculty, veterinary technicians, and veterinary students, will establish a disaster veterinary services clinic. This clinic will provide essential care for pets affected by the hurricane. This is a collaborative effort among UTCVM, UT Emergency Management, TEMA, the Humane Society of the United States, and is supported by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Clinic Services and Details
Care is limited to two pets per person per day. The clinic is designed to treat sick or injured animals with minor conditions. Veterinarians will also assess pets’ illnesses and refer them to local clinics for further care if needed. Please note that no vaccinations will be administered at this clinic.
“Providing veterinary services for sick or injured pets is an important part of the recovery from Hurricane Helene,” said Dr. Becky Debolt, clinical associate professor of shelter medicine at UTCVM. “Pets are an important part of our lives, and we hope our work helps strengthen the human-animal bond in these challenging times.”
Location: Tractor Supply, 210 Cherokee Park Drive, Elizabethton, Tennessee
Dates: Wednesday, October 9 – Tuesday, October 15
Hours: 11:00 am – 4:00 p.m. (Closed from 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. daily)
Registration Ends: 3:00 p.m. each day (only two pets per person per day, please)
For more information or updates on additional services available in the area following Hurricane Helene, please visit UT Public Safety’s website.
UTCVM continues to collect animal feed for the affected area. For updated items and drop-off items, please visit vetmed.tennessee.edu/relief-efforts-for-animal-related-supplies/.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.
