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Registration open for 2022 ACVO and Epicur Service Animal Eye Exam event
Approximately 200 board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists will donate their time and resources to provide free screening exams to qualified dogs, horses, miniature horses, donkeys, alpacas and cats.
The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) announced that registration is open for the 2022 ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam event. The event provides a free screening eye exam to service and working animals from one of more than 200 veterinary ophthalmologists participating in the program in May 2022. Owners and handlers across the US and limited locations in Canada, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and Spain can register through April 30, 2021.
Since its inception in 2008, the program has provided more than 76,000 free screening eye exams in the US and several countries, according to an organizational release. This complimentary service can help owners and handlers ensure the integrity of their animal’s vision or catch problems early, which is crucial for proactively treating issues that are of dire importance to working and service animals.
“Sight is essential for these important Service Animals,” said, ACVO’s Executive Director, Stacee Daniel. “It is a fantastic experience to assist our boarded ophthalmologists to be able to provide these services to this valuable community. Our doctors affirm that early diagnosis is key to treating ocular disease.”
In a press release sent to dvm360®, ACVO explained how to register for the event:
Service and working animals can be registered through the month of April at www.ACVOeyeexam.org. Active working animals include: guide, hearing assistance, drug detection, police/military, search and rescue, therapy and disability assistance animals trained through a formal program.To qualify, service and working animals must be “active working animals” that have been trained through a formal training program or organization or are currently enrolled in a formal training program. The training organization could be national, regional or local in nature. More qualification details are available here.
Owners/agents for the animal(s) must first register the animal via an online registration form beginning April 1 at www.ACVOeyeexam.org. Registration ends April 30. Once registered online, the owner/agent will receive a registration number and will be allowed access to a list of participating ophthalmologists. Then, they may contact a specialist to schedule an appointment, which will take place during the month of May. Times may vary depending on the facility and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so owners/agents are encouraged to register and make appointments early.
Reference
Registration now open for 2022 ACVO and EpicurService Animal Eye Exam event. News release. American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. March 31, 2022.
