Annual Awards Recognize Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Members for Outstanding Contributions to Veterinary Medicine

OTTAWA, Ontario, July 21 -- The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association issued the following news:

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has proudly recognized its members' exceptional contributions to the veterinary profession and animal health and welfare for over 30 years. This year is no exception despite finding ourselves in an unprecedented situation, collectively. As we were unable to honor this year's awards recipients in-person at the CVMA Awards Ceremony, held annually during our Convention in July, the CVMA highlighted recipients and their outstanding achievements through our social media channels, eNewsletters, and web news. We invite you to read more about these exceptional recipients below.

The Small Animal Practitioner Award, sponsored by Petsecure Pet Health Insurance, is presented to a CVMA member whose work in small animal practice, clinical research, or basic sciences has significantly contributed to the advancement of small animal medicine, surgery, or the management of a small animal practice. This year's recipient, Dr. Suann Hosie, was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and always wanted to be a veterinarian. Applying to the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in the 1960s, before the Western College of Veterinary Medicine was established, was a challenge. So, Dr. Hosie chose 3 back-up professions: forest ranger, astronomer, and chemist. Luck, skill, talent, and perseverance got her to Guelph. Dr. Hosie filled summer locums in England after graduating from OVC in 1966, then joined a small animal practice near San Francisco after returning to North America and co-chaired a committee to establish one of the first emergency veterinary clinics in the USA by 1971. She was one of 33 Northern Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic shareholders, where she worked as head veterinarian. Dr. Hosie believed that emergency practices could flourish if referring veterinarians felt valued and were kept "in the loop" with their patients' care. So, after returning to Canada in 1978, she founded the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic (VAEC) dedicated to providing after-hours emergency care. A VAEC milestone was converting to a 24-hour service in 1985. She was an American Animal Hospital Association committee member and won its Northwest Region Award "For Outstanding Service to the Veterinary Profession" in 1982. Dr. Hosie served on British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association committees and on council, becoming president in 1992. When the College of Veterinarians of BC was established in 2010, she served on its Discipline Committee. Dr. Hosie sold VAEC in 2012, before the practice moved to a larger facility, becoming the Vancouver Animal Emergency and Referral Centre. She spoke to hundreds of colleagues, new veterinarians, and technicians throughout North America, loved the spirit of teamwork in practice, and was (and still is) renowned for her special way with words, along with her infamous imitations. Dr. Hosie stays current on veterinary medicine advancements while happily retired, still reading veterinary journals and attending conferences. She loves to travel, pursuing her birding and photography passions, and is an avid eclipse chaser, witnessing 14 solar eclipses. She enjoys walking, hiking, and jogging in West Vancouver's Lighthouse Park. Dr. Hosie is currently working with the Thank Dog I Am Out Rescue Society, serving on its Board of Directors since 2016. She shares her townhouse with her little, lovable, smart rescue dog Maggie and is forever busy living her motto "to live long and explore the natural world."

The Merck Veterinary Award, established in 1985 and sponsored by Merck Animal Health, is presented to a CVMA member whose work in food animal production practice, clinical research, or basic sciences is judged to have contributed significantly to the advancement of food animal medicine and surgery, including herd health management. This year's recipient graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, advocates strongly for the veterinary profession, agriculture, and agribusiness and operates a 3rdgeneration mixed farm in central Alberta with his family. He is a practicing veterinarian and president at the Prairie Swine Health Services in Red Deer, Alberta and Steinbach, Manitoba. He began providing consulting services in Asia in 2010, focusing on veterinary training, infection prevention and control, and enhancing biosecurity capacity. He has been teaching swine medicine at the University of Calgary -- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine since 2008 and his passion for agriculture and supporting farmers and agribusiness brought him to the national stage in 2014 as the Canadian Pork Council's Veterinary Counselor. Congratulations to the 2020 Merck Veterinary Award recipient, Dr. Egan Brockhoff!

