Breaking News

Austin, Texas -- As evacuees fleeing Hurricane Ike poured into Austin over the weekend, thieves broke into the offices of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and made off with a computer and several monitors.

College Station, Texas - Three veterinary students from Texas A&M University won 2008 grants provided by the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF.)

Galveston, Texas - Hundreds of veterinary practices were in Hurricane Ike's path as it collided with the Texas/Louisiana coastline at 2 a.m. CST today.

WASHINGTON - In an effort to address the national shortage of veterinarians certified to work with laboratory animals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun a new residency program in laboratory-animal medicine.

Franklin, Tenn. - Mars Petcare US issued a voluntary recall today for products manufactured at its Everson, Penn. facility. The pet food is being recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund, the company reports. This voluntary recall only affects the United States.

Nashville, Tenn. - Tennessee recently revised its rules regarding euthanasia of companion animals.

College Station, Texas - As Hurricane Ike closes in on the Texas coast, veterinarians aided emergency management teams in evacuation efforts.

Tallahassee, Fla. - Two additional premises have been quarantined for equine piroplasmosis.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed the Higher Education Reauthorization Bill into law, paving the way for a veterinary grant program that would increase the number of veterinarians in public health practice and research.

Elmont, N.Y. - Blood samples from a horse that was euthanized at Belmont Park after being found with a fever and unable to stand in its stall tested negative for equine herpesvirus (EHV-1).

Raliegh, N.C. - NCSU will rank as the nation's first university to offer bone-marrow transplantation in a clinical setting.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The American Veterinary Medical Foundation named Michael W. Cathey as its new director.

North Grafton, Mass. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closed its investigation of a recent botulin toxin scare at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Elmont, N.Y. - A quarantine was issued at Belmont Park after a 3-year-old gelding was euthanized, according to news reports.

Baton Rouge -- Horse owners in southern Louisiana with equine needs they can't meet or with questions related to storms like Hurricane Gustav have a new resource.

Shreveport, La. -- More than 1,000 animals -- including cats, dogs, lizards, rabbits, turtles and snakes -- filled the Louisiana Mega Shelter to capacity Sept. 1 as Hurricane Gustav hit.

National Report -- Damage assessments began Sept. 2 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Gustav's Labor Day weekend arrival.

Baton Rouge -- Louisiana State University's (LSU) campus is set to reopen Sept. 5 following a Sept. 1 visit from Hurricane Gustav.

National Report -- Louisiana residents returned to their powerless homes and businesses Sept. 3 despite warnings from officials.

New Orleans -- Hundreds of area veterinarians were among the 2 million people evacuated before Hurricane Gustav set its destructive path through the region.

Baton Rouge -- Louisiana's governor suspended its veterinary licensing rules citing a public health emergency following Hurricane Gustav.

National Report -- Louisiana residents returned to their powerless homes and businesses Sept. 3 despite warnings from officials.

Baton Rouge -- Louisiana state officials called for veterinarians to help in the disaster clean-up following Hurricane Gustav.

New Orleans -- Veterinarians closed offices following the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans Aug. 30. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin set noon Aug. 31 as the evacuation deadline.

Sante Fe, N.M. -- Humans are always trying to solve problems in the animal world, but now two frisky felines, Foxy and Sam, have launched their own Web site, The Cat's Guide to Love, to capitalize on the relationship advice market for the benefit of homeless or abused animals.

College Station, Texas -- A course originally sponsored to raise money for parrot research will do that and much more when it begins in January 2009.

Tallahassee, Fla. -- Four Florida counties received federal emergency declarations this week as the result of flooding rains and severe weather damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay. Now, the Gulf Coast is bracing for the impact of Tropical Storm Gustav, which could gain hurricane strength as is passes over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters this weekend.

Washington - The U.S. Senate earmarked funds to help veterinary students repay loans and ease the shortage of veterinarians in rural areas.

Bradenton, Fla. -- A sixth horse tested positive for equine piroplasmosis (EP), this one on a second Manatee County property, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DOACS) reported.

Houston -- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School has been awarded a $150,000, two-year grant by the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study a mysterious infection affecting Texas and other southern states.