AVMF contest taps into clients’ appreciation for their veterinarians

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The American Veterinary Medical Foundation has officially launched its America’s Favorite Veterinarian initiative to celebrate the work practitioners do every day. 
 

The goal of this contest is to promote the veterinarian-patient relationship and its importance to owners of pets and other animals.

Clients are encouraged to nominate their veterinarians through the Foundation’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/AVMFdn. They can submit a photo of their animal alone, with themselves, or with their veterinarian, along with a short story—250 words or less—on why their veterinarian deserves to be America’s Favorite Veterinarian.

The contest started in early March and runs through June 1. Nominations will be presented to a panel of judges: Steve Dale, syndicated pet columnist and host of “Steve Dale’s Pet World”; Dr. Bernadine D. Cruz, a chair of the former AVMA Council on Communications; Ginger Brainard, chair of the America’s Favorite Veterinarian Task Force; Kimberly Topper, from the AVMF board of directors; and Dr. Susan Giovengo, senior director of Central Garden & Pet Co.

The judges will narrow the entries to the top 12, select the winner, and announce the winner at the AVMF Impact and Partner Breakfast July 21 during the AVMA Annual Convention in Chicago. The winning veterinarian and the nominating client will each receive a $250 cash prize, courtesy of the AVMF. In addition, each will receive a free night’s stay in Chicago, plus travel expenses for those outside the area. The veterinarian will also receive complimentary registration to the convention.

The AVMF will publicize the client and veterinarian in a press release following the AVMA convention as well as on the Foundation’s Facebook page, in its newsletter, and on its website, www.avmf.org.

 “I don’t think there’s a good way in place yet to honor your general veterinarian. And this is open not just to small animal private practice, either. We’re leaving it open to any type of vet, whether they’re large animal or in research or academia,” Brainard said.

Clinics can download and print an advertisement about the contest from the AVMF website to help the Foundation promote this project.