Finding LEAD in pets
Lead contamination affects people and probably pets
By Greg Cima
Pets may have an underrecognized risk of lead toxicosis. Dr. Daniel K. Langlois, an assistant professor at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, said toxicosis probably is rare, but testing is uncommon. In addition, lead exposure is associated with nonspecific neurologic and gastrointestinal clinical signs, and lead toxicosis can be mistaken for other diseases.
He said Michigan State's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory received infrequent requests for blood lead tests before the 2015 identification of a lead contamination crisis in the Flint, Michigan, municipal water supply. With the exception of case reports, he also has seen little published on lead exposure in dogs or cats over the preceding 20 years.
Dr. Langlois ran a series of clinics to test blood lead concentrations in dogs during 2016 in Flint, and he is lead author of a JAVMA scientific report on the results (see page 912). Their testing showed that the median blood lead concentration for Flint dogs was 4 times the median concentration among dogs in control populations even after the contamination had been identified and most owners had started giving their dogs water from alternative sources.
(Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Federal documents indicate Flint's contamination resulted from a change in the water supply and failure to apply corrosion control. But the JAVMA article notes that other U.S. cities use lead-containing pipes and solder, and lead exposure is a problem beyond Flint.
Dr. Langlois said in an interview he was not suggesting that veterinarians test for lead first when dogs have gastrointestinal disease or consider it first in response to neurologic signs. But he recommends considering lead exposure when no other explanation is available.
In the absence of surveillance for lead exposure in pets, the number or percentage of pets with exposure or toxicosis is unknown. The available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency provide some indication of how many homes have lead exposure risks. Most of those data are from public health campaigns intended to reduce lead exposure in children.
The CDC estimates about 500,000 children ages 1–5 years have blood lead concentrations exceeding 5 micrograms per deciliter, the concentration at which the CDC recommends public health action. About 3 percent of the 2.4 million children tested in 2015 had concentrations exceeding 5 micrograms per deciliter, and 0.5 percent had concentrations of at least 10 micrograms per deciliter.
A CDC spokeswoman said those figures likely underestimate how many children have lead exposure. Not all children are tested for blood lead concentrations, not all states require reports for lead exposure, and not all states participate in the CDC's surveillance.
Separate EPA information indicates that, when all U.S. children are counted, more than 1 million have been poisoned by lead from old paint alone.
The risks increase with the age of a home.
The EPA warns that homes built before 1986 likely have lead or lead-containing pipes, fixtures, and solder. Until January 2014, new pipes, fittings, and fixtures could be 8 percent lead.
About 24 million U.S. homes have deteriorating lead-based paint, according to the CDC, and paint dust is the most substantial source of lead poisoning in children.
Dr. Langlois' JAVMA article cites among its sources a December 1986 article, “Review of lead poisoning in dogs,” which indicates lead toxicosis then was the most common accidental poisoning in domestic animals. It was published in the Veterinary Bulletin of the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Weybridge, England. Even then, accurate prevalence data were unavailable.
Detection is rare
John P. Buchweitz, PhD, toxicology section chief at the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and a co-author of the Flint article, said lead toxicosis identified in pets before the crisis in Flint tended to be associated with known exposures, such as ingestion of paint chips.
In the four years preceding the Flint water crisis, Dr. Buchweitz said the laboratory conducted blood lead tests on 233 dogs and found 21 had lead exposure, defined by blood lead concentrations of at least 50 parts per billion. Six had clear toxicosis, with concentrations of at least 350 ppb.
Dr. Buchweitz has seen an increase in blood lead test submissions from Flint and neighboring communities since the city's water contamination was identified, but he has seen no change in submissions from areas outside Michigan. He declined to identify the communities.
The 387 tests conducted in 2016, which include the Flint study, found that 11 dogs met that definition for lead exposure, and at least one had toxicosis.
Dr. Robert H. Poppenga, a professor of veterinary clinical toxicology at the University of California-Davis, said veterinarians submit few blood samples for lead testing to the university veterinary diagnostic laboratory, and toxicosis has not seemed to be a common consideration. Two or three dogs had confirmed toxicosis in the past decade, but he did not remember any cats in which toxicosis was confirmed.
The public may think lead use is restricted and not see environmental release as a substantial issue, he said.
Dr. Poppenga is part of a research team that recently found that about 3 percent of backyard chickens submitted for necropsy were positive for lead exposure. The study examined the livers of 1,200 chickens, most from urban areas.
Some passed enough lead into their eggs that a child eating one egg daily would exceed EPA-recommended lead ingestion limits. Yet, most chickens lacked clinical signs of illness, Dr. Poppenga said.
Dr. Tina Wismer, medical director at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Animal Poison Control Center and author of the chapter on lead in the 2013 book “Small Animal Toxicology,” said about 300 people have called the ASPCA about lead exposure in pets over the past 10 years. Most called about acute exposures, especially through paint chips from window sills or dust from remodeling.
Poison control hotline operators also have recommended blood lead tests when callers described strange neurologic signs. Lead is one of few causes of intermittent seizures in cats, for example.
But Dr. Wismer also noted that lead toxicosis causes varied clinical signs, including lethargy, behavioral changes, and anemia. Checking a blood lead concentration can help rule out lead poisoning, she said. She also noted that lead deposits can be seen in radiographs.
In “Small Animal Toxicology,” Dr. Wismer wrote that dogs and cats can be exposed to lead through automotive batteries, bone meal supplements, ceramic glazes, fishing weights, curtain weights, lead paint, solder, putty, and caulk.
Veterinary technicians draw blood for a lead concentration test in May 2016 in Flint, Michigan. (Courtesy of Emily Lenhard/MSU CVM)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Blood lead concentrations ≥10 μg/dL in children (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
“Gastrointestinal absorption of lead in adult animals varies from 5% to 15% depending on the physical form, whereas young animals absorb lead more readily, with up to 50% being absorbed,” the book states.
Inhaled lead is almost fully absorbed, Dr. Wismer wrote.
A 1994 report, “Household pets as monitors of lead exposure in humans,” indicates researchers with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine found that dogs and cats were more likely than their owners to have high blood lead concentrations. The study, conducted for Illinois' Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center, examined effects of lead-contaminated soil on dogs, cats, and children near a shuttered lead smelter.
About 30 percent of pets and 13 percent of people had high blood lead concentrations, according to the report. Dogs and cats increase their risk through chewing, digging, and grooming.
“There is a strong, positive relationship between BLC in animals and their owners, especially preschool children,” the report states. “Because testing an entire population potentially exposed to lead is such a costly and stressful process, it is our suggestion to test dogs and cats instead.”
Dr. Buchweitz said animals, especially pets, can be sentinels for health risks to humans. Dr. Wismer said that, in areas where animals have lead poisoning, people should be tested.
Prevention needed
The American Academy of Pediatrics published in 2016 a policy statement indicating lead toxicosis remains a public health priority in the U.S. (Pediatrics 2016;138:e20161493). Blood lead concentrations in U.S. children have declined over the past four decades, a period during which leaded gasoline was phased out, the allowable lead content of paint was decreased to 90 parts per million, regulations under the EPA Lead and Copper Rule forced reductions of lead content in tap water, and lead solder was banned from use in canned foods.
“It is difficult to accurately apportion the decline in blood lead concentrations to specific sources, but the combined effect of these regulations clearly led to the dramatic reductions in children's blood lead concentration,” the article states. “The key to preventing lead toxicity in children is to reduce or eliminate persistent sources of lead exposure in their environment.”
Jennifer Lowry, MD, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health and section chief for toxicology and environmental health at Children's Mercy Kansas City, said Flint's water contamination crisis showed the public that lead contamination remains in our environment. It also temporarily turned attention toward water and away from more common sources of exposure, such as paint chips.
In children, lead poisoning mimics other diseases or can be asymptomatic. Neurologic effects can be subtle. Delayed speech is discovered at 2–3 years of age, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is discovered at school age, she said.
Where lead-contaminated dust can affect children, for example, she expects it also could affect animals in the home. Testing pets for exposure is worth considering, she said.
“In order to fix this problem, there needs be an effort for primary prevention,” she said. “Because once an animal or a child has an elevated lead level, it's too late, right? Now we have to play catch-up.”
She said that, in human medicine, physicians could help prevent poisoning by asking new parents about the age of their home, the state of repair, their occupations, and their hobbies. But those tasks are not performed in pediatric medicine.
“We don't have the funding, really, to do primary prevention the way it needs to be done,” she said. “But that's the way to solve it.”
Veterinarians defy Hurricane Harvey
Storm impacts small and large animals, urban and rural clinics
By Katie Burns
Dr. Laurie Shelton, a volunteer with the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team, and Casie Watson, a Texas A&M University veterinary student, tend to a horse sheltered at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds after Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Tim Stephenson/Texas A&M)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Hurricane Harvey dealt a double or triple blow to Texas, said Angela Clendenin, PhD, public information officer for the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team.
The hurricane made landfall Aug. 25 as a Category 4 storm. Then it hung out, she said, dumping rain while the wind continued. After that, the rivers flooded, meaning that coastal communities got hit from both sides.
By Sept. 5, the emergency team had provided veterinary care for well over 2,000 small and large animals impacted by the storm. The team was working with local practitioners, who contributed to response efforts even as they began the process of recovery.
Dr. Dan Posey, Texas VMA president, said every urban and rural practice along the coast was impacted in the sense that clients and patients were affected. He said some practices were damaged by floodwaters or other storm effects, but many have recovered remarkably, although some have had to move to alternative locations.
