The Cat Writers’ Assn. recently named the late James Richards, DVM, the recipient of its 2007 Shojai Mentor Award, which recognizes a Cat Writers’ Assn. member who goes beyond mentorship duties by offering guidance, encouragement and support to fellow members. Dr. Richards, who was director of the Cornell Feline Health Center at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, was a spokesman for feline health and awareness campaigns. The most recent was the KNOW Heartworms initiative, which aims to tackle myths of feline heartworm disease. He also founded the Cornell Feline Health Center Veterinary Issues Award. The award, renamed in his honor, encourages writers to undertake difficult stories on the topics of technological or medical advances, research or innovations in feline veterinary medicine. Richards died in April to a motorcycle accident in New York. <HOME>
