The Belize Wildlife and Referral Center won the $25,000 grand prize in the 2011 Inspiration in Action contest sponsored by Heska Corp. The center is the only wildlife medical facility providing critical cervices to many rare and endangered wildlife species, according to Heska. Center officials will spend the prize money on providing medical services, expanding services in Belize and deploying mobile medical equipment in the field. The Belize Wildlife and Referral Center also plans to teach veterinary professionals about wildlife medicine, wildlife conflict resolution and the importance of wildlife conservation. Locust Trace Veterinary Clinic in Lexington, Ky., won the $5,000 second-place prize. The clinic recently opened a full-service animal hospital on the campus of the Fayette County School’s Locust Trace Agriscience Center. The facility allows high school students to observe and assist veterinarians caring for pets, horses and food animals. Locust Trace hopes the facility will serve as a prototype for other communities. The $5,000 award will be used to provide students with scholarships to pursue careers in veterinary medicine. Heska, based in Loveland, Colo., will honor the winners at a reception Jan. 16, 2012, during the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Fla. <HOME>