The Texas Animal Health Commission is the state's coordinating agency for disaster response related to all animals, including livestock and pets. The commission worked with partners to coordinate assessments from the ground and the air. As of the evening of Sept. 5, the commission had addressed or was addressing animal issues in 15 counties, while assessments continued in 21 counties.
Veterinary Emergency Team
“This has been a really unique response,” said Dr. Clendenin, an instructional assistant professor with the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. “Most of the time when you have a disaster, you have the impact of that disaster, and then it moves along, and then we come in right after it passes.”
The ongoing nature of Harvey delayed response efforts to find animals, which were sometimes stuck in water for three to five days. Because the storm impacted so many communities, the emergency team couldn't work out of just one location.
The team set up a hub in Rockport, which had a lot of infrastructure damage. A couple of veterinarians and a support staff member worked with local veterinarians to address animal needs. As of Sept. 4, they had seen more than 100 small and large animals.
Moving up the coast to the Houston area, the team had a hub in Fort Bend County initially, then sent members to a temporary animal shelter in Brazoria County with about 1,200 small and large animals. The team treated animals as necessary, coordinating care for animals that already had a veterinarian. The team also sent veterinarians to check on animals at a human shelter in Brazoria County.
Dr. Jennifer Hennessey, a member of the Texas VMA, set up a volunteer-run shelter area at her clinic, Animal ER of Northwest Houston, to care for evacuated pets while their families were being relocated. The facility housed more than 150 animals. At left is Corey Soirez, a veterinary technician volunteer from Austin. (Courtesy of the Texas VMA)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Clendenin noted that Hurricane Katrina raised awareness that people won't evacuate if they can't bring their animals. Subsequent legislation requires disaster planners to accommodate people evacuating with pets.
In Fort Bend County and in Katy, the Veterinary Emergency Team took care of search-and-rescue dogs serving with various task forces.
On Sept. 4, the team opened a third hub closer to the Louisiana border in Jefferson County to provide support in multiple counties. Speaking from that hub the next day, Dr. Clendenin said the team was seeing a lot more livestock.
The Veterinary Emergency Team operates behind the lines, she added, with governmental and shelter organizations handling the rescue and day-to-day care of animals.
“This response is so big, and like I said, for many communities, they're getting a double whammy. They get it from the coast, and then they get it from the rivers,” Dr. Clendenin said. “And it's just amazing to be able to have the relationships we have to fill a gap in veterinary care.”
Texas VMA
Dr. Posey, previously a rural mixed animal practitioner and now at West Texas A&M University, said the first effort through the TVMA was reaching out to practices along the coast before the hurricane made landfall to create a network. As of Sept. 5, there were areas still under water. One of the known losses was the building of Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston.
“There is no doubt that there is some damage to lots of clinics along the coast and inward, too, pretty devastating stuff,” Dr. Posey said. “The recovery from this will be a very slow process.”
The disaster affected many rural areas of Texas, Dr. Posey said, but residents did not yet know the entire impact on the cattle industry or other agricultural sectors. There were rivers that flooded thousand-year flood plains where many people live, resulting in displacement of many rural residents.
The TVMA also has been very involved in helping veterinarians connect with animal response teams. Dr. Posey said there has been an outpouring of veterinarians helping with relief efforts.
“We are humbled at the TVMA by the great outpouring of donations by our colleagues,” Dr. Posey continued. The Louisiana VMA donated $100,000 to the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation, and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society donated $33,000. The TVMF will use these donations to respond to the needs of veterinarians impacted by Harvey and for the care of animals in the disaster response. The TVMF will give $2,000 grants to veterinarians who help with the relief efforts.
According to an Aug. 31 letter from the TVMF to veterinarians, “The Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation's disaster fund was designed to assist veterinarians who provide medical care to the animal victims during and after any disaster.
“However, we suspect there may be a much greater need in many cases related to Hurricane Harvey. Please be sure to include any additional items you'd like for consideration. We are going to do our best to help as many veterinarians with as many things as possible.”
In another effort, Operation Reunite, the TVMA has been working with the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the TVMF on fostering displaced pets through veterinary clinics. Using the clinics' own fostering networks, the plan is to foster animals for 45 days or less, reuniting pets with owners as soon as possible. This program was developed during Hurricane Katrina.
“We are just in the very beginning of this ordeal. This is going to be a long way back for many of the coastal communities,” Dr. Posey said. “It's going to be a tough time for Texas.”
Texas Animal Health Commission
Through daily operations at the Animal Response Operations Coordination Center at its headquarters in Austin, the Texas Animal Health Commission was striving to meet animal-related response needs by coordinating efforts of state, federal, industry, and nongovernmental groups with an animal focus.
According to an Aug. 30 statement, “Strong winds and rising flood waters destroyed fences and displaced large numbers of livestock. TAHC is coordinating with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to establish livestock supply points in areas of critical need, and with (the) Texas Department of Agriculture to receive and distribute donations of hay and livestock feed.”
The commission requested the services of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers special rangers to assist in capturing stray livestock. The commission compiled a partial list of animal holding facilities and shelters for livestock and pets. With the U.S. Department of Agriculture and nongovernmental organizations, the commission supported evacuation, sheltering, and care of companion and zoo animals.
“Our hearts go out to all who are affected by Hurricane Harvey,” said Dr. Andy Schwartz, state veterinarian and TAHC executive director, in the statement. “It is a tumultuous time in our State, but we are grateful for the support and resources our industry, government partners, nongovernmental partners, and neighbors are providing.”
AVMF, AVMA aiding veterinarians
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation offers reimbursement grants of up to $5,000 for veterinarians who provide services and shelter for animal victims of disasters such as Hurricane Harvey. On Aug. 31, the AVMA announced that it had donated $100,000 to the AVMF for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts (see JAVMA, Oct. 1, 2017, page 750).
Even before the rains from Harvey had ended, carriers for the AVMA PLIT began receiving claims from impacted veterinarians. Along with professional liability insurance, the Trust offers a variety of other products such as business insurance, which includes property coverage.
The AVMA expanded its Harvey webpage at http://jav.ma/HarveyAVMA to address Hurricane Irma and Western wildfires. As of Sept. 8, the page provided a summary of the AVMA's role in responding to the disasters; resources for affected veterinarians under the headings of insurance, disaster reimbursement grants, business relocation for Florida veterinary establishments, and assistance for affected animals and clients; guidance for individuals who want to help now or with future volunteer work; resources to plan and prepare for disasters; and situation updates from emergency officials on Harvey, Irma, and the wildfires.
Individuals wishing to support the efforts of veterinarians on the ground directly can consider donating to the AVMF. Donors should visit www.avmf.org/donate and use the code “Disaster Relief” to designate money for reimbursement grants.
FDA may give more details on drug sales
By Greg Cima
Food and Drug Administration officials plan to provide more context in reports on antimicrobials administered to livestock by estimating the quantities of drugs administered to individual species on a milligrams per kilogram of body weight basis.
The agency publishes annual data on the amounts, by total weights, of antimicrobial drugs sold for use in cattle, chickens, pigs, and turkeys, and reports issued so far have covered years 2009–15. The data in those reports have been totals for all species, rather than separated by species, but the agency began requiring this year that drug companies provide species-specific estimates of antimicrobial ingredient sales.
Agency officials announced in August plans to further increase the detail provided by developing biomass denominators, or estimates of the total weights of each species, using population estimates and the mean weight of animals of each species.
Those denominators would be used with drug sales data to give insights into shifts in sales and the causes for changes, supporting agency efforts to encourage judicious use in food-producing animals, FDA information states. Agency officials plan to calculate milligram per kilogram values for at least the antimicrobial drug classes that are shared with human medicine.
A European Union program uses similar measurements in analyzing antimicrobial sales data, Canada's government is developing a biomass denominator, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is considering use of a biomass denominator as the organization develops a database on amounts of antimicrobials sold for administration to food-producing animals, FDA information states.
Past FDA antimicrobial sales reports have indicated most antimicrobials administered to livestock were sold over the counter and considered to be medically important because they are used in human medicine. The FDA's report for 2015, the most recent available, indicates such drugs accounted for about 21 million pounds of the 34 million sold that year.
When counting only the drugs considered important for human medicine, at least 97 percent were distributed in 2015 for over-the-counter availability, and 95 percent were sold for administration through feed or water.
The rules governing use of many antimicrobials on farms changed Jan. 1, when requirements for veterinarian oversight and restrictions on production uses took effect. The FDA, in agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, removed over-the-counter access to livestock-use antimicrobials that are in drug classes shared with human medicine as well as removed permission to administer those drugs through feed or water for growth, efficiency, or other production indications.
Agency officials had announced the upcoming changes in December 2013, stating that pharmaceutical companies would have three years to consent to the changes or face administrative action. All the affected companies had agreed to the changes by June 2014.
Court rejects emotional distress claims for dog's death
By R. Scott Nolen
The Washington State Supreme Court has declined to review an appellate court decision against a pet owner's claim to emotional damages for witnessing the difficult euthanasia of his dog at Washington State University's veterinary teaching hospital in 2012.
The high court action let stand the initial trial court verdict, which reaffirmed Washington state law does not allow the recovery of emotional distress damages for the wrongful death of a pet.
In September 2012, Robert Repin, following the advice of his veterinarian, took his ailing 12-year-old Alaskan Malamute, Kaisa, to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine's teaching hospital 200 miles away in Pullman. There, metastatic cancer was diagnosed, and Kaisa was given just months to live. The attending veterinarian recommended the dog be euthanized, and Repin agreed.
