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OVMA Awards Program

OVMA award winners have demonstrated a wide range of outstanding work in their communities. Whether it’s volunteering for committees or associations, engaging in volunteer work at home or abroad, or working to improve animal welfare in the province, OVMA’s award winners are improving the veterinary profession for the better each and every day. Since the OVMA Awards Program was established in 1986, more than 100 individuals have been recognized with one of OVMA’s prestigious awards (see a list of past award winners). 

Read about the award categories. For more information view the award FAQ.

Do you know a veterinarian who's gone above and beyond? Nominate them for an OVMA Award!

How to submit a nomination

  1. Choose an award category that best suits your proposed candidate.
  2. Compile your supporting materials (biography, supporting letters, newspaper articles, etc.*).
  3. Complete the online nomination form and attach your supporting materials.
  4. The deadline to submit a nomination for the 2024 OVMA Awards is Oct. 1, 2023. If you have questions about the awards, contact Sabrina Silveira at ssilveira@ovma.org.

* Be sure to include biographical information about your nominee, as this will serve as the basis of the award nomination and presentation.

Award categories

OUTSTANDING VETERINARIAN AWARD
This award is presented to a veterinarian for outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession. Eligibility/Requirements: All veterinarians who are members of OVMA are eligible. Nominees should demonstrate a suitable background of leadership in professional associations at the regional, provincial and/or national levels, plus involvement in the community leading to an enhanced image of veterinarians and/or the profession. A minimum of two letters of recommendation from two veterinarians – one of whom is an OVMA member – must accompany each nomination.
 

AWARD OF MERIT
This award recognizes individuals for their practice of, or help to, veterinary medicine. It is awarded for distinguished public service to the veterinary profession in any form.
Eligibility/Requirements: All veterinarians who are members of OVMA are eligible for nomination. Candidates may be nominated by the general public or by members of the veterinary profession. Supporting letters from members of the animal health sector, veterinarians or the general public must accompany each nomination.
 

ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR AWARD
This award is presented to an associate veterinarian who has demonstrated superior customer service and has proven to be an asset to their practice as well as their community.
Eligibility/Requirements: All associate veterinarians who are OVMA members and who graduated more than five years ago are eligible for nomination. Nominees should demonstrate a suitable background of demonstrated client and patient service and should be recognized as a leader in their clinic, community, or in organizations at local or provincial levels. A minimum of two supporting letters are required: one from a staff member and one from an OVMA clinic owner at their place of employment. The nomination should also include one letter from a client that can be requested by the clinic staff in support of the nomination.
 

RISING STAR AWARD
This award is presented to an associate veterinarian who has demonstrated superior leadership in their place of employment and their community for the betterment of animal welfare and/or their clients and/or their colleagues in the veterinary profession.
Eligibility/Requirements: All associate veterinarians who are OVMA members and who graduated five years ago or less are eligible for nomination. Nominees should demonstrate a suitable background of client and patient service, and should be recognized as a leader in their clinic, community, or in organizations at the local or provincial level. Their exceptional conduct should reflect an overall positive image of the veterinary profession. A minimum of two supporting letters are required: one from a staff member and one from an OVMA clinic member at their place of employment. The nomination should also include one letter from a client that can be requested by the clinic staff in support of the nomination.


GOLDEN LIFE MEMBERSHIP AWARD
This award recognizes OVMA members who are retired from full-time career pursuits of veterinary medicine or who have been a veterinarian for a minimum of 30 years and have served the profession in an extraordinary manner. Recipients receive an honorary lifetime OVMA membership.
Eligibility/Requirements: OVMA member veterinarians who are either retired or have been a veterinarian for a minimum of 30 years. A minimum of two supporting letters, both from OVMA member veterinarians, must accompany each nomination.
 

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP AWARD
This award is presented to someone who is not a veterinarian but has contributed to animal welfare and/or the veterinary profession. Eligibility/Requirements: Any person, other than a veterinarian, who has served the interests of the veterinary profession through various endeavours. A minimum of two supporting letters, both from OVMA member veterinarians, must accompany each nomination.

Awards nomination FAQ

How do I acquire supporting letters and documentation?