The CVMA Humane Award, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, was established in 1986 and recognizes leadership in the care and wellbeing of animals. This award is presented to a CVMA member whose work is judged to have contributed significantly to the welfare and well-being of animals. This year's recipient, Dr. Bettina Bobsien, is a practicing veterinarian with a lifelong passion for both animal care and welfare. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, specializing in Equine Practice. Dr. Bobsien now actively focuses on animal welfare after developing a full-service equine practice on Vancouver Island. She was a member of the Canadian committee that developed the current Equine Code of Practice and worked on multiple educational projects around its implementation in Canada. Dr. Bobsien was the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia's Animal Welfare Committee Chair and achieved cosmetic surgery bans on ear cropping, tail docking, and declawing procedures. She works with both the BCSPCA and Humane Canada on a variety of animal welfare issues, from shelter design and management, to policy development, and animal care concerns. Dr. Bobsien is the current CVMA Animal Welfare Committee Chair, and Co-Chair of the Equestrian Canada Health and Welfare Committee. She advocates for "unwanted" horses and horses at the end of their careers by engaging in public education on the matter and volunteers with hands-on projects including providing aid to horses and veterinarians in Cuba and providing health care and first aid courses for horse owners. Dr. Bobsien continues to practice on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, focussing on performance horses, nutrition, geriatric horse care, podiatry, and equine endocrine diseases.

Advertisement

The CVMA Practice of the Year Award, sponsored by Scotiabank, was established in 2013 to recognize a veterinary practice team for outstanding achievement within their local community. This year's recipient, Delaney Veterinary Services Ltd., has a philosophy that blends modern advances with time-honored values of compassion, respect, and empathy, while also raising the bar for equine care. This veterinary practice provides complete care for horses of all shapes and sizes and has grown from offering ambulatory services to becoming a stateof-the-art, full-service surgical referral center. The management and staff are dedicated to patient well-being, offering the highest quality and compassionate care, working with owners to ensure the best possible outcome, and consider 24/7 emergency services essential to their patient's welfare and every owner's peace of mind. The clinic is anchored by practice owners, Drs. Lana Delaney and Ryan Shoemaker who are a team in the clinic and beyond. The practice is a family affair with an additional 4 veterinarians on staff with a range of specialties from surgery and lameness to rehabilitation and dentistry. The practice also employs 5 registered animal health technologists, 2 veterinary assistants, 1 reproduction assistant, and 9 office and facilities staff members. It is also a referral hospital equipped with high quality, modern equipment to serve clients and provide client care for many referring veterinarians across the western provinces. The hospital is part of the University of Calgary's distributed learning for veterinary students and various animal health technology programs that visit the facility for specific learning opportunities or extended rotations. Delaney Veterinary Services Ltd. takes pride in their role as educators and mentors to future generations.