Repin alleges WSU veterinarians botched the euthanasia by failing to properly sedate Kaisa and administering Euthansol through a damaged catheter, resulting in perivascular leakage and causing his pet to suffer a painful death. Repin sued the veterinary college and attending veterinarian. He claimed he was entitled to recover noneconomic damages for several reasons, such as the veterinarian acted negligently and also broke the “euthanasia contract” of providing his pet a humane death.
The trial court summarily dismissed Repin's claims to emotional distress damages. Repin appealed, but this past March, Washington's Division III Court of Appeals ruled against him. However, Chief Judge George Fearing wrote a concurring opinion “to advocate a change in the law,” calling on the state Supreme Court to rule that pets can be as emotionally valuable as people in cases of medical malpractice.
Repin then petitioned the state Supreme Court to review his case.
The AVMA is opposed to any recovery of noneconomic damages for animals, arguing it would ultimately harm animals by raising veterinary liability costs and making veterinary services less affordable. The Association is part of a coalition of veterinary, animal welfare, and pet owner organizations that files amicus briefs on select cases involving noneconomic damages.
In a brief submitted to the Washington State Supreme Court concerning Repin's appeal, the coalition wrote: “This Petition raises an issue of settled law. Amici appreciate the hardship of losing a pet, particularly when end-of-life decisions are made. But, Washington, as do other states, carefully limits when a person may seek emotion-based damages. Injuries to pets, just as to human best friends, many close relatives, and cherished possessions, do not fit within these restrictive categories.
“The Court of Appeals followed these long-standing principles in identifying and enforcing the liability boundaries in this case. The Court of Appeals ruling is also aligned with courts around the country in not allowing emotion-based damages for negligence involving pets.”
The Supreme Court announced in August it would not hear Repin's appeal.
APHIS considers stricter animal welfare licensing
By Greg Cima
Rules proposed in August would make researchers and animal dealers provide more proof they comply with federal animal welfare laws to stay licensed to work with certain animals.
The federal licenses for those animal handlers and caregivers—along with exhibitors, auction operators, and carriers—would implement expiration dates and renewal requirements under the proposal from the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. While gaining a license already requires passing an APHIS inspection, licensees today need only to submit annual renewal forms and license fees, and APHIS information indicates the regulations lack any requirements that the licensees demonstrate compliance with welfare regulations.
“The current regulations also do not require a licensee to demonstrate compliance when the licensee makes any subsequent changes to his or her animals or facilities, including noteworthy changes in the number or type of animals used in regulated activity,” agency officials said in a Federal Register notice.
That notice is available at www.regulations.gov under docket number APHIS-2017-0062. APHIS is accepting comments through Oct. 23.
The Animal Welfare Act licensing requirements apply to people and businesses working with mammals intended for use in research, testing, experimentation, or exhibitions or as pets. It exempts retail pet stores that do not sell to AWA-licensed businesses as well as people who do not trade in wild animals and do not receive more than $500 from animal sales in a year.
For those covered by the regulations, APHIS officials are considering setting license durations of three to five years, which would require that the agency reinspect the licensee's animals, property, buildings, and vehicles to gain renewal. While applicants now have three chances to pass inspections, that would decline to two under the proposed changes.
Once licensed, animal holders and caregivers also will need to show they still comply with regulations following substantial changes in their numbers, types, or locations of animals covered under Animal Welfare Act regulations.
The agency is considering eliminating the application and annual license fees and assessing fees only when licenses are issued.
APHIS also is considering closing a loophole that lets people and companies become licensed as exhibitors, even though they do not exhibit their animals, to circumvent state restrictions that are intended to limit ownership of exotic and wild animals but allow ownership by AWA-licensed exhibitors.
And agency officials are considering preventing people or companies with suspended or revoked AWA licenses from working in other AWA-regulated activities or using other names to apply for new licenses.
Other rule changes could create a more efficient process for denying a license application or suspending or revoking an existing license.
Veterinary groups meet in Indianapolis
Forty-five allied and other veterinary-related organizations and 28 alumni groups from colleges and schools of veterinary medicine convened this July at AVMA Convention 2017 in Indianapolis. These groups engaged in a wide variety of activities during the convention, including lectures, certification examinations, business meetings, workshops, and social gatherings. Many of the organizations co-sponsored the AVMA's educational sessions.
The following pages highlight the activities and honors reported by some of these organizations.
Compiled by Anita Suresh
Avian pathologists
AAAP officials: Front row—Drs. Maritza Tamayo, Rocio Crespo, Hector Cervantes, and Suzanne Dougherty. Back row—Drs. K.A. (Ton) Schat, Nathaniel Tablante, Bernard Beckman, John Smith, and Eric Jensen (not pictured is Dr. Isabel Gimeno)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American Association of Avian Pathologists Inc. meeting, July 21–25, Indianapolis
Dr. Jim Guy
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Kenton Kreager
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Jenny Fricke
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Isabel M. Gimeno
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Mostafa Ghanem
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Manuela Crispo
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Ashish Gupta
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Corissa Steimling
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Gabriela Beltran
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Claire-Sophie Rimet
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Awards: Phibro Animal Health Excellence in Poultry Research Award: Dr. Jim Guy, Raleigh, North Carolina, for sustained excellence in poultry disease and health for 20 years or more. Dr. Guy earned his veterinary degree and his doctorate in comparative and experimental medicine from the University of Tennessee in 1980 and 1984, respectively. He serves as a professor of poultry health management in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Guy is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists and American College of Poultry Veterinarians. Lasher-Bottorff Award: Dr. Kenton Kreager, Adel, Iowa, won this award, given in recognition of an avian diagnostician/technical services veterinarian who has made important contributions to the poultry health program in North America over the past 10 years. A 1979 graduate of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kreager worked as senior technical service veterinarian for Hy-Line International prior to his recent retirement. He is an emeritus diplomate of the ACPV. Bayer-Snoeyenbos New Investigator Award: Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo, Davis, California, for research contributions to the field of avian medicine. Dr. Gallardo earned his veterinary degree from the University of Chile in 2004 and his doctorate in poultry molecular virology from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. He serves as an assistant professor of population health and reproduction at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Gallardo is a diplomate of the ACPV. Outstanding Field Case and/or Diagnostic Report Award: Dr. Jenny Fricke, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A 2007 graduate of the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Fricke serves as poultry extension veterinarian at the veterinary college. She is a diplomate of the ACPV. P.P. Levine Award, presented to the senior author of the best paper published in Avian Diseases: Dr. Isabel M. Gimeno, Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Gimeno earned her veterinary degree and her doctorate in veterinary pathology from the Complutense University of Madrid Veterinary School in Spain in 1995 and 1999, respectively. She serves as an associate professor of poultry health management in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Gimeno is a diplomate of the ACPV and a director-at-large on the AAAP board of directors. Reed Rumsey Student Award: Dr. Mostafa Ghanem, Columbus, Ohio, a 2007 graduate of the Alexandria University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Egypt, and Dr. Manuela Crispo, Turlock, California, a 2013 graduate of the University of Torino Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Italy. Richard B. Rimler Memorial Paper Scholarship: Dr. Ashish Gupta, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Dr. Gupta received his veterinary degree from the Dr. G.C. Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in India. L. Dwight Schwartz Travel Scholarship: Corissa Steimling, Columbus, Ohio. Steimling is a third-year veterinary student at The Ohio State University. Arnold S. Rosenwald Student Poster Award: Gabriela Beltran, Athens, Georgia, won in the category of basic research. Beltran is a graduate research assistant at the University of Georgia. Dr. Claire-Sophie Rimet, Athens, Georgia, won in the category of applied research. Dr. Rimet earned her veterinary degree from VetagroSup College of Veterinary Medicine in France in 2011. Eskelund Preceptorship Award: Anastasia Novy, University of Guelph; Katharine Venters, North Carolina State University; Rayne Ellington-Lawrence, Cornell University; Corissa Steimling, The Ohio State University; Bona Yu, Cornell University; Lisa Tenny, Kansas State University; Meera Chandra, University of Florida; Kayla Kaasa, Iowa State University; Rebecca Remeika, Cornell University; Olivia Murray, Texas A&M University; Meagan Abraham, University of Minnesota; Hailey Quercia, Cornell University; Mary Wald, University of Edinburgh; Holly Renner, Purdue University; Camille Roemhild, Auburn University; and Yi-Chen Tsai, University of California-Davis. AAAP Foundation Poultry Scholarship: Maria Arendt, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Randi Clark, Mississippi State University; Trevor Lee, Auburn University; Lauren McEllen, Cornell University; Lucas Nikel, University of Saskatchewan; Eric Shepherd, University of Georgia; and K. Denise Apperson, Oregon State University. AAAP Foundation Poultry Scholarship: Trevor Lee, Auburn University; Linnea Tracy, University of Pennsylvania; Savannah Thomas, University of Georgia; Abigail Sindt, Iowa State University; Jessica Vande Vorde, Iowa State University; Kayla Kaasa, Iowa State University; and Anastasia Novy, University of Guelph. AAAP Foundation/Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship: Corissa Steimling, The Ohio State University; Katharine Venters, North Carolina State University; Valerie Marcano, University of Georgia; Randi Clark, Mississippi State University; and Vacques Hines, Purdue University
Officials: Drs. John Smith, Baldwin, Georgia, president; Nathaniel Tablante, College Park, Maryland, president-elect; Suzanne Dougherty, Elkmont, Alabama, executive vice president; Hector Cervantes, Watkinsville, Georgia, immediate past president; K.A. (Ton) Schat, Ithaca, New York, Northeast director; Eric Jensen, Huntsville, Alabama, Southern director; Bernard Beckman, Earlham, Iowa, Central director; Rocio Crespo, Puyallup, Washington, Western director; and directors-at-large—Drs. Isabel Gimeno, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Maritza Tamayo, Cuajimulpa, Mexico
Contact: Janece Bevans-Kerr, Director of Member Services, American Association of Avian Pathologists, 12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 202, Jacksonville, FL 32223; phone, 904-425-5735; email, aaap@aaap.info; website, www.aaap.info
Food safety and public health, and federal veterinarians
Event: American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians (formed when the American Association of Food Safety Veterinarians and the American Association of Public Health Veterinarians merged) and the National Association of Federal Veterinarians, joint meeting, July 23, Indianapolis
Awards: AAFSPHV Food Safety Veterinarian: Dr. Candace Jacobs, Olympia, Washington. A 1978 graduate of the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jacobs is the assistant director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Consumer Services Division. She has been instrumental in aligning state-level food safety legislation with the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration's Food Safety Modernization Act. Dr. Jacobs is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. AAFSPHV Public Health Veterinarian: Dr. Katherine Fogelberg, Fort Worth, Texas. A 2008 graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Fogelberg is the director of quality instruction for the University of North Texas Health Science Center and assistant professor in the university's Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Her research focuses on ways to improve the quality of teaching at the university level and the impact animals have on the health of humans. AAFSPHV student scholarship: Dr. Kimberly McMann, a 2017 graduate of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, was honored.