Approach colleagues, clinic staff or clients to see if they would be willing to write a letter in support of your nominee. Look for newspaper or magazine clippings etc. that demonstrates the work the veterinarian does for the local community. The more information that you provide about your nominee, the better.

What do award recipients receive?

Award winners receive an engraved OVMA Award, free registration to the OVMA Conference and Trade Show, accommodation for one night (if needed) at the conference venue, and travel expenses to/from the conference.

When are awards presented?

Awards are presented during the annual OVMA Conference and Trade Show. Awards are not automatically awarded on an annual basis, but are awarded when at least one nominee meets the award criteria as determined by the OVMA Awards Committee and Board of Directors.

When is the deadline for nominations?

All nominations must be received at the OVMA office by Oct. 1 of each year. Nominations will be accepted after Oct. 1, but may not be considered until the following year’s awards program. 

 

Meet the 2024 OVMA Award Winners!

pierrozGolden Life Membership Award – Dr. Daniel Pierroz

The OVMA Golden Life Membership Award recognizes OVMA members who are retired from full-time career pursuits of veterinary medicine or who have been a veterinarian for a minimum of 30 years and have served the profession in an extraordinary manner. Recipients receive an honorary lifetime OVMA membership.

After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1975, Dr. Daniel Pierroz relocated to northwestern Ontario, and the following year he purchased the Nor-West Animal Clinic, a mixed animal practice serving the entire Rainy River District. 

Over the span of his 48-year career, he served the needs of animals across the district, often as the only practitioner in the area. With no access to emergency clinics nearby, Dr. Pierroz worked on-call to provide after-hours care.

Committed to improving animal welfare in the northwest, Dr. Pierroz organized travel clinics in the districts more isolated and remote areas, including Indigenous communities. Without a humane society in the area, he provided aid to local rescue organizations helping to find animals forever homes.

Dr. Pierroz was a lead in the formation of the Designated Area Veterinary Association representing the Designated Practices in Ontario. His, like many other designated areas, often lacked adequate animal welfare resources and struggled to attract veterinary professionals.

Dr. Pierroz has been an active volunteer in his community, serving a decade as a School Board Trustee with four years as Chair. He helped lead the steering committee for the construction of the current Fort Frances High School, was on the Townshend Theatre Auditorium fundraising committee, is a former Boy Scout Leader, and was involved in developing the multi-sport field project in the Town of Fort Frances. He continues to be a strong advocate and financial supporter of local organizations and service groups, including the Tour de Fort concert series, district 4-H programs, and the annual agricultural fair.

Throughout his career, Dr. Pierroz mentored colleagues and interns, employed summer veterinary students and offered support in various ways. As a mental health advocate, he regularly checked-in on colleagues and created a safe environment for staff to express their emotions and discuss challenges. The Nor-West Animal Clinic received the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award in 2013, and won a 2021 OVMA Practice Management Award. In 2017, Dr. Pierroz built a new 5000 sq. ft. clinic, with a detached isolation building and a community use Pet Wash. He is very pleased that the Nor-West Animal Clinic will continue to serve the needs of the Rainy River District into the future. 

 

CoeAward of Merit – Dr. Jason Coe

The OVMA Award of Merit recognizes individuals for their practice of, or help to, veterinary medicine. It is awarded for distinguished public service to the veterinary profession in any form.

After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in 2001, Dr. Jason Coe returned from mixed animal practice to complete a PhD in veterinary communications in 2008. The same year, he joined OVC as a faculty member in the Department of Population Medicine where he established an active research program examining human-animal relationships and the role of interpersonal communications on the outcomes of veterinary care. 

From 2010 to 2015, he held OVC’s Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada Chair in Communications, and he’s currently the VCA Canada Chair in Relationship-Centred Veterinary Medicine. This position has enabled Dr. Coe to develop a research program dedicated to bolstering the relationships comprising the circle of care in veterinary medicine. The program is also developing novel practice models for more sustainable business operations and enhanced mental health and well-being for veterinary teams.

Dr. Coe has established an international reputation for his leadership in veterinary communications, primary-care veterinary education and understanding the human-animal relationship. He served as chair of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’ primary care veterinary educators’ subcommittee, and he’s chaired and participated in more than 20 national and international conference organizing committees.

