HSVMA Announces Humane Veterinary Achievement Awardees
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 01:45 PM

"On behalf of the HSVMA’s more than 7,000 members, we are proud to honor these veterinarians, technicians and students for their contributions and dedication to animal welfare," said Dr. Paula Kislak, HSVMA board president. "We salute the work of these well-deserving veterinary professionals and are honored to have such passionate advocates and caregivers amongst our membership."

Dr. Debra Teachout

HSVMA Veterinary Advocate of the Year

Dr. Debra Teachout of Lemont, Ill., has been recognized for her work as an animal welfare advocate, writer and teacher. Since 2008, Dr. Teachout has been volunteering as a veterinary advisor, providing written expert veterinary opinion concerning the welfare of farm animals captured in undercover video footage. Dr. Teachout is also an associate veterinarian at Pulaski Animal Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, is a columnist for the Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation, and has been a course developer and instructor on wildlife rehabilitation, as well as a wildlife veterinarian. She is an adjunct Assistant Teaching Professor in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and a frequent participant in the HSVMA Speaker’s Bureau, presenting on a variety of animal welfare topics at veterinary schools throughout the United States.

Read Dr. Teachout's article about why veterinary participation in animal cruelty investigations is so important»

Elizabeth Peach

HSVMA Direct Care Practitioner of the Year

Elizabeth Peach, LVT, of Boulder Colo., received this award for her commitment to improving animal health and strengthening the human-animal bond. She has worked to provide communities in need in the U.S, the Caribbean, South America and the South Pacific with access to high quality wellness and spay/neuter clinics, and has also promoted the sustainability of these efforts through training veterinary professionals and students. Liz has also served as Associate Director and Clinic Director for Soul Dog Rescue, running clinics on American Indian reservations since 2010, worked to create sustainable spay/neuter programs in low-income communities in New York City, volunteered with a number of other outreach programs including HSVMA’s Rural Area Veterinary Services, and worked with a number of Colorado shelters.

HSVMA representatives at the 2013 AVMA Summit
Michelle (right) joined fellow HSVMA represenatives, (from left to right) Drs. Gary Block, Susan Krebsbach and Barry Kipperman at a 2013 AVMA summit on animal welfare.
Brian Shapiro

HSVMA Veterinary Student Advocacy Award

Michelle White, a student at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine was recognized for her substantial advocacy work, including founding the HSVMA student chapter at Cornell, volunteer work with local farm animal welfare organizations, advocating for the protection of carriage horses in New York City, and participating in the HSVMA’s Humane Lobby Days in New York state. She also completed an externship at the Fund for Animals’ Cape Wildlife Center in Massachusetts and attended the American Veterinary Medical Association’s conference on animal welfare entitled “Can You Hear Me Now? The Conversation: An Intraprofessional Conversation about Animal Welfare.”

 

Ada Norris and Dr. Paul Breckenridge
Ada (left) with Senior Staff Veterinarian, Dr. Paul Breckenridge, at the 2013 HSVMA-RAVS trip in Pine Ridge, S.D.
Windi Wojdak/HSVMA

HSVMA Veterinary Student Direct Care Award

Ada Norris is also a veterinary student at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Ada came to veterinary medicine via a diverse background, including wilderness Emergency Medical Technician training, serving as an ambulance driver, and receiving a Ph.D in Literature. As a student, Ada has been involved with numerous projects addressing free-roaming and under-served companion animals – including ongoing field work with HSVMA-RAVS, clinical and investigative work with animal shelters, community outreach to low income families, a field service project in Madagascar, and numerous shelter medicine activities at Cornell.

 

More details about each awardee and their accomplishments can be found in the HSVMA 2013 Year in Review»


Media Contact: Cheylin Parker, 301-548-7793, [email protected]