By LEON HUMPHREY

CARTER COUNTY MAYOR
As I have shared with you before, we are very blessed to be partnering with Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine (LMU) located at the DeBusk Farm in Ewing, Virginia, to support some of our Shelter’s many veterinary needs. I would like to share with you a little bit more about LMU.
“The mission of LMU is to prepare veterinarians who are committed to the premise that the cornerstone of meaningful existence is service to attain optimal health for people, animals, and our environment. LMU’s mission is achieved by:
• Graduating Doctors of Veterinary Medicine
• Providing a values-based learning community as the context for teaching, research, and service
• Serving the health and wellness needs of people, animals, and the environment within both the Appalachian region and beyond with an emphasis on the One Health approach
• Focusing on comprehensive veterinary health care in companion animal, equine health, production animal health, and public health/comparative biomedical sciences
• Investing in quality undergraduate and graduate academic programs supported by superior faculty and technology
• Embracing compassionate veterinary care that values diversity, public service, and leadership as an enduring commitment to professionalism and the highest ethical standards
Currently LMU provides spay and neuter services, additional medical care and surgical services for many of the county’s shelter animals that are 4 months of age or older. These animals are spayed or neutered prior to being made available for adoption to the public. We have been going to LMU monthly since March 2017 and have been very pleased with the outstanding care the Shelter animals have received. LMU charges $35 total per animal (no matter what the animal’s immediate medical needs are) which is passed along to the adopter through the normal adoption fees. This is a tremendous cost savings to the County and a great benefit to the adopter. LMU’s services include pre-surgery bloodwork, x-rays if needed, medicine for any found illnesses from the bloodwork, testing for aids, testing and treatment for heartworms, special care for animals with injuries and additional diagnostic services if needed, etc. LMU also provides socialization assistance for animals identified with special needs at no additional cost to the County. The animals stay at LMU one week and come back fully vetted with additional complimentary medicines provided by LMU based on the animal’s veterinary evaluation. These medications are very expensive and are provided by LMU at no additional charge to the County for the animal.
A copy of the County’s contract with LMU is available on the County website located at http://www.cartercountytn.gov/public-documents/general-information-notices/ for anyone who would like to see it. Carter County could not provide this level of veterinary care to the animals and citizens without LMU’s partnership and cannot receive this level of care, including additional medicines, diagnostics and treatment, anywhere else.
I am also pleased to share with you that, beginning later this month, LMU will be partnering with the County to use the Shelter as a teaching facility to help train Doctor of Shelter Veterinary Medicine students. LMU faculty will start bringing students to the Shelter on a regular basis to let them work in the Shelter for a few hours at a time in that they can examine some of the animals and get firsthand experience at the Shelter.
Later this summer, LMU will be working on a project to establish and implement a Shelter Veterinary Telemedicine Program which will be one of the first in the Country. If the project is successful, LMU will be launching it in partnership with our Shelter to provide additional support to our Shelter and community. LMU is committed as a partner to Carter County, our animals, citizens and the people of the Appalachian region. To learn more about LMU, please visit their website at https://www.lmunet.edu/academics/schools/college-of-veterinary-medicine .
Please feel free to contact me at mayor@cartercountytn.gov or by phone at 423-542-1801 if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance to you. My office is located at 801 East Elk Avenue, Suite 201 located in the County Courthouse in Elizabethton. I have an open-door policy and everyone is always welcome.