Dr. Candace Jacobs
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Katherine Fogelberg
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Kelly G. Vest
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Business: The AAFSPHV president, Dr. Kelly G. Vest, introduced the officials and held a ratifying vote for the continuation of service by Drs. Tom Doker, Aiken, South Carolina, and Candace Jacobs, Olympia, Washington, as director of uniformed services and director-at-large, respectively. The treasurer's report was provided. A call for nominations will be held for the positions of treasurer and director, federal civilian government. The AAFSPHV is seeking volunteers for the outreach, policy, and internet communications work groups and the scientific programs committee. It was announced that the theme of the 2017 United States Animal Health Association food safety symposium, sponsored by the AAFSPHV, will be “Food Safety Risks from Wildlife.” Ideas were solicited for the theme of the 2018 AVMA food safety symposium, also being sponsored by the AAFSPHV. Discussions were held on strengthening membership. An update was provided on passage of Resolution 5 by the 2017 AVMA House of Delegates, “Policy on the Veterinarian's Role in Supporting Appropriate Selection and Use of Service, Assistance, and Therapy Animals” (see JAVMA, Sept. 15, 2017, page 612). A report on the association's support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's veterinary student day was presented. The next such event will be held in 2019. Other discussions included the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act and the Meat and Poultry Dialogue, the latter based on a recently released Pew Report. NAFV senior staff veterinarian and the association's delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates, Dr. Michael Gilsdorf, discussed actions taken by the NAFV in response to President Trump's budget proposal and its potential effect on federal veterinarians. He also discussed other legislation that affects federal veterinarians. Dr. Gilsdorf announced that the association has been gaining support from veterinary associations, commodity groups, and congressional members on 2017 AVMA resolutions 6 and 7, adopted by the HOD, on the importance of veterinarians in food safety and of federal veterinarians in emergency response (see JAVMA, Sept. 15, 2017, pages 628–629).
Officials: AAFSPHV—Drs. Kelly G. Vest, Odenton, Maryland, president; Jennifer Wishnie, Turnwater, Washington, president-elect; Michele Pfannenstiel, Cumberland, Maine, secretary; Arlene Buchholz, Albuquerque, New Mexico, treasurer; Bonnie Buntain, Tucson, Arizona, AAFSV immediate past president; Millicent Eidson, Albany, New York, AAPHV immediate past president; Eric Willinghan, Delray Beach, Florida, executive vice president and AVMA delegate; and Kristen Obbink, Ames, Iowa, AVMA alternate delegate. NAFV—Drs. Larry Davis, Jackson, Mississippi, president and alternate delegate; Barb Porter-Spalding, Raleigh, North Carolina, president-elect; Deanna Brown, Batesville, Arkansas, secretary-treasurer; Dr. Ken Angel, Jackson, Mississippi, immediate past president; Dr. Michael Gilsdorf, Sykesville, Maryland, AVMA delegate; and John Shaw, Washington, D.C., executive vice president
Contact: AAFSPHV—Dr. Kelly G. Vest, President, American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians, 202 Cannon Place, Odenton, MD 21113; phone, 443-454-3724; email, kgvest8@yahoo.com; website, www.aafsphv.org. NAFV—Dr. John Shaw, Executive Vice President, National Association of Federal Veterinarians, 1910 Sunderland Place NW, Washington DC 20036; phone, 202-223-4878; email, jshaw@nafv.org; website, www.nafv.org
Human-animal bond veterinarians
Event: American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians meeting, July 22, Indianapolis
Awards: Student Scholarship Award ($2,000): Kristin Kontogianis, Pullman, Washington, won this award, given in recognition of her involvement with human-animal bond events at her college. Kontogianis is a fourth-year veterinary student at Washington State University.
AAHABV officials: Drs. Rod Jouppi, Emily McCobb, Gregg Takashima, and G. Timothy Lee
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Business: The association aims to be more inclusive and to expand its membership by welcoming veterinary technicians to become members along with veterinarians, veterinary students, and allied professions. Educational offerings will be increased, and a daylong tract will be organized at VMX (formerly the North American Veterinary Community Conference), the AVMA Convention, and the Western Veterinary Conference. This continues the association's commitment to educating the veterinary profession about the importance of the human-animal bond.
Officials: Drs. G. Timothy Lee, Indianapolis, president; Rod Jouppi, Sudbury, Ontario, president-elect and treasurer; Emily McCobb, Medford, Massachusetts, secretary; and Gregg Takashima, Lake Oswego, Oregon, immediate past president
Contact: Dr. G. Timothy Lee, President, American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians, Brookville Road Animal Hospital, 8049 Brookville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46239; phone, 765-621-0830; email, lecutter1@gmail.com; website, www.aahabv.org
Industry veterinarians
AAIV officials and some board members: Front row—Drs. Ellen Lowery, Debra Nickelson, Michelle Larsen, Pam Mitchell, Heidi Hulon, and Bonnie Bragdon. Back row—Drs. Hoyt Cheramie, Daniel Marsman, Ralph Richardson, Richard Hartigan, Matt Krecic, Mia Cary, and Emily Loeb (not pictured is Dr. Cori Gross)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American Association of Industry Veterinarians meeting, July 23, Indianapolis
Program: The association co-organized and participated in a career transitions workshop and lecture series in conjunction with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine's Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine. A networking reception followed the workshop.
Business: The association announced a partnership with Kansas State University-Olathe that is intended to stabilize the administrative platform while providing new opportunities for AAIV members and the animal health industry. Also launched recently is a new website and membership platform, which can be accessed at www.aaivet.org.
Officials: Drs. Mia Cary, Greensboro, North Carolina, president; Ellen Lowery, Wamego, Kansas, president-elect; Debra Nickelson, Kansas City, Missouri, secretary; Richard Hartigan, Fredericksburg, Virginia, treasurer; and Cori Gross, Bellevue, Washington, immediate past president
Contact: Dr. Debra Nickelson, Secretary, American Association of Industry Veterinarians, 13800 NW 79th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64152; phone, 602-363-6382; email, djnickelson@gmail.com, website, www.aaivet.org
Veterinary parasitologists
AAVP: Front row—Mason Reichard, PhD, Ashley Steuer (student representative), and Dr. Jessica Rodriguez (student representative). Back row—Timothy G. Geary, PhD, Dr. Dante S. Zarlenga, Dr. John Gilleard, and Dr. Doug Carithers
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Susan Little
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
William C. Campbell, PhD
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Brian Herrin
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Sarah G.H. Sapp
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists meeting, July 22–25, Indianapolis
Awards: AAVP–Boehringer Ingelheim Distinguished Veterinary Parasitologist Award: Dr. Susan Little, Stillwater, Oklahoma, for outstanding contributions to the advancement of veterinary parasitology. Dr. Little received her veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 and her doctorate in veterinary parasitology from the University of Georgia in 1996. She is Regents Professor of parasitology and the Krull-Ewing endowed chair in veterinary parasitology at the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences. Dr. Little also serves as co-director of the university's National Center for Veterinary Parasitology. Her research focuses on zoonotic parasites and tick-borne diseases. Dr. Little is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (parasitology) and is a past president of the AAVP and Companion Animal Parasite Council. AAVP Distinguished Service Award: William C. Campbell, PhD, North Andover, Massachusetts. A 2015 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in developing the antiparasitic drug, avermectin, Dr. Campbell worked for the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research for more than 30 years after obtaining his doctorate in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1957. During that time, he served as senior scientist and director of assay research and development and conducted his Nobel prize–winning research. After his retirement from industry in 1990, Dr. Campbell became a research fellow at The Charles A. Dana Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, where he remains a research fellow emeritus. The AAVP is establishing the William C. Campbell One Health Award in his honor. AAVP-Merck Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Dr. Brian Herrin, Oklahoma State University, for his work on the geographic distribution of Lyme borreliosis in North America. AAVP-Companion Animal Parasite Council Graduate Student Award in Zoonotic Disease: Sarah G.H. Sapp, University of Georgia, for her work on the zoonotic roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis.
