Veterinary Internships
Shelter Medicine Internship
These veterinarians have diverse educational opportunities as they rotate through experiences at our Pilar & Chuck Bahde Center for Shelter Medicine, which opened in 2019, and at our various other campuses and locations. They gain skills in clinic medicine, surgery and multiple veterinary specialty areas. They also engage in public speaking, teaching seminars, participating in rounds, external shelter evaluations, field experiences and so much more.
For more information or to apply, please visit: Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program.
Wildlife Medicine Internship
These veterinarians spend the year at both our Pilar & Chuck Bahde Wildlife Center and Ramona Wildlife Center, learning about how to care for everything from hummingbirds and ducklings to bobcats and coyote pups. Through the Wildlife Medicine Internship, participants are able to make a lifesaving difference for fragile animals who don’t normally get a second chance, helping them to recover and be released back into the wild where they belong.
For more information or to apply, please visit: Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program.
Meet Our Interns
Dr. Catherine Conlon
David J. Mallett Shelter Medicine Intern: Dr. Catherine Conlon
Dr. Catherine Conlon joins San Diego Humane Society after completing her doctor of veterinary medicine at University of California Davis. Dr. Conlon’s passion and initiative are evident in her work with the Mercer Clinic for Pets of the Homeless and Davis Pet Advocacy and Wellness Clinic, where she helped develop pet care resources for unhoused people and their pets. As a co-founder of the UC Davis Student Access to Care Committee, she brought forth a proposal to address a wider range of pet owners that resulted in, among other things, classes taught in Spanish and student-led clinics for underserved populations. She also has experience as a veterinary assistant in a private practice; and, as a certified Fear Free professional, Dr. Conlon is an advocate for the physical and emotional well-being of animals in veterinary care. When not tending to the needs of animals, Dr. Conlon can be found backpacking, camping, playing cello, crocheting, or spending time with her dog Max.
Dr. Ariana Dubelko
Bob Akins Shelter Medicine Intern: Dr. Ariana Dubelko
Dr. Ariana Dubelko joins San Diego Humane Society after completing her doctor of veterinary medicine at University of California Davis. She has already completed several shelter externships, including one at San Diego Humane Society in 2021. In addition to experience on multiple clinical trials and as a veterinary technician, Dr. Dubelko’s service to animals in need is evident in her work with Orphan Kitten Project. Orphan Kitten Project is a student-led not-for-profit organization focused on the rescue and care of neonatal or sick and injured kittens, and Dr. Dubelko served in leadership roles — first as vice president and then president — for three years here. Under Dr. Dubelko’s leadership, the organization was successful in managing a significant increase in kittens admitted, served and adopted, while maintaining all operations, during Covid. When not tending to animals in need, Dr. Dubelko cares for her own pets — a dog, two cats and a horse. Her husband is a professional baseball player, so you’ll also find her in the stands at many games.
Dr. Robin Owsiacki
Leslie H. Stupp Wildlife Medicine Intern: Dr. Robin Owsiacki
Dr. Robin Owsiacki joins San Diego Humane Society after completing her doctor of veterinary medicine at University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, where she won the Rolf C. Hagen Inc. Award for Clinical Excellence in Exotic Pet Medicine. Dr. Owsiacki arrives with a broad range of experience in animal care that includes a veterinary internship at Tufts Wildlife Clinic in Grafton, MA, and work as both a wildlife rehabilitator and veterinary clinic assistant. She was published in the International Journal for Parasitology in 2020 for her innovative study of Trichinella — a nematode worm — in arctic foxes. Dr. Owsiacki has been a champion for animals and the environment through consistent volunteer work since 2017, and as a certified Fear Free professional, she is an advocate for the physical and emotional well-being of animals in veterinary care. When she is not tending to the needs of wildlife, Dr. Owsiacki can be found exploring the great outdoors, whether that be beach, forest, mountain or desert.
