(Chicago, Il ” April 4, 2003) ” Dr. Sheldon (Shelly) Rubin, chief of staff of the ten veterinarian Blum Animal Hospital, 3219 Clark Street, past-president of the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, book author and frequent contributor to Chicagoland and national media regarding pet healthcare issues, has been named the recipient of the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association Practitioner of the Year Award. Rubin recently received the award at the 70th Annual AAHA national convention in Phoenix, AZ.
The award is AAHA’s most prestigious award. It is presented to an AAHA member who is a veterinarian in clinical practice or academic practice and who has demonstrated commitment to AAHA, the profession, the community, and his or her clients and patients, and overall excellence in small animal medicine and surgery.
“AAHA continues to raise the bar and set the standards for all of us in veterinary practices nationwide to achieve. I am truly grateful and honored by this recognition. To me, it is a recognition of all our hospital team does every day to deliver exceptional veterinary care,” said Rubin.
Rubin has given back to the community as the organizer and first president of Chicago’s first emergency clinic offering emergency care for Chicago’s pets after hours. He is a member of the Lincoln Park Zoo medical advisory board, and has been an active member of the board of directors of the Anti-Cruelty Society for 23 years. His additional activities involved with this humane association include designing Chicago’s only indigent clinic; developing a veterinarian assisted spay-neuter network; and his involvement in developing a new low-cost spay-neuter clinic; and originating the University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine extern program at the Anti-Cruelty Clinic to enable senior students the opportunity to participate in an urban medicine program.
Rubin has served the veterinary profession for 35 years and has been widely recognized for his contributions to the profession in many ways. He is recipient of the president’s award from the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association and the award of merit from the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association. As past-president of the University of Illinois Veterinary Alumni Association, he is the recipient of the prestigious award of merit. He was chosen as one of Chicago’s top veterinarians by Town & Country magazine, and Chicago magazine.
He is a member of the national American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, Chicago Veterinary Medical Association, Illinois Academy of Veterinary Medicine (100 hours of Continuing Education per year), and the American Heartworm Society ” Secretary/Treasurer, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Rubin was elected member and immediate past-chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Public Relations, a six year position representing small animal medicine. In addition, Rubin has served as chair of numerous committees including: public relations/education chair for the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, program coordinator for the Illinois Heartworm Awareness promotion, and co-chair scientific session for Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association’s annual convention.
He is the author of 6 books published and distributed by Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL including PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CAT CARE, PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DOG CARE, EMERGENCY FIRST AID FOR DOGS (5 languages), EMERGENCY FIRST AID FOR CATS (5 languages), SELECTION AND CARE OF YOUR CAT and SELECTION AND CARE OF YOUR DOG.
Rubin has appeared as a guest on Chicago and national radio and television programs promoting responsible pet ownership, representing veterinary medicine, and disseminating medical information on pet care including WGN Radio’s Pet Central, The Oprah Winfrey Show, WYLL Radio – Monthly radio guest ” Chicago, Animal Planet Radio, WBBM radio, local ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates, CNN, WTTW (Public Television), numerous cable outlets and CLTV.
He has served as editorial advisor for Pet Life magazine, program advisor for the PBS television series”Pets: Part of the Family,” and advisor to the Moody National Radio Network – “Prime Time America” and the BBC. He has also served as consultant to a wide variety of print media including The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Pet Life, Parent Magazine, Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Good Housekeeping, and the National Enquirer.
Rubin received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1968, and serves as a member of the University of Illinois President’s Council. He is a life member of the UI Alumni Association since 1969.
Blum Animal Hospital, www.blumvet.com has served the Chicago area since 1952. The ten veterinarian hospital is a member hospital of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), an organization dedicated to excellence in companion animal medicine and surgery.
The American Animal Hospital Association was founded by seven leaders of the veterinary profession in 1933. AAHA presently serves more than 2800 hospital members in the US and Canada, and over 22,000 veterinary care providers in North America and overseas. Since its beginning, AAHA has been committed to excellence. The founders were convinced that small animal practice was important and that it was necessary to provide better facilities and methods than generally were available. That philosophy is still alive and well as a guiding principle of AAHA today. It has helped stimulate and maintain the growth and development not only of the association, but of the practice of small animal medicine throughout the world.
Today AAHA is respected internationally for its dedication to professional development, for its hospital standards, and for the excellence of its education programs. This recognition and the strength of the organization is a tribute to the vision of its founders and to the leadership and dedication of the many veterinarians who have devoted time and energy to serve AAHA through the years as directors, officers, member representatives, and committee members.