STANTON, DE – The Delaware Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DESPCA), the oldest and most experienced animal welfare organization in the state, today announced that Sheri Wood, DVM, has been named Staff Veterinarian at the organization.

Dr. Wood is responsible for overseeing all veterinary needs at the shelter, including the just-opened high-volume Spay/Neuter Clinic. She takes on this new position after having worked for DESPCA part-time for much of the last decade in the area of spay/neuter.

“Dr. Wood has provided invaluable support to DESPCA in the last ten years, and we are pleased that she has agreed to come work with us fulltime,” said Anne Cavanaugh, executive director, DESPCA. “Her insights and expertise with spay/neuter programs are particularly valuable with the launch of our new, high-volume spay/neuter clinic.”

In 2008, the DESPCA reduced its euthanasia rate by 53%, and adopted a policy under which only animals with untreatable physical or behavioral problems are euthanized. Since spay/neuter is the long term solution to euthanasia, the DESPCA has set a goal of sterilizing a total of 7200 dogs and cats in the first year of the program; a 225% increase over the current number of surgeries completed by the Stanton shelter in 2008.

“Over the course of my career I have come to believe that nothing can help prevent unwanted animal births more than spay/neuter, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with HumaneAlliance to implement this region’s only high-volume spay/neuter clinic,” said Wood. “This is an exciting time at DESPCA and I am glad to be playing a part.”

Humane Alliance provides low-cost spay/neuter services to 39 animal agencies in 23 counties in Western North Carolina, and operates the National Spay/Neuter Response Team (NSNRT), a national mentoring and training program to help other organizations learn how to open and operate spay/neuter clinics in their communities. During September, Dr. Wood and her staff will receive a week of on-site training from the NSNRT.

Before joining DESPAC, Dr. Wood practiced for 13 years at local animal hospitals including Kirkwood, Windcrest and Animal Haven. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Biology and attended the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine, from which she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1996. Dr. Wood grew up in the Newark, DE area.

Dr. Wood is married and has two children. The family, which resides in Newark, Delaware, owns three pets adopted from shelters, including two domestic longhaired cats and an Australian cattle dog/ lab mix.

For more information about the Delaware SPCA, please contact Anne Cavanaugh, Executive Director, at 302/998-2281.