Former Goodnewsforpets Columnist Also Received 2002 AVMA Humane Award.
He’s a winner and an all-time champion of pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association has announced that Steve Dale is the winner of the inaugural AVMA Excellence in Media Award, which will be presented this August at AVMA Convention 2020 in San Diego.
This new award was established by the AVMA to honor the achievements of an individual who has contributed to the positive visibility of the veterinary profession by raising public awareness of the important and diverse roles veterinarians play in the health and welfare of animals, people and the environment. It is sponsored by Fear Free Pets.
“For more than 30 years Steve has been a champion of veterinary medicine and the animals we treat,” said AVMA President Dr. John Howe. “Steve’s rapport with the public has helped build awareness of animal health and wellbeing as well as the veterinarian’s role in animal care.”
Dale, a certified animal behavior consultant, is the host of two nationally syndicated radio shows–Steve Dale’s Pet World and The Pet Minute–as well as a special contributor at Chicago’s WGN Radio and program host of Steve Dale’s Pet World. He formerly hosted the nationally broadcasted Animal Planet Radio, served as a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune, and was a contributing editor for USA Weekend and regular columnist at Cat Fancy magazine.
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving for this inaugural award than Steve Dale,” said Dr. Janet Donlin, CEO of the AVMA. “His dedication, passion, knowledge and good humor have made him not just a great source for animal and veterinary news, but also a pleasure to work with.”
As Goodnewsforpets.com celebrates its 20th anniversary year, we can attest to his commitment to pet news. He not only served this website as the first regular columnist but helped launch the site. In recognition of his dedication to the veterinary profession and the pet-owning public, Goodnewsforpets.com submitted his nomination for the AVMA Humane Award. He won the award in 2001 and was honored at the AVMA convention in 2002. That award is now sponsored by Merck.
“It’s no surprise that Steve Dale is still winning prestigious awards. When you hear him speak or read his blog, his passion for pets and the vets that serve them comes through. And, he not only communicates clearly about why we should take good care of our pets through routine veterinary care, he is absolutely tireless in his volunteer efforts to champion the causes he cares about. For decades! Bravo Steve,” said Lea-Ann Germinder, editor and publisher of Goodnewsforpets.com.
“A typical example of this is the first column Dale wrote for Goodnewsforpets.com about pet dumps. I didn’t think it was good news, it was sad news. But, Steve insisted that it was important issue that if people knew about it, maybe it would help change the situation. He was right,” concluded Germinder.
Dale is currently a writer and contributing editor for CATster, and authors a column called Steve Dale’s Vet World for Veterinary Practice News. He’s also a columnist for the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) Journal and PetVet magazine. His blog is www.stevedale.tv<http://www.stevedale.tv/>.
Dale has been involved in many legislative efforts, from preventing breed bans to last year creating a law to protect animals from kennel fires. Dale’s efforts played a key role in the creation of Illinois’ first fire protection law for pets in kennels, which was signed by Gov. J. B. Pritzker in August.
He serves on the boards of directors of the Human Animal Bond Association and the Winn Feline Foundation and is an advocate of Fear Free.
Background on the Inaugural AVMA Media Award
The purpose of the award is to honor the achievements of an individual who has contributed substantively to the positive visibility of the profession by raising public awareness of the important and diverse roles veterinarians play in every facet of the health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment.
The award will be presented annually to a member of the media who is a distinguished example of exceptional professionalism and who promotes and advances the veterinary profession through impactful journalism. Award recipients must demonstrate passion in advancing public understanding of the health and welfare needs of our nation’s animals, veterinary medicine, and/or the significant contributions veterinarians make to society.
For more information about AVMA awards click here.
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