About the Journal

The Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health (JSMCAH, or “Jazz Macaw”) is a peer-reviewed, open-access, continuous publication, society journal published by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV). As a society journal, our goal is to provide a central, accessible resource for veterinarians, shelter professionals, and other community stakeholders.

JSMCAH welcomes research covering the full range of shelter medicine competencies, including preventive care, population health, behavior, community outreach, and operations, as well as interdisciplinary topics like shelter forensics, disaster response, public health, and leadership. Submissions should advance animal and community well-being through evidence-based approaches to shelter and community medicine.

JSMCAH is committed to reducing barriers to publication for emerging researchers and those working outside academia whose scholarship is grounded in or meaningfully engages with shelter medicine and community animal health. We also welcome interdisciplinary researchers and collaborators new to the field when their work demonstrates meaningful engagement with its questions, context, and needs.