AVMA News

American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture – April 19-21, 2024

Event

The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA) held its annual meeting from April 19-21 in Seattle.

Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

Man with grey hair and dark-rimmed glasses wearing a light blue shirt and grey suit jacket
Dr. Neal Sivula

Dr. Neal Sivula (Ohio State ’85), Richfield, Ohio, won this award given to an AAVA member who has dedicated at least 10 years to the teaching and promotion of veterinary acupuncture and traditional Chinese and Eastern veterinary medicine in the United States.

Dr. Sivula is the founder of Dancing Paws Animal Wellness Center, an integrative veterinary practice in Richfield. He also serves on the faculty of the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies, an online education institution specializing in evidence-based natural medicine. A fellow of the AAVA, Dr. Sivula is certified in animal chiropractic from the College of Animal Chiropractors (COAC) and the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), in veterinary acupuncture from the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, and in veterinary Chinese herbalism and food therapy from Chi University. He is a past president of the AAVA and American Holistic VMA, has served as the AAVA’s delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates, and is a past member of the board of directors of the AVCA and COAC.

Officials

Woman with short brown hair
Dr. Bonnie Wright
Woman with dark hair pulled into a bun wearing a black and white polka dot shirt
Dr. Shantel Julius

Drs. Bonnie Wright, Johnstown, Colorado, president; Shantel Julius, Hastings, Minnesota, president-elect; Grace Buchanan, Tryon, North Carolina, vice president; Carol Gifford, Columbus, Ohio, secretary-treasurer; Matthew E. Fricke, Springfield, Oregon, immediate past president; and directors—Drs. Tara Harrison, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Teela Jones, Tacoma, Washington; Nancy Martin, Vacaville, California; Jennifer Smallwood, Richardson, Texas, and Mitsie Vargas, Winter Haven, Florida

A version of this story appears in the September 2024 print issue of JAVMA