Officials: Dr. Dante S. Zarlenga, Beltsville, Maryland, president; Dr. John Gilleard, Calgary, Alberta, president-elect; Mason Reichard, PhD, Stillwater, vice president; Dr. Doug Carithers, Duluth, Georgia, secretary-treasurer; and Timothy G. Geary, PhD, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, immediate past president
Contact: Dr. Doug Carithers, Secretary-Treasurer, American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists, 3239 Satellite Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096; phone, 678-638-3837; email, doug.carithers@merial.com, website, www.aavp.org
Animal welfare
Event: American College of Animal Welfare meeting, July 25, Indianapolis
Dr. Gail Golab
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Barbara Sherman
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Business: The college has upgraded its member database, hired a professional consultant to enhance its examination process, and conducted its fourth successful short course. A new website, with increased functionality, will be launched by the end of the year.
New diplomates: Four new diplomates were welcomed into the college. They are as follows:
Randy Junge, Columbus, Ohio
Susan Mikota, Hohenwald, Tennessee
Meghann Pierdon, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Rachel Toaff-Rosenstein, Zichron Yaakov, Israel
Officials: Drs. Gail Golab, Sugar Grove, Illinois, president; Barbara Sherman, Raleigh, North Carolina, president-elect; Kathryn Bayne, Frederick, Maryland, secretary; Steven Hansen, Phoenix, treasurer; Bonnie Beaver, College Station, Texas, immediate past president; and members-at-large— Drs. Jan Shearer, Ames, Iowa; Jeff Boehm, Sausalito, California; and James Barton, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Contact: Dr. Gail Golab, President, American College of Animal Welfare, 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60174; phone, 847-285-6618; email, ggolab@avma.org; website, www.acaw.org
Poultry veterinarians
ACPV diplomates: Front row—Drs. Benjamin Schlegel, Kathleen Elizabeth Long, Travis Schaal, Dulmelis Sandu, Megan Lighty, and Nik M. Faiz. Back row—Drs. Jessica Walters, Geoffrey Lossie, Tyler Cole Gamble, Erin Riley, William Dillard, and Kate Hayes (not pictured is Dr. Silvia Carnaccini)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American College of Poultry Veterinarians meeting, July 21–25, Indianapolis
Business: It was announced that ACPV executive vice president, Karen Burns Grogan, would be stepping down in July 2018 and the college would be seeking her replacement. The Avian Medicine and Pathology Residency Program was approved as a new ACPV training program.
New diplomates: Thirteen new diplomates were welcomed into the ACPV. They are as follows:
Silvia Carnaccini, Athens, Georgia
William Dillard, Madison, Alabama
Nik M. Faiz, Cary, North Carolina
Tyler Cole Gamble, Athens, Georgia
Kate Hayes, Pulaski, Tennessee
Megan Lighty, Willmar, Minnesota
Kathleen Elizabeth Long, New Hamburg, Ontario
Geoffrey Lossie, Lafayette, Indiana
Erin Riley, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Dulmelis Sandu, Athens, Georgia
Travis Schaal, Grimes, Iowa
Benjamin Schlegel, New Hamburg, Ontario
Jessica Walters, Crimora, Virginia
Officials: Drs. Eric Gingerich, Zionsville, Indiana, president; David Hermes, Vincennes, Indiana, president-elect; and Ken Opengart, Madison, Alabama, immediate past president
Contact: Janece Bevans-Kerr, Director of Member Services, American College of Poultry Veterinarians, 12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 202, Jacksonville, FL 32223; phone, 904-425-5735; email, support@acpv.info; website, www.acpv.info
Veterinary behaviorists
Event: American College of Veterinary Behaviorists meeting, July 21, Indianapolis
Awards: R.K. Anderson Award: Dr. Katherine Pankratz, Raleigh, North Carolina, for outstanding research in the field of applied animal behavior. A 2014 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Pankratz is a third-year clinical behavioral medicine resident at North Carolina State University.
Business: The college received and reviewed reports from all standing and ad hoc committees and discussed the impending launch of the college's new website.
Officials: Drs. Valarie Tynes, Sweetwater, Texas, president; Ellen Lindell, Bethel, Connecticut, president-elect; Carlo Siracusa, Philadelphia, secretary; Lisa Radosta, Royal Palm Beach, Florida, treasurer; Lore Haug, Sugarland, Texas, immediate past president; and members-at-large— Drs. E'Lise Christensen Bell, New York, and Margaret Gruen, Raleigh, North Carolina
Contact: Marisa Hackemann, Executive Director, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, 5003 SW 41st Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32608; phone, 352-505-4324; email, acvb@navc.com; website, www.dacvb.org
Veterinary preventive medicine
Dr. Mo Salman
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Paul Garbe
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Marianne Ash
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine meeting, July 23, Indianapolis
Awards: Helwig-Jennings Award: Dr. Mo Salman, Fort Collins, Colorado, for outstanding and prolonged service to the ACVPM. A 1973 graduate of the University of Baghdad College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Salman has served as a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences for the past 32 years. He also founded and serves as director of the college's Animal Population Health Institute. Dr. Salman is a diplomate of the ACVPM. Distinguished Diplomate Award: Dr. Paul Garbe, Atlanta, for important contributions to the specialty of veterinary preventive medicine. Dr. Garbe earned his veterinary degree from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 and a master's in public health from Yale University in 1982. He is acting director of the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During his more than 30-year career with the CDC, Dr. Garbe has served as epidemiology section chief of the Radiation Studies Branch, chief of the Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, and associate director for science in the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects. He is a diplomate of the ACVPM. Frank A. Todd President's Award: Dr. Matthew Doyle, Washington, D.C., for meritorious service to the college. A 2008 graduate of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Doyle is a senior veterinary medical officer with the Food and Drug Administration. He serves as editor of the ACVPM newsletter and is immediate past chair of the college's communication committee.
New diplomates: Sixty-eight new diplomates were welcomed into the college following successful completion of the certifying examination. The new diplomates are as follows:
Laura Adams, Phoenix
Julia Nicole Alvarez, Jacksonville, Florida
Lorraine Barbosa, San Francisco
Christopher D. Bass, Buda, Texas
Justin Gayle Bergeron, Winthrop, Maine
Dawn Blackburn, Winter Springs, Florida
Susan J. Bright-Ponte, Falls Church, Virginia
Catherine D. Burlison, San Antonio
Lori Ann Campbell, Davis, California
Tristan James Colonius, Washington, DC
Ross Coniglio, Pickerington, Ohio
Francesca Marie Contadini, Cascinette d'Ivrea, Italy
Emily Matz Corbin, Silver Spring, Maryland
Jennifer Cwikla, Plano, Texas
Lindsey Smith Day, Americus, Georgia
Hannah Skotty Dollar, Georgetown, Texas
Morgane Dominguez, Paris
Hillary Feldmann, Tulare, California
Katharine C. Frank, San Diego
Amanda M. Gerboth, Clarksville, Tennessee
Christopher M. Good, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Erin L. Goodrich, Berkshire, New York
Heather S. Harris, Morro Bay, California
Erin C. Hennessey, Oceanside, California
Kristina JoAnn Hubbard, Starkville, Mississippi
Dr. Dawn M. Hull, Harker Heights, Texas
Ashley M. Hydrick, Fernandina Beach, Florida
Chelsea D. Johnson, Jacksonville, Arkansas
James E. Johnson, San Antonio
Heidi Kassenborg, Alton, Minnesota
Vera Christina Kazaniwskyj, Columbus, Ohio
Justin Kieffer, Columbus, Ohio
John Lawrence, Shreveport, Louisiana
Christopher A. Lee, North Wales, Pennsylvania
James Lee, North Smithfield, Rhode Island
Jeremy Wade Lewis, Cameron, North Carolina
Anne Mickelsen, Stilesville, Indiana
Kiyokazu Murai, Ogori, Japan
Kristen Kay Obbink, Ames, Iowa
Taylor K. Opel, Cataula, Georgia
Elizabeth Parker, Wooster, Ohio
Vicki Payne, San Antonio
Jessi Pizzuli, North Olmsted, Ohio
Kathryn R. Polking, Earlham, Iowa
Jan Raines, Dallas
Susan J. Reed, Columbus, Ohio
Laura Ellen Riddle, Sterling, Virginia
Kerry Allen Rood, Providence, Utah
Katherine Sawford, Braidwood, Australia
Ilana Schafer, Atlanta
Lauren M. Seal, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Magdalena Smrdelj, Toronto
Crystal Snare, Olympia, Washington
Danielle Renee Stanek, Tallahassee, Florida
Erika K Stapp-Kamotani, Springfield, Virginia
Kelley B. Steury, Auburn, Alabama
Leah A. Tingley, Olympia, Washington
Suzanne Regina Todd, Erie, Pennsylvania
Teresa Michelle Vaughn, Starkville, Mississippi
Emily Jean Walz, Columbus, Ohio
Guyan Weerasinghe, Mount Coolum, Australia
Shaun R. Wellert, West Salem, Ohio
Kayla J. Wells, Beeville, Texas
Seth R. Wexler, Raleigh, North Carolina
Karen K. Whala, Merced, California
Stephanie K. Wire, Oglesby, Illinois
Dr. Muhammad Usman Zaheer, Lahore, Pakistan
Mariah Kateland Zeigler, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Officials: Drs. Marianne Ash, Lafayette, Indiana, president; Brian McCluskey, Littleton, Colorado, president-elect; Tom Doker, Aiken, South Carolina, secretary-treasurer; Candace L. McCall, Summerfield, Florida, executive vice president; Scott Brooks, Glenview, Illinois, immediate past president; Kimberly Orr, Washington, D.C., Specialty of Epidemiology president; and councilors—Drs. Renee Funk, Atlanta; Armando Hoet, Columbus, Ohio; and Barbara Jones, Durham, New Hampshire
Contact: Dr. Candace L. McCall, Executive Vice President, American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, 14275 S. Highway 475, Summerfield, FL 34491; phone, 210-382-5400; email, preventionfirst@gmail.com; website, www.acvpm.org
Laboratory animal practitioners
Event: American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners meeting, July 23, Indianapolis
Business: 2016–17 AVMA Congressional Fellows, Drs. Jenifer Chatfield, Dade City, Florida; Chelsey Shivley, Washington, D.C.; and Taylor Winkleman, Athens, Georgia, spoke at the society's board of directors meeting, sharing their experiences during the past year. They acknowledged the importance of their visit to a laboratory animal facility, coordinated by the society. Drs. William S. Stokes, Raleigh, North Carolina, and René Carlson, Chetek, Wisconsin, reported on pertinent AVMA business, including recent House of Delegates actions. The ASLAP Awards Nomination Committee informed the board that three candidates nominated by the society had been chosen to receive awards. Dr. Suzanne Craig, Charleston, South Carolina, received the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine's Mentorship Award April 17 at the ACLAM Forum. Dr. Terry Blankenship, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, will be honored with the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science's Charles A. Griffin Award, and Dr. John Long, St. Louis, will receive the AALAS Joseph J. Garvey Management Award at the AALAS meeting Oct. 17. The ASLAP/ACLAM Program Committee noted that attendance at sessions during AVMA Convention 2017 was good. It was announced that speakers for the upcoming national AALAS meeting in Austin, Texas, in October, as well as AVMA Convention 2018 in Denver have been selected and confirmed. The annual ASLAP luncheon to be held on Oct. 16 at the national AALAS meeting in Austin, will be titled “Bat Conservation and the Role of Veterinary Medicine.” The ASLAP Animal Welfare Committee is nearing completion of a white paper on mouse welfare. Once completed, the committee will begin work on a similar paper on rat welfare.
