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Veterinary Medicine Board Exam Result

Many years ago my love for animals steered me toward a career in veterinary medicine. The chance to work at the world-renowned Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, in turn, Led me to the MSPCA. Throughout these years, veterinary medicine and animal-protection Efforts have proved to be a winning combination.

Veterinarians provide clients with critical information on pet selection, behavior, and overpopulation. And at the MSCPA, their role in protecting animal health and relieving suffering extends far beyond the exam room, a commitment I urge private practitioners to embrace.

Fighting cruelty is one area where veterinarians can make a difference. When clinicians see injuries that are the result of uninformed or misguided pet care, patient, thorough advice followed by careful follow-up may solve the problem. In other cases, the mistreatment is overt and requires legal action. Yet the fear of being sued or of breaking client-doctor confidentiality may have caused some veterinarians to hesitate reporting the problem. That roadblock has been eliminated in Massachusetts thanks to legislation-championed by the MSPCA and supported by the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association--that exempts veterinarians from civil and criminal liability connected with reporting abuse. Other states have or are considering similar legislation.

When cruelty cases come to trial, medical expertise is often required. To meet this need, veterinarians at our three hospitals and seven shelters provide medical testimony for many cases under investigation by the MSPCA law enforcement department and other authorities. In situations with happier outcomes, abused pets are taken into custody and restored to health through the team effort of law enforcement officers, shelter workers, and our veterinarians assisted by a superb support staff.

Veterinarians have much to offer in the public debate over the laws and polices that shape the lives of animals. In Europe, veterinarians have been instrumental in passing laws that are often more progressive than U.S. regulations to protect lab animals, livestock, and pets. The MSCPA's vice president of health and hospitals, Peter Theran, V.M.D., who also serves as president of our affiliate the Center for Laboratory Animal Welfare, is working to change that. As the only animal-welfare representative on a National Academy of Sciences advisory panel, Theran played an important role in drafting recommendations to improve the lives of chimpanzees used in research. He continues as a voice for animals on a number of working groups For the National Institutes of Health and is a board member of Chimp Haven Sanctuary, established For former research subjects.

An exciting specialty is emerging that concentrates on the medical needs of shelter animals. The MSPCA's director of animal-protection medicine, Julie Dinnage, D.V.M., For example, has nearly completed a study on the behavior of feline upper respiratory disease in shelters. We are proud to say that Dinnage is a cofounder and the first president of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. Attracting 175 members in just its first Four months, this new group seeks to pool the expertise of veterinarians who work with shelters across the country and around the world.

Our partnership with private veterinarians to fight pet overpopulation resulted in more than 4,300 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries last year, 400 of which the MSPCA performed at no cost through our Shalit Glazer clinic. Our veterinarians have also promoted early spay/neuter, establishing safe anesthetic protocols for these young animals and distributing training videos to the veterinary community.

Of all the ways that veterinarians contribute to animal welfare, the care that they give to pets undoubtedly touches people most deeply. Thanks to your support, in 2001 more than a thousand families received financial assistance For their pets' veterinary care through our Pet Care Assistance Fund. Providing state-of-the-art medical care is a long-standing commitment of the MSPCA, and with your continued support it is one that we will continue to honor Far into the future.

Gus W. Thornton, D.V.M.
President

MSPCA/AHES

COPYRIGHT 2002 Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group