- PetSmart Charities is launching its Veterinary Fellowship Program with an inaugural cohort of 15 veterinary students in fall 2026.
- The program is partnering with Colorado State University, Cornell University, the University of Arizona, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Minnesota.
- Fellows will receive financial support, mentorship, peer collaboration and professional development extending through veterinary school and their first four years of clinical practice.
- PetSmart Charities projects that as many as 115 community-medicine-focused veterinarians could graduate through the program by spring 2032.
- The organization estimates the investment could eventually generate more than 550,000 additional community medicine veterinary visits annually.
PetSmart Charities is launching a fellowship program designed to prepare veterinary students for careers focused on improving access to veterinary care in underserved communities.
The PetSmart Charities Veterinary Fellowship Program will begin with 15 fellows in fall 2026 and initially operate through partnerships with five veterinary schools: Colorado State University, Cornell University, the University of Arizona, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Minnesota.
The initiative combines financial support with mentorship, professional development and connections to peers, clinical partners and community medicine leaders. Support will continue during veterinary school and through fellows’ first four years in clinical practice.
The program is part of PetSmart Charities’ broader effort to address financial and other barriers that can prevent pet owners from obtaining veterinary care.
Addressing barriers to veterinary care
PetSmart Charities cited findings from its State of Pet Care Study conducted with Gallup as part of the rationale for the program. According to the organization, 94% of veterinarians surveyed said clients’ financial constraints sometimes or often prevent them from providing recommended care.
Cost was also cited as the reason pet owners decline treatment more than twice as often as any other factor, according to the study.
In 2023, PetSmart Charities committed $100 million in grant funding toward initiatives intended to improve access to veterinary care, including investments in education and training. The new fellowship is part of that broader portfolio.
“We’re thrilled to launch the Veterinary Fellowship Program, a defining new program created to help fellows gain the skills and confidence needed to practice community medicine and meet the needs of pet families who might otherwise go without it,” said Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities.
Jaynes said the organization aims to create a collaborative network of community medicine veterinarians who can learn from one another, mentor future fellows and help expand access to veterinary care.
Support extending from school into practice
The fellowship is designed to bridge the transition between veterinary education and clinical practice. Participants will have access to mentors, peers and community medicine professionals as they develop their careers.
Amy Salim, a Cornell University fellowship student, said her previous experience working in clinics serving underserved communities strengthened her interest in community veterinary medicine and spectrum-of-care approaches.
The inaugural class will enter the program in fall 2026 and is expected to graduate in spring and summer 2028. PetSmart Charities plans to admit new cohorts annually.
By spring 2032, the organization projects that as many as 115 veterinarians focused on community medicine could graduate through the initiative. PetSmart Charities estimates that the investment could ultimately generate more than 550,000 additional community medicine veterinary visits each year.
Emily McCobb, DVM, PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said collaboration between academic institutions and mission-driven organizations can help prepare veterinarians to provide accessible and affordable care while maintaining strong clinical skills.
Information sourced from the company’s press release.