Officials: Drs. Diane McClure, Pomona, California, president; Iris Bolton, Houston, president-elect; Judith S. Daviau, Lumberton, secretary-treasurer; William Hill, Lenexa, Kansas, immediate past president; and AVMA delegate and alternate delegate—Drs. William S. Stokes, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Patricia V. Turner, Guelph, Ontario
Contact: Dr. Judith S. Daviau, Secretary-Treasurer, American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners, 352 Newbolds Corner Road, Lumberton, New Jersey; phone, 215-503-5885; email, judith.daviau@jefferson.edu; website, www.aslap.org
Veterinary epidemiologists
Some AVES officials: Drs. William Stokes, Georgette Wilson, Craig N. Carter, and Saul Wilson
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Honorary diploma awardees: Drs. Jason Johnson, Thomas Honadel, John Gibbins, Mo Salman, Terri Clark, and Trevor Ames (not pictured is Dr. Paul Gibbs)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American Veterinary Epidemiology Society meeting, July 24, Indianapolis
Dr. Lisa Conti
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Terry McElwain
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Awards: Karl F. Meyer–James H. Steele Gold Headed Cane Award, sponsored by Hartz Mountain Corporation: Drs. Lisa Conti, Tallahassee, Florida, and Terry McElwain, Oak Harbor, Washington. Dr. Conti received her veterinary degree from the University of Florida in 1988 and her master's in public health from the University of South Florida in 1993. She is deputy commissioner and chief science officer of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Earlier, Dr. Conti was with the Florida Department of Health for 23 years, serving as division director of environmental health, Florida state public health veterinarian, and state HIV/AIDS surveillance coordinator. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Dr. McElwain received his veterinary degree from Kansas State University in 1980 and his doctorate in immunology and infectious diseases from Washington State University in 1986. Prior to his recent retirement, he served as director and executive director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, directed Washington State University's Animal Health Research Center, and was a professor of pathology and served as associate director of the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health. Dr. McElwain is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Honorary diplomas, sponsored by Hartz Mountain Corporation, were given to Drs. Terri Clark, Bethesda, Maryland; Jason Johnson, Harrogate, Tennessee; Mo Salman, Fort Collins, Colorado; John Gibbins, Cincinnati; Paul Gibbs, Gainesville, Florida; Thomas Honadel, Bel Air, Maryland; and Trevor Ames, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Business: The late Dr. Charles Thoen (see JAVMA obituary, Sept. 1, 2017, page 498), immediate past president of the AVES, was memorialized at the meeting. It was announced that the second edition of the James H. Steele biography, “Animal Health, Human Health, One Health: The Life and Legacy of Dr. James H. Steele,” is available on www.amazon.com. All proceeds will go to the society to help implement and sustain future programs.
Officials: Drs. Craig N. Carter, Lexington, Kentucky, president and executive director; Georgette Wilson, Secaucus, New Jersey, secretary; and board members—Drs. Lonnie King, Columbus, Ohio; Saul Wilson, Tuskegee, Alabama; George W. Beran, Ames, Iowa; Bruce Kaplan, Sarasota, Florida; and William Stokes, Apex, North Carolina
Contact: Dr. Craig N. Carter, President and Executive Director, American Veterinary Epidemiology Society, 3135 Newman Road, Lexington, KY 40515; phone, 859-321-4890; email, craig.carter@uky.edu; website, www.avesociety.org
Veterinary history society
Jessica Zeiger
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Janna M. Draper
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Kara Simon
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Katya P. Luckenbach
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
David J. Williams
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Russell W. Currier
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: American Veterinary Medical History Society meeting, July 22, Indianapolis
Program: The immediate past president of the AVMHS, Dr. Peter W. Cowen, presided over the meeting. The speaker program featured the president-elect of the AVMHS, Dr. Russell Currier, who presented “Life and Times of Richard Shope”; Dr. Cowen, who delivered the talk “A Short History of One Health”; and Dr. Howard H. Erickson, Manhattan, Kansas, who delivered the talk “Indiana Veterinary College and AVMA Meeting 1912 in Indianapolis.” The AVMA poster display area included Dr. Erickson's poster “The Indiana Veterinary College at Indianapolis (1892–1924): Its Background and Contributions to Veterinary Medicine.” The AVMHS booth featured several posters assembled by veterinary students from Purdue University. Among them were “Madness, Mystery, and Monsters—An Early History of Rabies” by Jessica Zeiger (Purdue ′18); “The Development of Enrichment and Its Importance in Animal Research” by Janna Draper (Purdue ′19); “A History of 2 Fracture Repair Advancements in Veterinary Medicine” by Brooke Fourthman (Purdue ′19); and “Can Artificial Insemination Save Endangered Species? Using an Old Science to Solve a New Problem” by Kelsey Trumpp (Purdue ′19). Also on display was the poster “The Successful 1912 AVMA Meeting at Indianapolis.”
Awards: J. Fred Smithcors Student Veterinary History Essay Contest, sponsored by the Donaldson Charitable Trust: First and second place ($1,200)—Jessica Zeiger (Purdue ′19), for “Madness, Mystery, and Monsters—An Early History of Rabies” and “Sleep Away the Suffering—The Early Development of Veterinary Surgical Anesthesia”; third place ($1,000)—Janna M. Draper (Purdue ′19), for “The Development of Enrichment and Its Importance in Animal Research”; fourth place ($800)—Kara Simon (Kansas State ′19), for “The Story of Mice and Men: The Evolution of Animal Experiments”; and fifth place ($500)—Katya P. Luckenbach (Kansas State ′20), for “Economics of the Veterinary Profession: The Tables Have Turned.”
Business: The society recognized several deceased members, including two charter members, Drs. Robert C. McClure (see JAVMA obituary, Aug. 15, 2017, page 385) and Thomas G. Murnane, who died July 13. Similar to the past two years, members had been sent a postcard outlining the program in Indianapolis. This year's postcard featured an oil painting of the Indiana Veterinary College building circa 1899 by Dorothy Lanning, Greensburg, Indiana. Reports on ongoing AVMHS activities were presented, including the society's Registry of Heritage Veterinary Practices, which honors veterinary hospitals and clinics nationwide that are more than 50 years old. It was noted that, effective in fall 2016, Dr. Susan E. Aiello, Dayton, Ohio, became the new editor of the society's Time-Bites ministory project in association with the Veterinary Information Network. Discussions included the need for increased membership, options for fund-raising events via a raffle and/or auction, and reviewing the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges anniversary book. The membership supported upgrading the society's website and agreed on the value of involvement in social media. Also discussed was the need for increased peer review and electronic publication, and the overall sustainability of the society's journal, Veterinary Heritage.