Dr. Coe has also consulted for various companies in North America, including Mars Veterinary Health, and has mentored countless graduate students. Additionally, Dr. Coe’s research has been published in veterinary journals and publications, including Veterinary Science and the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.

Dr. Coe has been recognized as a Distinguished Young Alumnus by the Ontario Veterinary College Alumni Association, as well as the 2021 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

 

jacobson newOutstanding Veterinarian Award – Dr. Linda Jacobson

The OVMA Outstanding Veterinarian Award is presented to a veterinarian for outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession.

Dr. Linda Jacobson holds degrees from the University of Pretoria in South Africa (Bachelor of Veterinary Science, followed by a specialty in internal medicine and a PhD). She started her veterinary career in 1986, initially in private companion animal practice and subsequently as a resident, clinician, teacher and research coordinator at the Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. After moving to Canada, she started working as a staff veterinarian at Toronto Humane Society in 2011 and completed the University of Florida’s Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine in 2015. In 2018 she transitioned into her current role as senior manager of Shelter Medicine Advancement. In this role, she works on innovative and impactful research and strategies to improve shelter and community medicine practice.

In 2015, Dr. Jacobson brought together a group of veterinarians to discuss the creation of the Ontario Shelter Medicine Association, which was officially established in 2016. Over the years the association grew substantially, and in 2023 it became the Canadian Animal Shelter and Community Medicine Association, CASCMA. She is currently President and Treasurer.

Dr. Jacobson's commitment to improving access to veterinary care, advancing the future of veterinary medicine, and protecting the public interest is further demonstrated through her volunteer work with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, where she has served on the Practice Advisory Panel and Standard of Care Working Group, as well as participating in joint CVO, OVMA and OVC discussions about the future of veterinary medicine in Ontario. She is a member of multiple boards and committees, including the editorial boards of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health. She is Guest Editor of the special collection on accessible veterinary care for the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.

Dr. Jacobson has published 48 papers in peer-reviewed journals, primarily on veterinary internal medicine and infectious diseases. Recent research papers have included comparisons of diagnostic tests for ringworm and panleukopenia, how heartworm disease affects marginalized communities in Canada, treatment of middle ear infections in hoarded cats, and outcomes of cats from hoarding situations. She has been a presenter at the American Heartworm Society Symposium and many other conferences and authored a chapter about infectious disease considerations and management in community cats for Greene’s Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat (2022).

In addition to her remarkable career, Dr. Jacobson has contributed to wellness clinics in First Nations communities, and has helped provide free trap, neuter, vaccinate, return services for community cats through Toronto Street Cats.

 

O'BrienGolden Life Membership Award – Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien

The OVMA Golden Life Membership Award recognizes OVMA members who are retired from full-time career pursuits of veterinary medicine or who have been a veterinarian for a minimum of 30 years and have served the profession in an extraordinary manner. Recipients receive an honorary lifetime OVMA membership.

Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1985 and became a Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in feline practice in 1999. She was the managing veterinarian of two successful feline only practices in Ancaster and Hamilton until she retired in 2022.

Her involvement with the successful “Year of the Cat” initiative in 2011 led to a partnership with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association to promote Preventive Health Care for Cats in 2012. In 2014, she won the CVMA Small Animal Practitioner Award. She sat on the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association’s board of directors from 2016 to 2021 and was a member of OVMA’s small animal issues committee.

Dr. O'Brien was the visionary for Cat Healthy, whose mission is to improve the quality and increase the value and medicalization of cats in communities across Canada. Through her leadership, she brought together Canada’s six board certified feline practitioners and industry members to create Preventive Healthcare Protocols for Cats.

She was a volunteer spokesperson for Care for Cats, a national initiative with a mission to increase the value of owned, homeless and feral cats in communities across Canada. She has been recognized for her dedication to the welfare of shelter and street cats and continues to be a passionate advocate and an in-demand speaker.

 

LittleHonorary Membership Award – Martha Little

The OVMA Honorary Membership Award is presented to someone who is not a veterinarian but has contributed to animal welfare and/or the veterinary profession. 

