Breaking News

Sacramento, Calif. - Animal emergency response specialists, veterinarians and disaster rescue volunteers are meeting at Sacramento's Doubletree Hotel June 3-6 for the National Conference on Animals in Disaster.

Portland, Ore. - The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board has put into effect a temporary rule to allow shelter staffers to receive euthanasia training and testing through October from board-approved vendors or veterinarians.

Tampa, Fla. - Three veterinary specialty hospitals from different parts of the country merged under a new partnership known as BluePearl Veterinary Partners, the principals of which say they will offer a new paradigm in veterinary medicine.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will create a new series of podcasts for pet owners. It's the association's latest effort to inform the public about issues related to pet health, public health and veterinary medicine.

Camden, N.J. - Thousands of pet owners in the United States and Canada could be reimbursed for veterinary bills and pet burial or cremation costs they incurred following last year's massive pet-food recall, under terms of a $24 million settlement filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

Santa Clara, Calif. - Eklin Medical Systems completed its acquisition of Ultrasource. The deal was announced in late May. Ultrasource is the U.S. veterinary distributor for Philips Medical Systems' ultrasound line, which includes Sonoscape and SIUI.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues (NCVEI) named Karen E. Felsted, CPA, MS, DVM, CVPM its new chief executive officer. Felsted leaves Los Angeles-based Gatto McFerson CPAs, a veterinary-focused financial and consulting firm.

Columbus, Ohio - Prescriptions and veterinarian-client-patient relationships are not needed for consumers to purchase therapeutic pet food.

Ames, Iowa - An Iowa State University researcher restored a 7-year-old dog's deteriorating sight by removing its cloudy cornea and inserting a plastic replacement.

West LaFayette, Ind. - A vaccine that could offer protection from highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms is under development by Purdue University and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researchers.

Denver - Gov. Bill Ritter is expected tomorrow to sign a bill that phases out swine gestation stalls and veal crates in Colorado.

Knoxville, Tenn. - 5/9/08 - There's plenty of extra space to accommodate patients and several new services at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine's (UTCVM) small-animal teaching hospital, with the formal opening of a 32,000-square-foot addition.

Portland, Ore. - 5/8/08 - Sharon Harmon, executive director of the Oregon Humane Society, is expected to receive the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Humane Award.

Tallahassee, Fla. - 5/6/08 - Owners of Florida veterinary medical practices must buy pharmacy permits by Jan. 1, 2009, to be in compliance with a law passed on Friday.

Washington - 5-5/2008 - As Public Service Recognition Week kicks off today, officials at the American Veterinary Medical Association called on Congress to unlock funds to help veterinary educators recruit and train DVMs for this sector.

College Station, Texas - 5/2/2008 - Texas A&M University's veterinary college received approval to build a veterinary imaging and cancer research center. Plans for the $4.5-million project include an 8,000-square-foot building for small-animal and equine patients.

Cleveland - 5/1/2008 - BrightHeart Veterinary Centers completed an acquisition of Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists (formerly, the Veterinary Referral Clinic), a full-service advanced-care and emergency veterinary hospital in Bedford Heights, Ohio.

Solana Beach, Calif. - 4/30/08 - An autopsy shows it was a great white shark that killed a 66-year-old retired veterinarian while he was swimming in the ocean near his home. The official cause of Dr. David Martin's death was exsanguination, or blood loss, from a shark bite, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office.

Albany, N.Y. - 4/29/08 - New York veterinarians are concerned about non-profit animal shelters practicing medicine, according to early results from a New York State Veterinary Medical Society (NYSVMS) survey.

Paris, France - 4/24/2008- The change in gender, accreditation and veterinary shortages in agriculture and public health all headlined a world meeting of veterinary deans. Hosted by OIE, which includes the World Organization for Animal Health, the three-day meeting sought to address the serious and global challenges facing veterinary education.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 4/22/08 - American Veterinary Medical Association leaders gave the OK for an exotic companion mammal specialty practice area that focuses on ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents and other small exotic mammals.

Ithaca, NY - 4/21/08 - Aiming to help recruit DVMs to research positions, the Clinical Fellows Program is the newest initiative by Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine to help students balance the time and financial demands of the veterinary academia sector.

4-20-2008 - Baltimore - Dr. Nathan Wolfe, professor of epidemiology at the University of California Los Angeles hopes to prevent the next pandemic.

Baltimore - 04-20-2008 - CVC East veterinarian attendance spiked 23 percent this year over last. The conference drew 1,231 veterinarians to the Baltimore Convention Center April 18-21, reports Conference Manager Dot Thiesen, up from last year's record of 949 veterinarians.

Ames, Iowa - 4/19/2008 - The USDA has approved heightened security measures for the nation's standard for web-based animal health certification, developed by GlobalVetLink (GVL), that will better regulate and track veterinarians' electronic signatures.

Philadelphia - 4/18/08 - The first-ever Penn Vet World Award, created to honor veterinarians who have spurred practice change and profession recognition, and influenced the lives and careers of others, was given to Dr. Bernard Vallat, director-general of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Lexington, Ky. - 4/17/08 - Every horse needs an annual dental exam, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) says. It hopes to spread that message through a dental-health campaign designed to reach horse owners throughout 2008.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 4/16/08 - Pet health insurance is on the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust's (GHLIT)

Bethesda, Md. - 4/15/08 - The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) is moving forward to develop the new group, including plans this month to announce leadership council members.

Washington - 4/11/08 - Operations were suspended at one slaughterhouse and violations issued at three others after 18 facilities were evaluated in a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) audit, spurred by the nation's largest beef recall earlier this year.