AVMA wins World Veterinary Day Award

Organizations around the globe celebrated the date in April
By Katie Burns
Published on
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The AVMA has received the 2014 World Veterinary Day Award for developing an online hub about animal welfare.

The Association launched the hub on World Veterinary Day 2014, April 26, to provide easy access to AVMA resources on animal welfare such as policies and literature reviews. The hub also features a new discussion forum for members of the AVMA and Student AVMA as well as international veterinarians to exchange ideas on animal welfare–related issues.

The World Veterinary Association and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received about 25 applications for this year’s World Veterinary Day Award for the most successful celebration of the date, which falls on the last Saturday in April each year and focused on the theme of animal welfare in 2014. Dr. Faouzi Kechrid, WVA president, presented the award to Dr. Clark K. Fobian, AVMA president, on May 25 during the opening of the 82nd OIE General Session in Paris.

Drs. Kechrid and Fobian
Dr. Faouzi Kechrid (left), president of the World Veterinary Association, presents the World Veterinary Day Award to Dr. Clark K. Fobian, AVMA president, to recognize the AVMA’s celebration of World Veterinary Day 2014 by launching a new online hub about animal welfare. (Courtesy of the WVA)

Dr. Kechrid, while presenting the award, said the AVMA hub is a great tool for promoting animal welfare and especially for promoting veterinarians as authorities on, and advocates for, animal welfare.

“We are tremendously excited and honored to be recognized by our distinguished colleagues within the WVA and the OIE for our efforts to improve veterinarians’ access to animal welfare–related information and to facilitate their conversations on these topics,” Dr. Fobian said in a later statement.

Dr. Gail Golab, director of the AVMA Animal Welfare Division, said in the statement, “We are hopeful that the AVMA hub will serve as a nexus where veterinarians from around the world can not only access the information they need to ensure good welfare for the patients in their care today, but also keep abreast of emerging information and practical applications that will allow them to help develop best practices for tomorrow.”

The hub is at www.avma.org/animalwelfare.

Also on World Veterinary Day, the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association held a webinar on fish welfare to start six months of dialogue and webinars culminating in an international conference on fish welfare in September in Germany. The Fish Welfare Dialogue is at fishwelfare.org.

World Veterinary Day activities in Bangladesh and Kenya (Courtesy of the Veterinary Students Association at the Patuakhali Science and Technology University and the Kenya Veterinary Association)

Other organizations around the globe celebrated the date with a variety of events. Activities included the following:

  • The Small Animals Veterinary Medical Association of Quebec dedicated a day of its annual meeting to animal welfare.
  • The Cadiz Veterinary Association in Spain organized Veterinary Week.
  • Himachal Pradesh State Veterinary Officers Association in India held speaking and poster contests for schoolchildren.
  • The Georgian Veterinary Doctors United Association in the country of Georgia held an event on the welfare of local breeds of farm animals and developed a video on the welfare of companion animals.
  • The Eastern Regional Station of the National Dairy Research Institute in India offered a program on the welfare of dairy cattle.
  • The Gujarat Veterinary Association and Anand Agricultural University College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry in India organized lectures, a poster contest, and a contest to create slogans promoting animal welfare.
  • The Kurukshetra Veterinary Association in India organized a week of activities, including clinics for livestock to provide deworming and vaccinations for foot-and-mouth disease.
  • The Veterinary Students Association at the Patuakhali Science and Technology University in Bangladesh held a rally, seminar, cultural night, free clinic, tree planting, and flying of a fanush—a paper hot air balloon.
  • The Himachal Pradesh State Veterinary Council in India organized a workshop and clinic.
  • The Kenya Veterinary Association held a street procession, seminars, a field day on clinical work, and an exhibition.
  • The Turkish VMA put on a celebration featuring horse racing and distribution of posters and CDs.
  • The Egyptian VMA collaborated with the Society for the Protection and Welfare of Donkeys and Mules in Egypt to organize numerous activities, including a play and sports.
  • The Uganda Veterinary Association promoted animal welfare in the press.
  • The Veterinary Chamber of Serbia organized a program of continuing professional development.
  • The Bangladesh Livestock Society held a variety of events throughout the month of April.
  • The Faculty of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry at the Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology of Kashmir in India organized a celebration.
  • The Myanmar Veterinary Association offered a seminar on the role of veterinarians in animal welfare.

Related JAVMA content:

Hub offers resources, continues conversation on animal welfare (June 15, 2014)

World Veterinary Day to focus on animal welfare (April 1, 2014)