Sample Letter to Dean of Veterinary College or School

The sample letter below is provided to assist you should you want to help the veterinary profession improve its image, performance and reputation. Your letter to a veterinary clinic may improve outcomes only for patients treated there whereas your letter to one or more college or school of veterinary medicine may do the same for the many patients treated by the graduates of the institution(s). So your letter(s) may help transform the profession and leave a legacy. The results may come slower than those of your letter to a clinic, but they may have a more basic and widespread effect.

 

A review of the principles of writing a letter to an editor may be in order as many of them also apply here.  Retaining a copy of your letter in some form for future reference is also advised.

 

 

Dear Dean ___,

 

Please consider adding Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy and Low Stress Handling University courses to your curriculum on a required basis, if you've not already done so. This can transform the lives of clients, patients and also transform the veterinary profession in many beneficial ways. All of these changes appear to be in critical need. For example, the techniques of the above resources would have prevented my late diabetic feline companion from becoming extremely resistant to the many invasive painful veterinary procedures she endured in the last year of her life. Nearly every appointment included a grasp of the nape, an unnecessary use of force that warned her of a still greater insult soon to follow. She recently died at her home in the same way; in extreme distress and pain in the failure of what was supposed to be euthanasia, death without distress or pain. Because the current standard protocol was followed and neither the technician nor veterinarian showed surprise, it would seem this type of failure is tragically common and unnecessary. This would also seem to violate the medical professional code of ethics to do no harm, or precisely in this case, to not increase distress or pain in order to end it.

 

Are not the schools of veterinary medicine somewhat responsible for the integrity and reputation of the profession? If so, adding Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy and Low Stress Handling techniques to the curriculum on a required basis can assure that your graduates are at the forefront of the profession for the benefit of all.

 

Any response is welcome.

 

Sincerely,

 

___________