Officials: David J. Williams, West Lafayette, Indiana, president; Dr. Russell W. Currier, Des Moines, Iowa, program chair and president-elect; Susanne K. Whitaker, Ithaca, New York, secretary-treasurer; Dr. Peter W. Cowen, Raleigh, North Carolina, immediate past president; and members-at-large—C. Trenton Boyd, Columbia, Missouri; Dr. Lisa Cox, Guelph, Ontario; Dr. Cynthia Hoobler, Friendswood, Texas; and Dr. Janver D. Krehbiel, Okemos, Michigan
Contact: Susanne K. Whitaker, Secretary-Treasurer, American Veterinary Medical History Society, 23 Wedgewood Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850; phone, 607-257-9248; email, skw2@cornell.edu; website, www.avmhs.org
Veterinary medical colleges
Some AAVMC officials: Drs. Douglas A. Freeman, Phillip Nelson, and Calvin M. Johnson
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, July 22, Indianapolis
Program: The AAVMC senior accreditation director, Dr. Sheila Allen presented an update on AVMA Council on Education activities, including recent and proposed revisions to COE standards, data harmonization and the new accreditation management system, and the AAVMC's increased financial responsibilities for supporting the COE. Dr. James Thompson, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, discussed strategies for dealing with veterinary specialty colleges that have decided to impose residency program registration fees on academic institutions that operate residency training programs. The college is opposed to these fees and has communicated its position to these specialty colleges. Dr. Steve Solomon, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine, presented an update on the center's operations. He discussed the antimicrobial resistance issue and the need for more cancer treatment drugs to be developed for use in animals. Dr. Jack Shere, chief veterinary officer with the Department of Agriculture, spoke on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's program, discussing containment measures and costs associated with outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the importance of being vigilant and maintaining sophisticated disease surveillance and rapid-response programs. He also stressed the increasing need for veterinary colleges to provide the USDA with well-trained and qualified graduates.
Officials: Dr. Phillip Nelson, Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, president; Dr. Calvin M. Johnson, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, president-elect; Dr. Paul Lunn, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, secretary; Dr. Mark D. Markel, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, treasurer; Dr. Douglas A. Freeman, University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine, immediate past president; Dr. Roger B. Fingland, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, at-large liaison, representing the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians; Dr. Bryan Slinker, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, at-large liaison, representing the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; Aaron Colwell, University of Nebraska, at-large liaison, representing the Student American Veterinary Medical Association; Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, Washington, D.C., chief executive officer; and directors-at-large—Drs. Susan Tornquist, Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Michel Carrier, University of Montreal Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Ted Whittem, University of Melbourne Melbourne Veterinary School; Ewan Cameron, University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine; and Jane Christopher-Hennings, South Dakota State University Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department
Contact: Jeanne Johnson, Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, 655 K Street NW, Suite 725, Washington, DC 20001; phone, 202-371-9195, ext. 144; email, jjohnson@aavmc.org; website, www.aavmc.org
Lesbian and gay association
Dr. Joseph Kinnarney
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Tracy Witte, PhD
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Mike Dibler
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dr. Sandy Hazanow
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: Lesbian and Gay VMA meeting, July 24, Indianapolis
Program: Lynne Bowman, of the Human Rights Campaign, presented the keynote address, “A State of the Union Is ….” The association sponsored a talk on LGBT veterinary wellness by LGVMA vice president, Dr. Michael Chaddock, and co-sponsored the Diversity in Parenting panel with the Women's Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative during AVMA Convention 2017.
Awards: Achievement Award: Dr. Joseph Kinnarney, Greensboro, North Carolina, and Tracy Witte, PhD, Opelika, Alabama, won this award, given to individuals who provide leadership or community service to advance the LGVMA mission of fostering acceptance and inclusivity for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities within the veterinary profession. A 1980 graduate of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and a past president of the AVMA, Dr. Kinnarney practices mixed animal medicine in Reidsville, North Carolina. He was honored for his advocacy work within the AVMA, including supporting the federal Equality Act, updating the AVMA nondiscrimination policy to include gender identity and gender expression, and serving, along with his husband, Bradley Marlow-Kinnarney, as role models for LGBTQ individuals within the veterinary profession. Dr. Witte obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology from Florida State University in 2010. She serves as an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Auburn University, also serving as a clinical supervisor at the Auburn University Psychological Services Center. Dr. Witte's research helps identify the risks of suicide in the LGBTQ population as part of the larger veterinary wellness movement. She is a member of the SAVMA Mental Health and Wellness Task Force and is a primary author of the 2016 LGBTQ Veterinary Wellness Survey. Service Award: Drs. Suzanne Russo, San Francisco; Mike Dibler, Orlando, Florida; and Sandy Hazanow, San Francisco. A 1992 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Russo recently retired as vice president of veterinary recruitment at VCA in San Francisco. She previously worked for Pfizer Animal Health, which became Zoetis. Dr. Russo was recognized for her advocacy within veterinary industry. She helped coordinate the VCA-LGVMA-Broad Spectrum grant to support LGBTQ advocacy at the AAVMC's 2017 Iverson Bell Symposium. While at Zoetis, Dr. Russo helped initiate the annual LGVMA-Zoetis grant that supports outreach at the AVMA Convention and the LGVMA veterinary student leadership grant program. A 2017 graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Dibler practices small animal medicine at Banfield Pet Hospital in Winter Springs, Florida. He was honored for his “brave and empowering advocacy” of LGBTQ people within the veterinary profession, especially in support of transgender rights. A 1992 graduate of the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Hazanow co-owns Seven Hills Veterinary Hospital in San Francisco. She has served as president of the LGVMA since 2012 and is a past president of the San Francisco VMA. Under her leadership as LGVMA president, the veterinary profession has become more inclusive of LGBTQ individuals.
Business: The LGVMA plans to begin a rebranding process for its name to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ community, to look into establishing an endowment or a 501(c)3 entity, to continue focusing on student membership and advocacy, and to offer four $1,500 veterinary student leadership stipends this fall.
Officials: Dr. Sandy Hazanow, San Francisco, president; Dr. Michael Chaddock, East Lansing, Michigan, vice president; Dr. Linda Detwiler, Millstone Township, New Jersey, secretary; Kevin Cain, Washington, D.C., treasurer; Dr. Wayne Hollingshead, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Quebec, immediate past president; Dr. Michael McGuill, Boston, advocacy chair; Abby McElroy, North Grafton, Massachusetts, student representative; and members-at-large—Drs. Paige Carmichael, Athens, Georgia, and Dane Whitaker, San Francisco
Contact: Dr. Ken Gorczyca, Lesbian and Gay VMA, 584 Castro St. #492, San Francisco, CA 94114; phone, 415-851-2367; email, admin@lgvma.org; website, www.lgvma.org
Veterinary medical association executives
Dr. Peter Weinstein
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Richard Alampi
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Event: Veterinary Medical Association Executives meeting, July 21, Indianapolis
Awards: Executive of the Year: Dr. Peter Weinstein, Cypress, California, for exemplifying the best in association management and continually bringing credit to the profession and the association community. Dr. Weinstein has served as executive director of the Southern California VMA for the past 10 years. Under his leadership, the association has become one of the largest regional VMAs, providing its members with services such as free continuing education programs and opportunities for leadership development. During Dr. Weinstein's tenure, the SCVMA has put a new charitable campaign in place and established a strong presence at the Western University College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, California, and University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Distinguished Service Award: Richard Alampi, Township, New Jersey, for exceptional service to the VMAE, demonstrating initiative, integrity, and commitment in serving the veterinary profession and association colleagues. Executive director of the New Jersey VMA, Alampi is a founding member and a past president of the VMAE. He has served on and chaired several of the association's committees and task forces. Best in Business Award: North Carolina VMA, in the category of VMAs with budgets under $750,000, and Southern California VMA, in the category of VMAs with budgets above $750,000. The NCVMA was recognized for its college sports public relations campaign. The campaign aims to increase awareness of the veterinary profession and the importance of proper pet health care via a video played at college sports events at North Carolina State University, East Carolina University, Appalachian State University, and the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. Pet care tips are also posted at pre- and-post-game shows and on social media. The SCVMA, known for mentoring recent graduates, veterinary students, and veterinary technology students via liaisons and scholarships, was recognized for its DVM2K leadership workshops. The workshops were developed to encourage recent graduates and young veterinarians to become more involved with the association and to identify and foster future leaders in organized veterinary medicine.
Officials: Deloris Green Gaines, Fayetteville, Tennessee, president; Dan Tjornehoj, South St. Paul, Minnesota, president-elect; Dr. Gary Stamp, San Antonio, secretary; Phil Hinkle, Orlando, Florida, treasurer; and Candace Joy, Snoqualmie, Washington, immediate past president
Contact: Deloris Green Gaines, President, Veterinary Medical Association Executives, 19 Lacy Road, Fayetteville, TN 37334; phone, 800-697-3587; email, green.delo@gmail.com; website, www.vmae.org
AVMA offers CPR to revive veterinary teams
The AVMA is offering CPR to Revive Your Veterinary Team, a set of free resources for members on developing a strategy for welcoming and training new hires, learning how to give and receive constructive feedback and performance reviews, and conducting successful team meetings.
The 2016–17 class of the AVMA Future Leaders Program developed the resources and presented the project during a three-hour symposium at AVMA Convention 2017 this past July in Indianapolis. The resources are in the form of PDF documents, also available as customizable Word documents.
In the introduction to each document, the members of the Future Leaders Program wrote, “We have developed CPR to Revive Your Veterinary Team to raise awareness and increase interest in deliberately creating a positive veterinary workplace culture.”
The resources are as follows:
• New Hire Training walks through the steps of building a training and onboarding program for new staff. It includes checklist templates to ensure key tasks are performed before a new employee arrives, on his or her first day, and at the six-month or one-year mark.
