OVMA names 2018 Veterinarian of the YearMarch 18, 2019The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) has named Dave Bauman, DVM, as the Veterinarian of the Year for 2018. Outgoing OVMA president Liesa Stone, DVM, BS, presented the award to Dr. Bauman at the association's annual Midwest Veterinary Conference. "A lifetime of achievement as an educator, a volunteer, and a veterinarian clearly represents the qualities worthy of recognition as veterinarian of the year," said Stone, as she gave Bauman the award. Bauman has dedicated more than four decades to the veterinary profession. He taught laboratory animal medicine at the University of Cincinnati (UC) veterinary technology program for 42 years and served on the OVMA board of directors for 18 years.
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Merck Animal Health awards $5,000 scholarships to 54 studentsMarch 18, 2019Fifty-four students from around the world are each the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship thanks to Merck Animal Health. In collaboration with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), the company selected students in their second and third year of school who are pursuing careers in companion or large-animal medicine. The recipients were also chosen based on academic excellence, financial need, and leadership. "Merck Animal Health is proud to help lay a solid educational foundation for these students to excel in their future careers," says Scott Bormann, senior vice president for Merck Animal Health, North America. The winners of the 2019 Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship are: Imrul Kayes Anwar, Bangladesh Agricultural University Michael Barua, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Andrea Basque, University of Pennsylvania Kalie Beckers, Louisiana State University Robert Buntz, Colorado State University Emily Calbaum, University of Wisconsin Brittany Campbell, Purdue University Virginia Carrero, Louisiana State University Michael Congiusta, University of Minnesota Lindsay Courtney, Ohio State University Stephanie Crawford, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Brenna Daly, Tufts University Anik Das, Bangladesh Agricultural University Erin Deavours, University of Georgia Thomas Duff, University of Minnesota Peter Ellis, University of California, Davis Grace Ertle, Michigan State University Abdullah Al Fahad, …
New federal animal cruelty law introducedFebruary 6, 2019Congressmen Vern Buchanan and Ted Deutch have introduced the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act to outlaw and prosecute those involved in the abuse and killing of animals. PACT builds on the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act passed in 2010 by closing loopholes and prohibiting cases of animal abuse. While the previous legislation made the creation, sale, and distribution of animal "crushing" videos illegal, these acts of cruelty against animals remain legal. "The torture of innocent animals is abhorrent and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law," Buchanan said. "Protecting animals from cruelty is a top priority for me and I look forward to working with Congressman Deutch on this important issue." The new legislation will amend the federal criminal code to prohibit intentional acts of crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling, or otherwise subjecting animals to serious bodily harm. If passed, those prosecuted and convicted will face federal felony charges, fines, and up to seven years in prison. Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), said, "Decades ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recognized the seriousness of animal cruelty and its link to escalating violence toward humans. Representatives Deutch and Buchanan are tremendous …
IDEXX chief medical officer announces 2019 retirementOctober 10, 2018IDEXX Laboratories Inc. is in the market for a new chief medical officer after Roberta Relford, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM, DAVCP, announced her plans for retirement early next year. Dr. Relford, who joined IDEXX in 1996 and has served as its CMO since 2013, is leaving the company to pursue a new opportunity raising and training colts for working ranches across the U.S. "As many of you know, I have a new partner, and he and I are about to begin a fascinating and exciting new chapter in our life together," she said. "We are embarking on a new journey where we will be training colts and traveling the country. "I didn't make this decision lightly," Relford added. "I leave behind the best job and career a person could ask for. At IDEXX, I have been part of setting new and higher standards of care for pets around the world, and I can't imagine a better team with which to do this important work." Relford received her DVM from Auburn University, a master's degree from Mississippi State University, and a PhD in veterinary pathology from Texas A&M University, where she also pursued advanced training in small animal internal medicine. Check …
NC State CVM student wins Walkin' Pets scholarshipOctober 5, 2018Walkin' Pets by HandicappedPets.com announced that Kelly Hood, a fourth-year veterinary student at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded the 2018 Walkin' Pets Veterinarian Scholarship. Hood, from Asbury, N.J., is an unconventional veterinary student who first worked in the entertainment business in New York City and Nashville for many years. She and her husband Charles relocated to Miami, where Kelly had difficulty finding a job in the entertainment industry. She eventually took a job at a kennel, which kindled a desire to redesign her life and become a veterinarian, necessitating a return to school to get her science degree before applying for veterinary school. Upon graduating from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2019, Hood intends to enter the field of small animal veterinary forensics. She also has completed veterinary mission trips to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and Arizona, and the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina. On one of her last trips, she brought her six-year-old son Alex. While she was helping to spay and neuter dogs, Alex saw a person drive by and throw a dog out the car window. "Tracker" has joined the family, which also includes …
