The Bellevue-based Seattle Humane Society and Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine have entered a partnership in which senior veterinary students will provide spay/neuter surgeries and medical care for shelter pets as part of their clinical training.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Humane Society CEO David Loewe. “Working together, we can expand our services, help train the next generation of veterinarians, and create a stronger safety net for pets in need. This is just the beginning of a long-term partnership between our agencies.”

The Humane Society shelters nearly 6,000 pets per year, performs more spay/neuter surgeries than any other agency in the region, and has one of the highest save rates in the nation at 96.5 percent. The WSU College of Veterinary Medicine is ranked among the top veterinary medicine colleges in the nation for its training, research and innovative programming.

“This partnership presents a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Dean Bryan Slinker of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. “WSU veterinary students who work at Seattle Humane will gain invaluable clinical experience, save lives, and serve the community. This is exactly the kind of educational experience we want to provide.”

By taking this next step in their partnership, many more WSU veterinary students will receive hands-on training at the Humane Society campus in Bellevue starting in May 2013. During their elective two-week rotations, the students will provide a wide range of medical care to the shelter animals, with an emphasis on spay/neuter surgeries, routine exams, vaccinations and other clinical procedures.

The WSU students will also have the opportunity to work with the society’s nationally recognized foster family network, helping the students hone their skills with both people and pets.

“This partnership will benefit the community in so many ways,” Loewe said. “With the veterinary students on board, we will have the capacity to spay and neuter more shelter pets and offer additional medical services to other shelters in need. Ultimately this will reduce the number of unwanted, homeless and stray animals in our community. Our goal, in the end, is to see that every pet is well taken care of, loved and wanted.”