The CVMA Industry Award was instituted in 1996 to acknowledge and celebrate industry's role in veterinary medicine and recognize a CVMA member for their contributions to the advancement of veterinary medicine. This year's recipient, Dr. Daniel Venne, is happily married to a small animal veterinarian and is the father of 3 children. He is the son of a poultry veterinarian from a high-density poultry producing area in Quebec and a teacher from Prince Edward Island. Dr. Venne worked summer jobs in many areas of poultry production, from washing barns to slaughter plant work, before becoming a veterinary student. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 and a Master's of Science in Pathology and Microbiology in 1993 from the University of Montreal. Dr. Venne is licenced to practice in Quebec and New Brunswick, is a Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians and is actively involved in several veterinary organizations. This includes several years served on the executive board of l'Association des veterinaires en industrie animale du Quebec, as a member of the professional inspection and drug committees of the Ordre des medecins veterinaires du Quebec, and he currently serves as co-director of the Canadian Association of Poultry Veterinarians. He was the director of veterinary services for Scott Hatchery in Quebec, science vice-president for Selected Bioproducts, and veterinarian for Shur-Gain Inc. Dr. Venne has made almost 100 presentations to poultry growers across Canada over the past 29 years and has lectured at many scientific meetings in Canada, the USA, Australia, and Europe and at applied veterinary workshops in Latin America, Africa, and Europe. He is co-editor of the most widely distributed illustrated poultry pathology manual, his seminal work on poultry biochemistry is widely recognized, and he has lectured at the University of Georgia since 2018 as part of the highly reputable Master of Avian Medicine program, and is also an international consultant on the application of biochemistry in commercial poultry production. Dr. Venne's consultant work includes advising companies such as Zoetis. His interests are the judicious use of antibiotics, maximizing profitability through lesion scoring and biochemical profiling and nutrition, maximizing reproductive Dr./Dr Daniel Venne FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY 834 CVJ / VOL 61 / AUGUST 2020 N emerite de l'UCVM au Departement de la sante des animaux de production. Ses principaux interets sont le soulagement de la douleur lors d'interventions douloureuses chez les bovins, la validation des diagnostics de necropsie numerique, la prise en charge de la boiterie chez les bovins en parc d'engraissement et l'investigation lors d'eclosions de maladies et de problemes de nutrition dans l'Ouest canadien. L'ACMV souhaite la bienvenue a son nouveau membre a vie, le Dr Eugene Janzen! Le Prix R.V.L. Walker a deux recipiendaires; une plaque est remise annuellement au president du Comite des etudiants de l'ACMV (EACMV) en reconnaissance de sa contribution a la promotion de l'interet des etudiants aupres de l'ACMV et une bourse est decernee a un etudiant dans le besoin qui frequente la meme ecole veterinaire que le president des EACMV. La presidente des EACMV pour l'annee 2019-2020 frequente la Faculte de medecine veterinaire (FMV) et incarne l'energie et l'optimisme. Elle accumule les passe-temps depuis son plus jeune age et explore constamment de nouveaux interets. Originaire de Magog, elle aspire a l'aventure et est toujours prete a faire ses valises des que l'occasion se presente. Elle a termine un baccalaureat en communications a l'Universite d'Ottawa avant de trouver sa veritable vocation lors d'un stage dans un parc zoologique. Elle a opte pour un changement de carriere et a commence a etudier la medecine veterinaire en 2017 a l'Universite de Montreal, s'epanouissant professionnellement et personnellement depuis. Elle participe a de nombreuses activites sociales et parascolaires en dehors de ses etudes et de ses deux emplois a temps partiel, comme faire du benevolat a la Clinique des oiseaux de proie, sieger au comite de gestion du Cafe etudiant et copresider le Club de medecine zoologique de la FMV. Elle est toujours prete a relever de nouveaux defis et a represente avec enthousiasme et humilite les etudiants canadiens en medecine veterinaire aupres du Conseil de l'ACMV. L'ACMV tient a remercier Mme Audrey Roy pour son service a titre de presidente des EACMV et la felicite d'avoir merite le prix R.V.L. Walker de 2020! Le Prix de la presidente de l'ACMV, decerne par la presidente et le Comite executif de l'ACMV, felicite une personne pour ses contributions et son devouement exceptionnels a l'Association. Le laureat de cette annee, le Dr Jack Wilson, a grandi a Edmonton, en Alberta, et a etudie en agriculture a l'Universite de l'Alberta pendant deux ans avant d'etre admis au Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Il s'est joint au 17th Avenue Animal Hospital, un etablissement veterinaire pour animaux de compagnie de Calgary, apres avoir obtenu son diplome avec distinction en 1972, et en est devenu l'un des proprietaires l'annee suivante. Le Dr Wilson y a pratique la medecine generale et la chirurgie des petits animaux jusqu'en 2008, puis a commence a travailler a l'ecole de medecine veterinaire de l'Universite de Calgary (UCVM) en 2009 a titre de charge de cours, puis de professeur en competences professionnelles qui enseigne aux etudiants de premiere, deuxieme et troisieme annee des notions de communication, d'ethique et de deontologie et les aide a developper leurs habiletes cliniques. Il continue d'enseigner en tant que charge de cours, et a ete membre tout au long de sa carriere de la Calgary Academy of Veterinary Medicine au sein de laquelle il a occupe tous les postes de direction au fil du temps. Le Dr Wilson a egalement siege au conseil d'administration du Western Drug Distribution Centre pendant performance, the use of thermography in assessing brooding management, immunity, and vaccinations.

