"I firmly believe that spay-neuter is an essential element of access to care." – Dr. Weedon This episode is sponsored in part by Cats of the Wild Podcast, Doobert.com, and Maddie's Fund. In this episode, Stacy chats with veterinarians Dr. Robert Murtaugh and Dr. Robert Weedon. Dr. Murtaugh is a veterinary specialist based in Austin, Texas and a candidate for the next president of the American Veterinary Medical Association ("AVMA"). Dr. Weedon, a frequent conference guest and former guest of the show (CCP episodes 361 and 383) is a high-volume spay/neuter surgeon with TLC PetSnip in Lakeland, Florida. In their conversation with Stacy, Dr. Murtaugh and Dr. Weedon discuss the current state of the veterinary field, including some of the challenges, such as the veterinary shortage and lack of access to care. Dr. Murtaugh describes how the AVMA is addressing these issues through advocacy and legislative initiatives and outlines ideas for future initiatives to overcome these challenges. Additionally, Dr. Murtaugh and Dr. Weeden discuss topics involving high volume spay neuter, licensure reciprocity, veterinarian technicians, and staffing issues. They also debunk some of the misconceptions surrounding the quality of high-volume spay-neuter. To learn more about the work of AVMA, visit its website. The following organizations are mentioned during this episode: Austin Pets Alive Shadow Cats United Spay Alliance