This week, October 13-19, 2013 marks the 21st National Veterinary Technician Week. The theme this year is “Your Trusted Partner in Lifelong Care.” The sponsors, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Partners for Healthy Pets and the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians, hope to raise public awareness of the important role of the veterinary technician in the care of pets and other animals.
Goodnewsforpets has joined in celebrating Veterinary Technician Week since 2000. But, if you read about the history of NAVTA, the organization is about much more than celebrating the technician for one week. Since 1981 NAVTA has been the voice of the veterinary technician. It’s mission is to “represent and promote the profession of veterinary technicians” and by working together the organization has grown, substantial changes have led to a better NAVTA and a better veterinary technician profession.
We’ve posted content from NAVTA and written stories about the many good deeds of veterinary technicians throughout the years. Today in our guest column we highlight one of NAVTA’s leaders, Julie Legred, CVT, interim executive director of NAVTA. Julie has served NAVTA as a member at large, twice as president and now as interim executive director. We suspect Julie embodies today’s NAVTA and today’s veterinary technician — ready to take on multiple roles and multiple challenges and ready for more. Veterinary technicians truly are trusted partners in lifelong care. We know there are many more Julies (and Joes) out there, and that’s reason to celebrate the profession.