Rachael Zimlich, BSN, RN

Columbus, Ohio - One of the nation's largest veterinary colleges is without a permanent dean and squeezed for state funding.

National Report - When Hurricane Ike hit Texas last fall, Texas Veterinary Medical Association Executive Director Elbert Hutchins likened the storm's impact to a bomb site. FEMA dropped $1.4 billion to clean it up.

Three new breeds were added to the roster of American Kennel Club-registered dogs for 2009, and open breed registration for each will be available until 2012.

The capital is a notoriously transient city, but practices don't expect the presidential switch to have much affect on their business.

College Station, Texas - Veterinary medicine is changing, and Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' new dean Dr. Eleanor M. Green, is ready to address that change.

Davis, Calif. - The University of California-Davis mourns the loss of one of the founding members of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory.

A new Brakke survey shows that the veterinary profession may not be so secure after all.

The Uniform Law Commission is working on a campaign to clear the way for veterinarian volunteers in a times of crisis.

Springfield, Ill. - Veterinary technicians can become members of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, based on an amendment to the ISVMA constitution.

National Report - California legislators may decide by mid-January the fate of a proposed 10 percent veterinary service tax that has outraged veterinarians and pet owners.

Sacramento, Calif. - Veterinary technicians with five years of clinical experience and a minimum of 24 hours of education can now take the California State Registered Veterinary Technician Exam.

National Report - Veterinarians are protesting a state proposal to tax veterinary services in California. Hundreds of letters were sent to the California Veterinary Medical Association. Currently, only three other states tax veterinary services - Hawaii, New Mexico and South Dakota, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Pullman, Wash.- Dr. Warwick Bayley became provost of Washington State University resigning his position as dean of the veterinary college.

California is looking for ways to make ends meet, including a proposed new veterinary service tax.

Sacramento, Calif. - Should unregistered veterinary technicians get a one-year window to take a certification examination based on a lot of experience and just 24 hours of education?

In New York, a dapper bachelor could enlist a dog each Saturday to help him find his date for the night.

"I think everyone needs an outlet, no matter what they do," says public health veterinarian Stanley 'Doc' Baker.

PORTLAND, ORE. - As many areas face shortages of veterinary assistants and technicians, more state boards are debating how far they can go to extend care.

A debate has ensued over California's Prop 2, which would drastically alter animal agriculture.

International Report -- World leaders team up this weekend to spread rabies education and vaccines.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Two veterinarians practicing their trade 10 minutes apart from one another, on the same side of a city ranked lowest in growth by the U.S. Census Bureau are proving that there's a lot more than economics involved in making one's business a success.

National Report -- The plight of polar bears losing their food supply and habitat because of melting ice caps has been making news for some time, but could climate change really be causing a kitten boom? Will disease vectors on the move because of changes in their habitat cause outbreaks in companion animals?

National Report -- Gas and electric prices continue to rise for everyone - including businesses, and the state of the economy isn't exactly putting more money into clients' pockets to offset higher operating costs.

National Report -- Home euthanasia is a luxury more DVMs are offering their ailing patients.While it might not always seem convenient or cost-effective for veterinarians, offering at-home services like euthanasia might be necessary to keep owners from seeking alternative means to their pet's end.

Studies show new associate veterinarians switch jobs faster than average workers.

The inconvenient truth isn't just a documentary about climate change. It's also the reality that many states and local governments are cracking down to protect their environmental well-being while their targets might not even know they are doing anything wrong.

A look at what's new and under way at the nation's veterinary colleges.

Students take to the Web to discuss courses, school frustrations

Columbus, Ohio - A decade of research and $20 million in grants yields an impressive recipe for uncovering new information about retrovirus-associated cancer as it affects both animals and humans.

Paradise, Calif. - Thick smoke forced him from his home, but it hasn't kept Dr. Mike Seely from visiting a local evacuation shelter where he checks on hundreds of pets and livestock displaced by the wildfires that burn throughout California.