American Humane Association Honors Winners Of American Humane Association Hero Veterinarian And Hero Veterinary Technician Awards™, Presented By Zoetis

Top dogs were not the only honorees last night at the fifth annual American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards®. America’s first national humane organization also honored a couple of people – the top veterinary professionals in the country, actually – with the American Humane Association Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Technician Awards™, presented by Zoetis. After a nationwide search and tens of thousands of public votes, Annette Sysel, DVM, MS, the president of the Bauer Research Foundation in Vero Beach, Florida was named 2015′s American Hero Veterinarian, and Julie Carlson of Pima Medical Institute in Phoenix, Arizona was declared 2015′s American Hero Veterinary Technician. They received their awards during a special ceremony onstage at the Beverly Hilton during the Hero Dog Awards gala, which will be broadcast nationallyOctober 30 on Hallmark Channel.

The American Humane Association Hero Veterinarian and Hero Veterinary Technician Awards were born out of the idea that behind almost every hero pet (and millions more animals) is a hero veterinarian or hero veterinary technician. These often little-known benefactors save and improve the lives of our two- and four-legged best friends in many ways, and it is time to honor their achievements. Hundreds of worthy nominees were considered by a special blue-ribbon panel of celebrities and renowned veterinary and animal care professionals. After winnowing down the field to the top five in each category, the American public was asked to make the final determination.

“Dr. Annette Sysel and Julie Carlson are truly outstanding examples of the many dedicated animal professionals doing heroic work every day,” said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, DABVP, group director of U.S. Companion Animal Marketing at Zoetis. “Zoetis has an ongoing commitment to the veterinary profession, and the American Humane Association Hero Veterinarian and Veterinary Technician Awards are a perfect way to honor the work these remarkable professionals do every day to keep our best friends healthy and celebrate the human-animal bond. We thank them and all those who work on behalf of the nation’s animals.”

“To us, all vets and vet techs are heroes,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association. “Indeed, both Dr. Sysel and Ms. Carlson are tremendous animal welfare professionals aiding animals in need. Our deepest thanks go out to Zoetis for continuing to recognize and honor the achievements of the veterinary community.”

Dr. Annette Sysel is truly an outstanding veterinarian, who has done so much to help pet owners around the country. Dr. Sysel works full time as the President of the Bauer Research Foundation, which is dedicated to strengthening the human-animal bond. She does this without taking a salary, and answers thousands of emails from pet owners whose pets have cancer, directing them to oncologists and specialty pet clinics while identifying possible clinical trials tailored to each inquiry. Dr. Sysel has made a significant impact in fostering the human-animal bond by educating and working with pet owners to navigate the fearful process of treating pet cancers. In addition, she has been awarded several research grants and has conducted and published several studies identifying novel cancer biomarkers in canine, feline and human cancers. This work aids in diagnosis, treatment decisions, and monitoring of disease.

Her study evaluating biomarkers in feline and canine cancers was published in the February 2015 issue of the prestigious cancer journal “Oncotarget.“ Dr. Sysel is currently working on a simple blood/urine test to help distinguish between cancer and inflammation, which will benefit pets by identifying cancers earlier, and by minimizing or eliminating invasive diagnostic procedures. She is also working to begin clinical trials on a promising, non-toxic anti-cancer drug for treatment of a variety of cancers in both pets and people. This drug has already been used successfully to treat several dogs with cancer, and none of the dogs experienced any side effects.

“I am so truly honored to receive the American Hero Veterinarian award from an organization as historic and esteemed as the American Humane Association,” said Dr. Annette Sysel. “I would like to recognize the many other veterinarians across the country who are just as deserving of this award. I am incredibly grateful to my family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances for their unwavering support and encouragement. I am hopeful that our efforts at the Bauer Research Foundation will help to bring awareness and assistance to the development of safe and effective diagnostics and treatments for animals, children, and adults afflicted with cancer. I will continue to work hard to fulfill the merits of this award and to honor the memory of those that I have lost to this terrible disease.”

In 2008, Julie Carlson met a homeless veteran who was living in his car with his German shepherd. He saved every penny he was given so he could take his dog to the veterinarian for regular exams and arthritis medications. Julie realized that there were many others like this man and decided to start Vets for Vets’ Pets, an organization of volunteers representing more than a dozen local hospitals, clinics, and schools. She works with her partner, Dr. Connie Anderson of Animal House Veterinary Clinic, to solicit donations and sponsorships all year long. She trains, organizes, and runs a group of more than 100 volunteers to provide pet boarding, foster care resources, spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, wound care, grooming, and more.

Pet supplies, including food, collars, leashes, toys, bowls, and beds are given away at the annual Arizona StandDown event for homeless and at-risk veterans. Julie organizes her volunteers and makes sure everything runs smoothly while at the same time meeting government leaders and policymakers. The 2015 event saw the disbursement of more three tons of pet food. Julie is also a teacher at the Pima Medical Institute in Mesa, AZ.

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to receive the American Hero Veterinary Technician Award from American Humane Association,” said Carlson following the awards ceremony. ”I would like to thank everyone who voted for me, including the entire staff of Animal House Veterinary Clinic and my friends at Pima Medical Institute. I dedicate my work with homeless and at-risk veterans to my Uncle Tom Gibson who died as a result of injuries from his service in Vietnam. Through Tom I realized my desire to help the veterans who are living on the very streets they fought to defend.  For many of the veterans I work with, their pets are the only family they have; my work with Vets for Vets’ Pets at the Maricopa County StandDown will continue to provide care and support to the pets of these veterans.”

The American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards are presented by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and will be broadcast nationally on Hallmark Channel on October 30 at 8 pm ET/PT, 7 pm Central.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Sep 21 2015. Filed under The Buzz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.