Penn Vet doctors receive NIH grant to target canine autoimmune diseaseOctober 4, 2018Nicola J. Mason, BVetMed, PhD, and Aimee S. Payne, MD, PhD, have received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Transformative Research Award, part of the institute's High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, for their work in targeting autoimmune disease in dogs. Under the grant, Drs. Mason and Payne are looking to evaluate a genetically engineered cell-based therapy to treat dogs with naturally occurring autoimmune skin disease known as pemphigus. Dogs are one of the few other species to develop pemphigus, a condition that mirrors pemphigus in human patients. Evaluation of this approach to treat pet dogs with the disease may ultimately lead to breakthrough therapies for humans. According to the Autoimmune Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins, at least 10 million Americans suffer from the more than 80 illnesses caused by autoimmunity. "The successful treatment of autoimmunity in the family dog using this unique approach would not only be a breakthrough in veterinary medicine, but could also change the way autoimmune disease is treated in humans," said Mason, associate professor of medicine and pathobiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Penn Vet. "We believe that this work may facilitate the translation of cellular immunotherapies for a broad range of canine …
WSAVA elects Australian veterinarian as its new presidentOctober 3, 2018Shane Ryan, BVSc, MVS, CertVetAcupuncture, GradDipAnimChiro, MChiroSc, MRCVS, an Australian veterinarian practicing in Singapore, has been appointed president of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). Dr. Ryan, a member of the WSAVA's executive board and former chair of its Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee, will take over from Walt Ingwersen, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, and will serve a two-year term. After graduating from the University of Queensland, Ryan worked and traveled in Australia, the U.K., and Europe before moving to Singapore in 1984. In 1989, he opened his own practice in Singapore, Companion Animal Surgery, which is now a 24-hour veterinary facility with 10 veterinarians and 15 auxiliary staff. He first became involved with the WSAVA while a member of the Singapore Veterinary Association (SVA) Committee and played a part in developing its bids to host WSAVA World Congress in 2018. He also helped develop WSAVA's new Animal Welfare Global Guidelines for Companion Animal Practitioners and the Veterinary Team, which were launched during this year's WSAVA World Congress. "I will build on his efforts to strengthen the sense of community across the association and I'll be engaging with our members and working with our leadership team to …
American Humane announces 2018 Hero Vet, Vet Nurse, Dog awardsOctober 2, 2018American Humane has announced the winners of the 2018 American Humane Hero Veterinarian, Veterinary Nurse, and Dog awards. 2018 American Humane Hero Veterinarian Award Throughout his career, David Chico, VMD, MPH, of Albany, N.Y., has been committed to the betterment of the health and well-being of animals, fostering the important human-animal bond. Ten years ago, Dr. Chico created a free quarterly pet wellness clinic in partnership with Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) to provide veterinary care to low-income, HIV-positive pet owners. As part of his continued support, he answers emergency calls at all hours and makes house calls for those too ill to visit the clinic. He volunteers with Animals Lebanon in Beirut, providing lifesaving care to severely abused and neglected animals; works tirelessly on animal cruelty cases in the U.S. as well, assisting with several large dog-fighting and neglect cases; and improves the lives of all those he touches, human and animal alike. 2018 American Humane Hero Veterinary Nurse Award Tammy Boland of Oceanport, N.J., has gone above and beyond her call of duty to save hundreds of dogs over the last 11 years through her nonprofit Pick Your Paw Animal Rescue. Boland networks with some of the busiest …
American Humane honors lifelong aquatic animal advocateOctober 1, 2018John Nightingale, PhD, animal advocate, conservationist, and educator, received American Humane's Humane Hero Award in Los Angeles on Sept. 28. at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Dr. Nightingale is president and CEO of Ocean Wise and its initiatives, including the Vancouver Aquarium, the first Canadian zoological institution to receive certification through the American Humane Conservation program; Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Program; Plastic Wise; the Coastal Ocean Research Institute; the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup; and partner/operator of Europe's largest Aquarium, Oceanogràfic in Valencia, Spain. As a professional biologist and public communicator with a background in marine biology, nonprofit management, education, and ocean conservation, Nightingale helps raise awareness about preserving the world's oceans, said American Humane. Through his work at the Vancouver Aquarium, now Ocean Wise, and prior to that at the New York Wildlife Conservation Society/New York Aquarium, the Seattle Aquarium, the Maui Ocean Centre, and Bios Inc., he spearheaded the development and delivery of some of the world's most effective aquatic ecosystem science, interpretation, and public engagement programs, according to American Humane. "It is my great pleasure and honour to receive the American Humane Hero Award," said Nightingale. "Having dedicated my life to conserving our natural world, I am …
Morris Animal Foundation names new president and CEOSeptember 25, 2018Morris Animal Foundation announced that Tiffany Grunert is the organization's new president and CEO. Grunert, who joined the foundation in 2017 as vice president of marketing and brand strategy, has been serving as acting president and CEO since February 2018. Grunert takes charge of a $15 million annual budget, an $80 million endowment, and 40 employees. Morris Animal Foundation funds more than 200 scientific studies annually and has contributed more than $118 million over 70 years to advance the health and well-being of animals around the world. Established in 1948, it acts to advance veterinary medicine, protect endangered species, and train new scientists. "With Morris Animal Foundation's rich and beautiful history, and our bright future to continue to advance animal health, I am honored to serve as the next president and CEO," Grunert said. "The foundation's board of trustees has entrusted me with an organization of enormous importance and deep value. I recognize the magnitude of our current efforts and the need to advance our strategic initiatives to grow our impact. We must ensure that there is always a robust resource to improve animal health." As acting president and CEO, Grunert advanced the Golden Retriever Lifetime …
