• Home
  • Shelter Med 101
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Top Five
    • Shelter Standards
    • Textbooks
    • Shelter Education
    • Top Webinars
    • Spay-Neuter Resources
    • Trap, Neuter, Return
    • Medical Protocols
    • Practice Guidelines
    • Position statements
  • Organizations
    • Canadian Sheltering
    • Canadian Vet and Tech
    • U.S. Sheltering
  • Events
    • Event Calendar
    • Event List
  • CE Archives
  • Members
    • Member Login
    • Join or Renew
    • Manage Account
    • Committee Sign-Up
    • Members Directory
    • Membership Map
    • Official Documents
  • About
    • About
    • Partners
    • Leadership
    • Contact Us
Join Today! Member Login

Upcoming Events

  • Behavior Job-Alike
    Thu Mar 30 2023, 11:00 EDT - 12:00 EDT
  • Animal Care Expo
    Mon Apr 3 2023 - Thu Apr 6 2023
  • Behavior Job-Alike
    Thu Apr 27 2023, 11:00 EDT - 12:00 EDT
Donate

CASCMA Blog

  • Protected: What Does a Positive PCR Really Mean? Lessons From Ringworm, Parvo, Panleukopenia And COVID-19 March 16, 2023
  • Beyond “Doing Better”: Ordinal Rating Scales to Monitor Behavioural Indicators in Well-Being of Cats February 28, 2023
  • Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease: What Shelter Practitioners Need to Know January 9, 2023
  • There’s No Such Thing As An Ugly Bunny! Rabbit Spay and Neuter Pearls December 15, 2022
View more posts

Subscribe to Blog

Members’ Facebook Group

Homeadmin

The Ontario Shelter Medicine Association (OSMA) is now officially the Canadian Animal Shelter & Community Medicine Association (CASCMA). As a National organization, we aim to promote networking among shelter medicine professionals across Canada, while working co-operatively with other sheltering and community veterinary organizations. 


An Canadian Animal Shelter & Community Medicine Association Community

Shelter medicine is a rewarding, vibrant and growing field of veterinary medicine. The past 15 years have seen the formation of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and many other influential organizations. The ASV and others have transformed animal sheltering. Through their work, Shelter Medicine has become a boarded veterinary specialty through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.  However, many veterinarians and veterinary technicians working in and for animal shelters and rescues have not been exposed to shelter medicine as a unique discipline, and may not fully appreciate how different shelter medicine is from private veterinary practice. Increasingly, animal sheltering organizations and others are working to help animals remain in loving homes. Community veterinary care provides wellness care, spay/neuter surgeries and, increasingly, additional medical or surgical care to animals whose families are unable to access conventional private care. Many organizations and volunteers provide services in remote communities with no other access to veterinary services. The Canadian Animal Shelter and Community Medicine Association, CASCMA, (formerly the Ontario Shelter Medicine Association) was born of the recognition that, despite the wonderful work being done by the ASV and others, shelter and community medicine in Canada needs its own voice.

Vision and Goals 

Our vision is both local and national:
  • Grassroots networking among shelter medicine professionals
  • Bridge-building and collaboration with other organizations
  • Providing continuing education on shelter and community medicine
  • Promoting humane sheltering and spectrum of care medicine
Our goals and scope are limited to functions that are specifically of benefit to shelter medicine in Ontario and Canada. We won’t waste time and energy trying to duplicate functions that are already being performed exceptionally well by other organizations . The CASCMA will be complementary to the ASV – we see ourselves as a gateway to the ASV. Our immediate goals are to:
  • Promote networking, mutual assistance and communication among shelter veterinarians and veterinary technicians
  • Promote humane sheltering through promotion of the ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care
  • Work to increase exposure of veterinary and veterinary technician students to shelter medicine, and provide education and resources for veterinarians and technicians working with shelter animals
IMG_2071

Membership

Voting membership is open to:
  • Veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians working in, or with an interest in, shelter and community medicine.
Associate membership is open to:
  • Veterinarians and vet tech students
  • Others working in, or with an interest in, shelter and community medicine.
Most of the medical care for shelter and rescue animals is provided by community veterinarians and veterinary technicians. We strongly encourage you to become members!

IMG_8141What We Offer

  • A voice and meeting place for Canadian shelter and community medicine 
  • Shelter and community medicine education opportunities
  • News and information about relevant events
  • Meet-ups at conferences
  • A forum to exchange ideas and information
  • An opportunity to get involved, for those who want to help us achieve our goals
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Membership
  • Directory
  • Events
Association websites powered by MembershipWorks