• Performance Feedback provides tools to implement a simple but complete feedback system that incorporates best practices. It includes sample forms for employee reviews and self-evaluations, communication tips, and do's and don'ts for formal feedback sessions.
• Team Meetings is a step-by-step toolkit covering meeting planning, execution, and follow-up. It includes a meeting preparation checklist and sample agenda template.
The resources are available at http://jav.ma/teamCPR.
Animal welfare division adds Kuca
Dr. Sharon Kuca joined the AVMA staff in late August as an assistant director of the Animal Welfare Division. She will be responsible for helping support animal welfare–related public policy and advocacy efforts.
Dr. Kuca received her Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London in 2013 and is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. She is currently pursuing a master's in animals and public policy at Tufts University.
“I have always had an interest in farm animal welfare, which is why I enrolled at Tufts to get my master's,” Dr. Kuca explained. “When I saw the AVMA was looking for an assistant director of the Animal Welfare Division with an emphasis on farm animal welfare, I knew it would be the perfect next step for me, as it allows me to advocate for farm animals.”
Dr. Sharon Kuca
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
She continued, “I hope that during my time here, I can help to facilitate productive relationships with AVMA's volunteer leadership and other stakeholders to create policy that will lead to improved welfare for farm animals.”
Most recently Dr. Kuca worked as an associate veterinarian at Edwardsville Pet Hospital in Edwardsville, Illinois. Prior to that, she externed at small and large animal hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom and worked as an animal care technician at Rockefeller University in New York.
Cultural competency program created for students
An online certificate program on diversity and inclusion is being offered for free to some veterinary students.
The AVMA Board of Directors voted earlier this year to provide $13,500 to support students completing Purdue University's Student Certificate Program for Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine. Four students from each U.S. veterinary college can participate for free and will have one year to complete their certificate. Students should contact their dean or email hcvm@purdue.edu.
This program is designed to foster inclusive learning environments at educational institutions and to help students develop the skills to succeed as veterinary professionals. Online module topics include the following:
• The case for diversity in veterinary medicine.
• Diversity lingo.
• History of diversity in veterinary medicine.
• Stereotype threat.
• Microaggressions.
• The LGBTQ community.
• Effective communication with Spanish-speaking clients and colleagues.
• Persons with disabilities.
• Men in veterinary medicine.
• Generational diversity.
• Affirmative leadership.
• Preschool–12th grade engagement.
• Creating your professional information profile.
Enrolled students are expected to complete and document three hours of volunteer community service and submit written reflections about what they learned. They are also expected to document participation in four pertinent activities and submit written reflections about what they learned from each activity.
At the end, students must submit a capstone paper on how they will use information from the certificate program to strengthen diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine.
The certificate is delivered through the Center of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine (www.HumanCenteredVetMed.org), a partnership among Purdue University, the Association for American Veterinary Medical Colleges, and the AVMA. This virtual resource and training center is designed for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, educators, students, and staff who seek to improve their communication, leadership, and cultural competency skills.
Veterinary technicians in the spotlight
Veterinary technicians do a lot of hard work behind the scenes, so this year's National Veterinary Technician Week seeks to promote all of the important tasks they do to preserve animal health and welfare. Happening Oct. 15–21, the annual event's theme this year is “Advancing Veterinary Nursing and Veterinary Technology.”
The week's activities serve to:
• Educate the public about this vital member of the veterinary medical team.
• Reinforce the value and professionalism of veterinary nurses/technicians to veterinarians and the public.
• Provide an opportunity for veterinary nurses/technicians to salute one another for excellent performance in their work.
• Acknowledge veterinarians for hiring credentialed veterinary nurses/technicians.
A media kit created by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America is available at http://jav.ma/VetTechWeekMaterials for National Veterinary Technician Week to help veterinary technicians focus favorable attention on their profession through a variety of activities. Included in this packet are event ideas, such as a veterinary hospital open house or a Take Your Pet to Work Day; sample proclamation, press release, and public service announcement; and a template for giving a presentation.
National Veterinary Technician Week was first celebrated in 1993; it is held the third week of October. This week is meant to honor veterinary technicians' commitment to compassionate, high-quality veterinary care for all animals. It is sponsored by NAVTA and Hill's Pet Nutrition.
A welcome windfall
(Photo by Dr. Jon Geller)
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251, 8; 10.2460/javma.251.8.864
Dogs and cats in encampments, some the pets of homeless owners and others unowned, enjoyed quality pet food along with toys, leashes, and collars, compliments of AVMA Convention 2017 exhibitors who donated their supplies after the event. The idea came from Dr. Jon Geller, of Fort Collins, Colorado, founder of the Street Dog Coalition, who found a receptive AVMA convention staff. Donors included Hill's Pet Nutrition, Blue Buffalo, Weruva, PetSafe, Assisi Animal Health, and Royal Canin. Dr. Geller and Angela Hopson, executive director of SOAR Indianapolis, delivered the supplies to two encampments, including Camp Hodge (pictured) along the White River. The Street Outreach Animal Response Initiative is a nonprofit that seeks to preserve the bond between people experiencing homelessness and their pets, through street outreach. Colette Apke, AVMA convention sponsorship and exhibits manager, said the Association hopes to partner with even more vendors at AVMA Convention 2018 in Denver and invites inquiries at exhibits@avma.org.
Obituaries: AVMA member AVMA honor roll member Nonmember
Paul R. Eismann
Dr. Eismann (Texas A&M ′82), 73, Butler, Pennsylvania, died May 30, 2017. A mixed animal veterinarian, he owned Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Butler. Dr. Eismann was a member of the Pennsylvania VMA and a veteran of the Navy. His wife, Sheryl; four daughters and a son; nine grandchildren; and a brother survive him. Memorials, notated to the memory of Dr. Eismann, may be made to Animal Care & Assistance Fund, 807 Camp Home Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.
R. Max Grandfield
Dr. Grandfield (Kansas State ′44), 94, San Carlos, California, died July 10, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, he owned a house call practice for 15 years. Following graduation, Dr. Grandfield served as a captain in the Army Veterinary Corps. He subsequently owned practices in Wichita, Kansas, and Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Dr. Grandfield later moved to California, where he worked at San Mateo Animal Hospital in San Mateo for 31 years before establishing his house call practice.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; a daughter and son; and four grandchildren. Memorials may be made to The Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203, or The Bishop's Ranch, 5297 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448.
James A. Lowe
Dr. Lowe (Colorado State ′55), 90, Iowa City, Iowa, died July 3, 2017. He began his career in large animal practice in Woodstock, Illinois. In 1957, Dr. Lowe moved to Iowa City, where he bought a small animal practice and in 1965 established a new small animal practice. He was a member of the Iowa VMA and served on the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Lowe was active with the Rotary Club and Boy Scouts. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Dr. Lowe is survived by his wife, Gwen; a daughter; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother.
Lonnie D. Moore
Dr. Moore (Oklahoma State ′72), 68, Dallas, died July 10, 2017. He practiced small animal medicine in Dallas for 44 years. Dr. Moore was a member of the Dallas County VMA and Dallas Business Association. His wife, Jean; two stepdaughters and a stepson; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two sisters survive him.
Gary T. Ota
Dr. Ota (Washington State ′77), 69, Lanihau, Hawaii, died April 4, 2017. He practiced small animal medicine in Kona, Hawaii, for more than 30 years.
Dr. Ota is survived by his daughter, father, and three brothers and a sister. Memorials, with the memo line of the check notated in his memory, may be made to Kona Hospital Foundation 79, 1019 Haukapila St., Kealakekua, HI 96750.
Lynn S. Peck
Dr. Peck (Florida ′88), 60, Gainesville, Florida, died May 30, 2017. She owned All Holistic Veterinary Care, a small animal and equine practice in Gainesville, focusing on soft tissue and neuromuscular issues, chronic pain, and chronic diseases. Dr. Peck also conducted research at the University of Florida for many years and volunteered her services to equine rescue organizations.
Her brother survives her. Memorials may be made to Heifer International, 1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202.
Gerald G. Stanfield
Dr. Stanfield (Texas A&M ′67), 72, Rio Hondo, Texas, died May 29, 2017. He was a partner at Boca Chica Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Brownsville, Texas. Earlier, Dr. Stanfield practiced primarily equine medicine in Texas at San Antonio, Georgetown, Corpus Christi, and Weatherford, and in California. He owned and bred cutting horses and racehorses, Pointing Labradors, and Jack Russell Terriers. Dr. Stanfield was a veteran of the Air Force.
He is survived by his wife, Stephanie; two sons and a daughter; six grandchildren; and a sister. Memorials may be made to Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 W. 26th. St., Bryan, TX 77803.
Lloyd W. Stover
Dr. Stover (Iowa State ′56), 84, Park Rapids, Minnesota, died April 27, 2017. A small animal veterinarian, he owned Excelsior Animal Hospital in Excelsior, Minnesota, prior to retirement. Earlier in his career, Dr. Stover practiced at Park Pet Hospital in Milwaukee and Edina Pet Hospital in Edina, Minnesota. He was active with the Excelsior Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Stover's son and two daughters, seven grandchildren, a greatgrandchild, and a sister survive him. Memorials may be made to Headwaters Animal Shelter, 901 Western Ave. S., Park Rapids, MN 56470, or Iowa State University Foundation, 2505 University Blvd., P.O. Box 2230, Ames, IA 50010.
