AVMA wins World Veterinary Day Award for COVID-19 response

AVMA has been named the 2021 recipient of the World Veterinary Day Award for the Association’s contributions in responding to the COVID-19 health crisis.

In presenting the award Thursday, the World Veterinary Association (WVA) and HealthforAnimals recognized AVMA’s “immediate response to meet the new challenges arising” from the pandemic.

The presenters cited the AVMA’s “impressive, multi-tiered internal and external communications program anchored by a dedicated online COVID-19 Resource Center that was made available to veterinarians around the world three weeks before the WHO’s global pandemic declaration.”

The work of the American Veterinary Medical Association and its members ensured animals and the people around them were better protected. They reminded us why veterinarians are pillars of our community. 

The AVMA “kept this up to date throughout the pandemic with critical information for veterinary professionals about keeping themselves, their clients and their patients safe – including scientific summaries, short videos, risk assessment summaries, various online tools, blogs and other practice resources,” according to a WVA press release. 

“Throughout the SARS-CoV-2 global crisis and continuing to the present, the AVMA has demonstrated stellar national and international leadership by supporting veterinary professionals around the world with critical information and resources,” said WVA President Dr. Patricia Turner.

“The work of the American Veterinary Medical Association and its members ensured animals and the people around them were better protected,” added Carel du Marchie Sarvaas, executive director of HealthforAnimals. “They reminded us why veterinarians are pillars of our community and are laudable recipients of the 2021 World Veterinary Day Award.”

AVMA’s president, Dr. Douglas Kratt, accepted the award for the AVMA, saying he was “in awe of the work done by our 97,000 members and their teams, and by the AVMA staff, during a crisis of historic proportions. In the face of personal risk and hardship, the U.S. veterinary community – and our colleagues around the world – rose to this historic challenge and embodied the highest ideals of our profession.”

Read more about the award in the press release announcing it.

World Veterinary Day is celebrated annually on the last Saturday of April to recognize the work of veterinarians in improving animal health, animal welfare, and public health. This year’s World Veterinary Day theme focused on the veterinary community’s contributions to protect animal and human health during COVID-19.