Los Angeles, Calif. - 5/15/07 - VCA Antech, Inc., a leading animal healthcare company, announced they will acquire Healthy Pet, which operates 44 animal hospitals, for $152.9 million. On completion of the merger, the combined companies will operate more than 430 animal hospitals in 38 states.
Denver - 5/9/07 - The fight against canine cancer received $500,000 of funding for the next five years from the Golden Retriever Foundation (GRF).
Westlake Village and Palo Alto, Calif - 5/2/07 - National Veterinary Associates, the largest U.S. private owner of companion animal hospitals, received a $128-million investment from Summit Partners, a private equity and venture capital firm.
Ithaca, NY - 4/25/07 - Feline expert and veterinary leader James R. Richards died yesterday from injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident.
The expanding pet-food recall that started with Ontario-based Menu Foods Inc. has prompted the government to consider whether pet foods should be regulated in Canada.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the nation?s first human vaccine for H5N1 influenza, commonly known as avian or bird flu.
National Report - A national survey to gauge the impact of the contaminated pet food following the massive recall was launched late yesterday.
National Report - 4/9/07 - In response to pet-owner concerns after the large-scale recall of some pet foods, the American Veterinary Medical Association issued guidelines on making home-cooked meals for pets while reiterating that non-recalled pet foods remain the best option.
National Report - 4/4/07 - Members of Congress are joining a rapidly expanding hue and cry over last month's recall of tainted pet foods, with at least three lawmakers demanding answers from the Food and Drug Administration and Menu Foods.
National Report - 4/1/07 - Worried pet owners nationwide flooded veterinary practices with calls last month, after nearly 1 percent of the pet food sold in the United States was recalled and later reported to have been contaminated with a rodent-killing toxin.
Ames, Iowa - 3/29/07 - Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has been granted accreditation status by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education for the college's academic program, including a new partnership program with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Schaumburg, Ill. - 3/30/07 - Dr. Ron DeHaven, administrator of the USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has been named the new executive vice president at the American Veterinary Medical Association. With more than 25 years of public health experience, DeHaven will succeed Dr. Bruce Little, retiring this year after service as executive vice president since 1996.
Urbana, Ill. - 3/15/07 - A University of Illinois research team uncovered a similarity between known human protein pathways in osteosarcoma patients and the proteins of canine and feline patients that could help improve palliative care for animals.
Kenilworth, N.J. - 3/12/07 - A deal valued at $14 billion, Schering-Plough is purchasing the animal and human healthcare businesses of Akzo Nobel NV, the parent of Intervet. Pending regulatory approval, the deal is slated to close by the end of 2007.
Springfield, Ill. - 2/28/07 - A bill that would prohibit the transportation of horses into Illinois for the purpose of slaughter for human consumption was introduced to the state legislature last week. Sponsored by Rep. Bob Molaro (D-Chicago), the bill was introduced Feb. 22, representing the state?s second try at an anti-slaughter bill. A similar bill was passed in the Illinois Senate in 2004, but was defeated in the house.
New York - 2/27/07 - Pfizer Animal Health donated $1.1 million to the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) to establish a national canine tumor biospecimen bank. The bank is expected to be valuable in treating dogs and may provide insights into human cancer. Funds for the tumor bank are restricted to the Canine Comparative Oncology and Geriatrics Consortium (CCOGC), a group of veterinary and medical researchers who have determined that a well-described repository of canine-tumor tissues is an essential resource for progress in new cancer therapies.
Baton Rouge, LA - 2/8/07 - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) presented an $800,000 check to the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine to launch a community companion animal health program.
SHAWNEE MISSION, KAN. - 1/31/2007 - Bayer Healthcare LLC recently received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new topical product targeting fleas, heartworms and intestinal nemotodes for both dogs and cats. Bayer officials report the approval and subsequent launch signal an important development for broad-spectrum parasite control. Advantage Multi-TM for Dogs Topical Solution and Advantage Multi-TM for Cats Topical Solution are available by prescription only through licensed veterinarians.
MADISON, WI - 1/25/07 - In a study of nonhuman primates infected with the influenza virus that killed 50 million people in 1918, an international team of scientists found a critical clue to how the virus killed so quickly and efficiently.
COLUMBIA, MO - 1/24/07 - Tom and Betty Scott of Mission Hills, Kan., have given $2 million to the For All We Call Mizzou campaign at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
SACRAMENTO, CA - 1/23/07 - At its 90th annual convention, the California Cattlemen's Association (CCA) Livestock Memorial Research Fund (LMRF) approved a contribution of $50,000 to the University of California, Davis to fund the development of a promising foothill abortion vaccine in cattle.
DENVER, CO ? 1/22/07 ? Seven veterinary interns have joined the staff at Alameda East Hospital in Denver, and, in turn, the cast of a reality television show filmed at the facility.
Stillwater, OK - 1/19/07 - One of Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences' graduates and emeritus faculty, Dr. Roger Panciera, was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) at the 57th Annual American College of Veterinary Pathologists meeting in Tucson, AZ.
Columbia, MO - 1/18/07 - Faculty and staff of the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital joined two Kansas City non-profit organizations, Spay and Neuter Kansas City and No More Homeless Pets KC, to conduct a two-day clinic in December that spayed and neutered nearly 250 cats and dogs.
Athens, GA - 1/17/07 - The Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute (BHSI) and Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) are working to forge links between science and policy experts through a new lecture series at the University of Georgia.
Raleigh, NC - 1/12/07 - Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that repetitive flexing movements increase the speed and depth at which tiny particles are absorbed through the skin, a finding that could have major implications in medical, consumer and industrial fields.
Nashville - 1/11/07 - Tennessee now has more than 1,000 persons trained and registered to give aid to animals during times of emergencies.
Blacksburg , VA - 1/10/07 - Dr. Bill Pierson, an associate professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, recently returned from a trip to Mongolia where he provided training in biosecurity, food safety and avian influenza for local veterinarians in the developing country.
MADISON, WI - 1/9/07 - Discovery of a copper-repressing protein in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis in humans may pave the way to stopping tuberculosis infection in its tracks.
QUINCY, IL - 1/8/07 - Coping with video camera operators and directors is a skill infrequently taught in surgery training.