CVMA Life Membership is presented to a CVMA member for long and outstanding service on CVMA Council, Executive, Boards, and Committees or for outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession. This year's recipient received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1972 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and spent 3 years practicing in northeastern Alberta before returning to WCVM on an Alberta-sponsored fellowship to complete a post-graduate degree. He received a Master's of Veterinary Science from the University of Melbourne in 1977 before accepting a position with WCVM's Ambulatory Clinic where he focussed on beef cattle medicine. He became associated with Feedlot Health Management Services in 2003 and began working with Canada's newest University of Calgary -- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) in 2005 before accepting its first class of students in 2008. He recently transitioned from holding the 10-year position of UCVM's associate dean of Clinical Practice, Community Partnerships to UCVM's professor emeritus in the Production Animal Health Department. His main interests are mitigation of painful cattle procedures, validation of the digital necropsy diagnostics, management of lameness in feedlot cattle, and investigation of disease outbreaks and nutrition problems in the western Canadian community. The CVMA would like to welcome its newest Life Member, Dr. Eugene Janzen!

The R.V.L. Walker Award has 2 recipients; a plaque is presented annually to the Students of the CVMA (SCVMA) president in recognition of his/her contributions to promoting student interest in the CVMA and a monetary award is presented to a student in financial need who attends the same college as the current SCVMA president. The 2019/2020 SCVMA president attends the Faculte de medecine veterinaire (FMV) and embodies the notions of energy and optimism. She accrued hobbies from an early age and constantly taps into new interests. Originally from Magog, she yearns for adventure and packs her bags at every opportunity. She completed an Honours Bachelor's Degree in Communications at the University of Ottawa before finding her true calling while interning at a zoological park. She opted for a career change and started studying veterinary medicine in 2017 at the University of Montreal, thriving professionally and personally ever since. She engages in many social and extracurricular activities aside from her studies and 2 part-time jobs, including volunteering at the Birds of Prey Clinic, sitting on the Student Bar Management Committee and co-chairing FMV's Zoological Medicine Club. She is always ready for new challenges and enthusiastically and humbly represented Canadian veterinary students on CVMA's Council. The CVMA would like to thank Ms. Audrey Roy for her service as SCVMA president and congratulates her with the 2020 R.V.L. Walker Award!

The CVMA President's Award, selected by the CVMA president and Executive Committee, recognizes an individual for their exceptional contributions and devotion to the Association. This year's recipient, Dr. Jack Wilson, grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and attended the University of Alberta -- Faculty of Agriculture for 2 years before being admitted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. He joined the 17th Avenue Animal Hospital, a small animal practice in Calgary, after graduating with distinction in 1972, and became a business partner one year later. Dr. Wilson practiced general small animal medicine and surgery there until 2008 and joined the University of Calgary -- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 as a sessional instructor and then as a Professional Skills senior instructor, teaching clinical communication skills, ethics and jurisprudence, and clinical skills to 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year veterinary students. He continues to teach as a sessional instructor and has been a career-long member of the Calgary Academy of Veterinary Medicine, holding all executive positions over time. Dr. Wilson also served on the Western Drug Distribution Centre's board of directors for 6 years, acting as president for 3 years. He served on the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association's (ABVMA) Small Animal Practice Committee, Discipline and Ethics Committee, Practice Review Board, Practice Inspection and Practice Standards Committee, and ABVMA Council, serving as president in 1985. Dr. Wilson also served on the ABVMA Governance Task Force and has been the parliamentarian at the ABVMA Annual General Meeting for approximately 25 years. He was the first Alberta representative on the CVMA National Examining Board (NEB) and was appointed NEB chair in 2015. Dr. Wilson has been the CVMA designee to the American National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (now the ICVA), which owns the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam, for the past 8 years, serving as the organization's chair in 2015-2016. He also served on the ICVA Collaboration for Veterinary Assessment Governance Committee, chaired the Governance Review subcommittee, and is currently the Academic Veterinary Assessment working group's co-chair. He served as the CVMA NEB representative on 13 AVMA Council on Education Accreditation site visits to Canadian, American, and international colleges of veterinary medicine over the past 14 years. Dr. Wilson's current hobbies are teaching and practicing shot gunning clay targets, training spaniel bird dogs, and upland bird hunting. He has been very happily married to Vicki since 1975.