AVMA President Michael Q. Bailey's advice for keeping pets safe in summer includes preparing a pet emergency kit, protecting pets from pests, avoiding heat and providing a quiet space during parties. A pet "go bag" should include several days' worth of food and medicines, veterinary records, a leash and food and water bowls. Flea, tick and heartworm preventives protect pets from serious diseases. Dr. Bailey warns against leaving pets in parked cars, even for a few minutes, as car interiors can quickly rise to life-threatening temperatures.

Five scratches in this year's Kentucky Derby tied a record, and new research highlights long-term injury risks for horses on the veterinarians' list. Recent research has found that racehorses scratched by a veterinarian are 11% more likely to be injured than horses that have never been on a veterinarian's scratch list, and their injury risk is 31% higher than other horses a year after being cleared.

Tyler Junior College in Texas has received a $325,293 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to support its veterinary technology program. The funding will provide medical training equipment and support for students training to become veterinary technologists and technicians.

"DairyDoc's Discovery Goggles -- Milk from Cow to Carton," a new children's book by Arizona veterinarian Michelle Schack, explains how milk gets from cows to grocery stores. Schack said she decided to write the book after talking to children who didn't understand the milk production process. Dr. Schack also hopes the book will inspire some young readers to enter veterinary or agricultural professions.

The Oregon Coast Humane Society has confirmed cases of canine parvovirus in Florence, and Executive Director Elizabeth Thompson is urging dog owners to vaccinate their pets. OCHS veterinarian Tamay Guevara led an outreach campaign in Florence after a mother dog and five puppies died of parvo. Dr. Guevara administered free vaccines to dogs of unhoused community members, and puppies and dogs that need boosters will receive them in three weeks.

A unique, state-funded program at Ville-Evrard hospital near Paris pairs people who have mental health conditions with therapy donkeys and other animals. The program, officially recognized as a healthcare unit since 2022, employs full-time nurses and includes other animals such as guinea pigs and chickens. The program's founders say animal therapy should be formally recognized as a complementary form of mental healthcare.

~ Francois Hadey, therapy donkey trainer

Thomas, an 18- to 21-year-old green moray eel at New England Aquarium, recently had a routine health checkup that included a physical exam, bloodwork, an ultrasound and an ECG. The process involved safely anesthetizing Thomas, a former pet that was donated to the aquarium, to ensure the safety of both the animal and the veterinary team.

When you become uncertain as a leader, shame can creep in if your neutral lack of knowledge turns into a feeling of personal failure, writes author and consultant Marlene Chism, who notes the lack of psychological safety can lead to delayed decisions and avoided conversations that undermine clarity and accountability. "When we let go of the shame attached to uncertainty, we can stay in the conversation long enough to create clarity through dialogue, challenge and shared thinking," Chism writes.

The AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) is seeking public comment on a request to recognize the American College of Veterinary Hospice and Palliative Medicine (ACVHPM) as a veterinary specialty organization. Public comments on the ACVHPM request must be submitted electronically through this online form no later than August 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Comments submitted in any other manner will not be considered. Visit the AVMA@Work blog to learn more about the proposed veterinary hospice and palliative medicine specialty.