A registered veterinary technician with a degree in business administration, Martha Little has followed a multifaceted career path in the veterinary industry for more than 40 years.

Inspired by her passion for animals, she started her career in 1981 at the Link’s Road Animal and Bird Clinic, which was followed by several years pioneering new techniques in avian procedures and surgery. She also worked at Morningside Animal Clinic and Mount Pleasant Veterinary Hospital, where she transferred her skills and started to learn about management. From there, she joined the management team for the Ontario Veterinary Group.

In 2001, Little joined Hill's Pet Nutrition as a veterinary account manager and quickly advanced to become a district manager for Western Canada. By 2009, she was promoted to customer marketing manager, where she communicated the needs of veterinary practices to the marketing team. She then joined CDMV in 2013 as the regional sales manager for Ontario and Western Canada. Since then, she expanded her responsibilities to include the Atlantic provinces.

Her leadership in veterinary medicine and her support of veterinarians, veterinary teams and industry partners in Ontario and across Canada is held in high regard from colleagues from all areas of the profession.

She is well known and respected in the animal health community and is a gifted speaker and mentor. She has presented at various veterinary events for provincial associations and the American Animal Hospital Association.

 

worrallAssociate of the Year Award – Dr. Meaghan Worrall

The OVMA Associate of the Year Award is presented to an associate veterinarian who has demonstrated superior customer service and has proven to be an asset to their practice as well as their community.

After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2016, Dr. Meaghan Worrall started her veterinary career at the Etobicoke Veterinary Hospital, followed by a tenure at Bloorcourt Veterinary Clinic. She’s currently an associate veterinarian at Roncesvalles Animal Hospital, where she’s established strong relationships with her patients, clients and colleagues.

“She is compassionate and cognizant of the pressures and limitations people face in terms of finances, time and emotional wellness, and she strives to provide the best possible care for every animal (and human) she encounters,” says client Andrea Breen.

Her colleagues share that she takes her time welcoming, teaching and training new staff, and she’s continuously striving to continue her education with support materials in journals, conferences and memberships. She researches all new drugs, therapies and treatments to ensure she is always up to date with current protocols. “When she finds a treatment or drug that is working well, she will review her ongoing cases to see if one of the pets may benefit from this new path,” says a colleague. “She always ensures the other veterinarians are also aware of new protocols that may benefit any of their patients as well.”

Dr. Worrall’s passion, commitment and positive demeanor make her stand out in the profession and among her colleagues and clients.

 

batemanOutstanding Veterinarian Award – Dr. Shane Bateman

The OVMA Outstanding Veterinarian Award is presented to a veterinarian for outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession.

Following his graduation from Saskatoon’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1991, Dr. Shane Bateman worked in rural mixed animal practice prior to completing a small animal internship and residency in emergency and critical care at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).

He went on to become a clinical track faculty member at Ohio State University in 1998. Over the next 10 years, he developed numerous veterinary programs there before returning to Canada and working primarily at OVC, first as the founding director of the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre, and since 2014 as an associate professor in OVC’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and graduate programs. He is also a clinician in the Emergency and Critical Care Service in OVC’s Health Sciences Centre. He recently completed a master’s degree in veterinary forensic science while on sabbatical.

Dr. Bateman was a driving force behind the Kim & Stu Lang Community Healthcare Partnership Program, a new learning pathway at OVC, and served as interim director. The program is designed to train DVM and graduate students to deliver a spectrum of high-quality veterinary care to underserved communities without current access to veterinary care.

Dr. Bateman participates in many philanthropic endeavours. He served on the board of the Guelph Humane Society for many years, where he also helped launch the Guelph Cat Population Taskforce initiative. He was a regional co-director for Community Veterinary Outreach and has developed and led several programs that deliver low-cost preventive veterinary care to First Nations communities in southwestern Ontario.

Dr. Bateman shares his breadth of knowledge by mentoring students, consulting, lecturing and presenting at conferences, as well as contributing to countless publications. His contributions to animal welfare and the veterinary profession have been recognized with several awards and scholarships, including the 2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Award of Excellence in Clinical Teaching.

 

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