Christina Macejko

Not having a First Pet lined up may not hurt Obama's campaign, but getting one could help.

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO - He may not have the name recognition of John McCain or Barack Obama, or even Ron Paul for that matter, but he has a belief that America can do better.

Ending horse slaughter would cause more suffering of horses, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recently testified before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.

The American Heartworm Society (AHS) asked 40,000 animal-health professionals to respond to a two-question survey this summer that could help prevent the spread of heartworm disease to areas that, until recently, rarely had had a case, AHS President Sheldon Rubin says.

Nearly 100 volunteers descended on New Orleans in July to volunteer at four area animal shelters.

"The father of small-animal reproduction" sued the University of Florida for breach of contract after the associate professor received a layoff notice in May.

Expect challenges, diverse views as you enter the work force.

Two veterinary colleges have been moved from full to limited accreditation, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE).

Better parameters on what veterinarians consider suitable conditions for companion-animal domestic travel could be crafted at the next American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Veterinary Service meeting.

Opposing a proposed law that would mandate spaying or neutering, the Illinois Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) says it hasn't worked in other cities and would kill an already successful program there.

Although floodwaters receded along the banks of the Mississippi, the aftermath will continue to be felt for months and even years.

New Orleans - Veterinarians once again squared off on animal-welfare and human-health issues at this year's American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) House of Delegates meeting.

Devastating floods in several Midwest states left most farm animals unscathed, but food shortages and disease still loom as major concerns for farmers and veterinarians in coming months and years.

New Orleans - Whether even to discuss a ban on antimicrobials in livestock feed for growth promotion split the House of Delegates nearly in half at the annual American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) conference.

New Orleans - Local veterinarians say growth doesn't mean their practices are brimming with clients, especially considering the number of clinics has declined, due to delayed construction, financial and other reasons, so that the number of practices remaining is just about on par with the client base.

New Orleans - Delegates from across the country considered 16 resolutions - some contentious, such as the one to support changes in veal husbandry - at the AVMA House of Delegates (HoD) meeting in late July.

Columbia, Mo. - While doing research on the Liberian orphanage where she adopted her two sons, veterinarian Carolyn Henry came across a photograph she couldn't easily ignore.

Washington - The $288 billion Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 passed both the House and the Senate, even surviving a Presidential veto.

Mexico - Armed with a book called "The Peaceful Pill," foreign tourists are heading to Mexico to purchase pentobarbital from veterinary-supply stores and backstreet pet shops near the U.S. border.

Berkeley, Calif. - While debate continues over whether lethal injection in people is cruel and unusual punishment, some are looking to the veterinary community and its method of euthanasia - typically a large dose of pentobarbital.

He will be away from home 330 days out of the year traveling to just about every state by the time it is done.

Schaumburg, Ill. - While Minnesota veterinarian James L. Busby is certainly entitled to his opinion, that doesn't mean the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has to like it.

Harrisburg, Pa. - Sweeping legislation is aimed at cleaning up Pennsylvania puppy mills, but the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association says the proposals still need some work.