SME and Field Insight

What it is:
A structured plan and documentation of engagement with subject matter experts, including veterinarians, shelter leadership, and rescue coordinators. This includes identified experts, targeted questions, and intended data collection methods.

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What it demonstrates:
This artifact highlights my ability to integrate professional perspectives into academic work. It shows that I understand shelter medicine is not purely theoretical, it requires collaboration with people actively working in the field. By identifying key stakeholders and asking focused, relevant questions, I demonstrated competency in gathering applied knowledge and understanding operational realities such as staffing limitations, intake pressures, and medical triage in overcrowded conditions

Literature Review

What it is:
A comprehensive literature review examining how overcrowding in animal shelters impacts both physical health and behavioral welfare. This project synthesizes peer-reviewed research, the 2022 ASV Guidelines, and organizational resources to identify patterns, risks, and best practices.

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What it demonstrates:
This artifact shows my ability to critically evaluate scientific literature and translate it into meaningful conclusions. I analyzed how exceeding capacity for care leads to increased disease transmission, stress-related behaviors, and longer lengths of stay. It also demonstrates my understanding of shelter-wide systems, not just individual animal care. Most importantly, this work reflects my ability to connect research to real-world shelter challenges and develop evidence-based recommendations

Data Collection Template

What it is:
A structured data collection template and analysis plan designed to evaluate shelter intake, outcomes, length of stay, and disease incidence using sources such as Shelter Animals Count and local shelter records.

What it demonstrates:
This work shows my ability to apply quantitative methods to shelter medicine. I identified key metrics (e.g., live release rate, average daily population, euthanasia rates) and designed a system to organize and analyze them. This demonstrates competency in data-driven decision making, which is essential for managing capacity for care and identifying trends related to overcrowding. It also reflects my ability to move beyond theory and actually measure outcomes in a meaningful way

Data Collection Spreadsheet

What it is:
A standardized spreadsheet template designed to track monthly intake, outcomes, length of stay, and illness cases across shelter populations.

What it demonstrates:
This artifact demonstrates practical application of data management skills. It shows that I can design tools that shelters can realistically use to monitor their population and identify early signs of overcrowding. Rather than just analyzing data, I created a usable system that supports ongoing decision-making and accountability within shelter operations