Welcome to the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association! Send in Your Nominations for Colorado's Animal Heroes!  It's time to think about all of the outstanding animals and people that you serve everyday in your clinics and nominate your best story for a Colorado's Animal Heroes award. These awards and the winners' ceremony celebrates the importance of the human-animal bond and gives recognition for the outstanding animals and humans among us. If you know an animal or human who is truly special please nominate them today! Click here for more about Colorado's Animal Heroes including a link to a downloadable nomination form. The nomination deadline for the 2008 awards is August 1, 2008. Spring Leadership Conference Thank you to everyone who attended the CVMA Spring Leadership Conference in Beaver Creek on April 25-27! The Unwanted Horse in Colorado was an eye-opening and informative session and the commisions had very productive meetings. Check back soon for commision meeting minutes. Mandatory Animal Cruelty Statue: An Issue Briefing In conjunction with the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians, the Animal Assistance Foundation, and the Denver District Attorney's Office, CVMA has prepared an issue brief for veterinarians regarding Colorado's statute for mandatory reporting of animal cruelty and animal fighting. The issue briefing was mailed to all Colorado veterinarians in January; it is also available via a link on CVMA's Animal Cruelty issues page, where you'll find a number of other resources regarding animal cruelty and animal fighting.  CVMA Convention 2008: Save the Date! After many years in Colorado's mountains, the state's largest gathering of veterinary professionals will be "coming down" to 5,280 feet. Click here for more information about CVMA Convention 2008, set for September 18-21 in Denver. AVMA Provides Resources on Animal Microchipping The AVMA has released two resources on microchipping of animals: a backgrounder and answers to frequently asked questions. The backgrounder provides information on microchip types and standards, and the benefits and challenges of using the devices. The frequently asked questions include what a microchip is, how it is implanted into an animal, and what type of information it contains. Topics also addressed include whether implanted microchips cause cancer and whether the benefits of microchipping outweigh the risks. You can also click here for more information about microchipping in Colorado. Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund Since its inception, the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund – a charitable “checkoff” on the Colorado state tax form -- has helped fund over 27,000 spay and neuter surgeries. The Pet Overpopulation Fund recently awarded grants totaling $213,500 from donations received on 2006 Colorado tax returns. The 19 grant recipients are coalitions of veterinarians and animal care and control agencies which use the funding to provide subsidized spay and neuter surgeries for dogs and cats of qualifying owners and spay/neuter education. Please remember to donate to the Pet Overpopulation Fund on line 38 of your tax return. Your support of this initiative is critical in reducing the euthanasia of unwanted, abandoned, and surplus dogs and cats in Colorado. More information about the Pet Overpopulation Fund is available on the Fund’s website: www.SaveColoradoPets.org. Legal Consents for Veterinary Practices: CVMA Members Can Take Advantage of a Discount! Legal Consents for Veterinary Practices, by James F. Wilson, DVM, JD, is a valuable reference for any veterinary practice: the book contains detailed information on the importance and use of consent forms, and also features examples of 72 forms. In addition, a CD provided with the book includes the forms in electronic form so they can be customized for individual practices. CVMA members, enjoying a 15% discount on the purchase price of the book, pay only $99 each (plus $5 S&H for each copy). For more information on the book, visit http://www.pvmc.net and click on the "Publications" tab; to order the book, simply download the order form located here! Coalition for Living Safely with Dogs CVMA and the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society (DAVMS) have joined several other animal health, care, and control groups in forming the Coalition for Living Safely with Dogs. The Coalition has tackled issues such as dangerous dogs and breed-specific legislation in Colorado (including laws that ban pit bulls). Read more about the Coalition’s efforts here.