New Jersey’s first veterinary school unveils Community Engagement Mobile Unit at Merck Animal Health headquarters

Leaders from the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University joined with company executives from Merck Animal Health in Rahway on Nov. 18 to unveil the veterinary school’s new Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement Mobile Unit.

Funded through a $500,000 gift from Merck, the custom-built 40-foot Freightliner vehicle is outfitted with a three-table surgical suite, recovery cages and an exam space equipped with a wet table. Additionally, the vehicle can transport up to six people, allowing veterinary students to accompany faculty and participate in community-based activities. The mobile unit will allow the veterinary school—the first in New Jersey—to bring veterinary care to underserved pet populations throughout the state.

Rowan is the second institution in the nation offering three medical degrees—an MD, DO and DVM. While medical school students go into communities to provide flu clinics and wellness exams, the shelter medicine unit will be alongside those services to offer preventative care, illness care and select surgical services to animals in need, according to Dr. Matthew Edson, founding dean of the Shreiber School.

“We are building relationships with human provider organizations that serve community members experiencing homelessness and other barriers to care to help these community members be able to access care for their pet family members as well,” said Edson.

The unit also will help the veterinary school partner with animal shelters around the state of New Jersey to provide overflow help with spays and neuters, helping more pets in shelters get ready for adoption, according to Edson.

Merck Animal Health’s gift to support the veterinary school’s Shelter Medicine Mobile Unit program underscores the company’s commitment to the importance of improving access to health care for all pets, noted Dr. Christine Royal, Vice President of Merck’s Companion Animal and Equine Business Unit.

“Merck Animal Health is thrilled to support Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine and the introduction of the school’s new Shelter Medicine Mobile Unit, which embodies our shared commitment to extending essential veterinary care to underserved pet populations in New Jersey,” Royal said.

“As veterinarians and animal lovers, we understand the importance of the human-animal bond and the capacity for animals to improve human lives and health. Through this partnership, we will make a positive impact on the community while equipping veterinary students with invaluable hands-on experience by training them in shelter medicine and fostering a deep understanding of the importance of improving access to care.”

Edson said Merck’s support “not only opened the door for a much-needed service in our state, but the experiences students will have as part of this unit will allow them to develop into better clinicians, better communicators, better surgeons and better citizens. All the while, they’ll support people and pets in need. We’re grateful for their commitment to our work to serve the community.”

Dr. Kirsten White, section head of the Shelter Medicine service at the veterinary school, said experience students will gain working in the community and in the shelter will be invaluable.

“The goal of this service is to provide veterinary students with many opportunities to deliver care and hone their medical and surgical skills in a variety of settings. We want students to learn about shelter medicine and to engage with communities through real-world interactions.

“Merck Animal Health’s generous gift will do more than put a high-quality service into action,” she continued. “It will help us develop conscientious, community-minded veterinarians who understand and value the importance of the human-animal bond by improving access to care for all.”

Veterinary community engagement, White said, “is the process of working collaboratively with communities to provide veterinary services impacting the health and well-being of animals and the humans who care for them.

“Our students will not be outside volunteers. The work we do provides training in the areas of ‘One Health’ and social justice. It focuses on teaching students the importance of learning about the communities they serve so that they are partners who build committed, sustainable relationships to empower their communities.”

About Merck Animal Health

 At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck.

Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals^®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

About Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University

The overall health and well-being of animals, humans and the environment provides the unifying theme for the professional and graduate programs of the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine. The curriculum combines teaching, research, clinical observation and evidence-based approaches to practice to develop capable, career-ready veterinarians prepared for the rigors of the profession. Once accredited, the school will offer New Jersey’s first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, as well as related degree programs designed to shape the future of veterinary medicine and animal health care in the state. The veterinary school is expected to welcome its first class in fall of 2025.

Focused on practical research at the intersection of medicine, engineering, science, business and the environment, Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine is uniquely qualified to advance the health and well-being of animals and humans through the “One Health Concept” which connects human health, animal health and environmental health. This sets graduates up to address societal concerns in the broadest sense while improving patient outcomes.