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College of Veterinary Medicine Advance Newsletter

Message from the Dean

Milestones: Significant moments in time to take stock, celebrate achievement and history, and then continue to march ahead strongly. There have been many of these recently. Washington State University celebrates its 125th year in 2015. Your College of Veterinary Medicine is a mere 116 years old—the fifth oldest in the United States. But, because a veterinarian was one of the University’s founding three faculty members in 1890, there has always been a veterinarian on the faculty at WSU. » More ...

Freedom from the Cold Chain by Allowing Villagers to Help Themselves

East African boy sitting in the grass with a dog in his lap
The sun is not long up. Sitting on the step of my guesthouse, I can already see children walking down the dusty street with their dogs. Most of the dogs are trotting along freely by their owners’ sides, whilst a few are leashed with a piece of twine. One girl strolls past carrying a litter of puppies nestled into a bucket on her head. All are making their way to the center of the village where, in an hour’s time, the Serengeti Health Initiative team will begin vaccinating dogs against canine rabies. » More ...

Supporter Profile: Shawn and Heather Sanders

Shawn Sanders ('09 DVM) and family
Like a lot of little kids growing up in southwest Idaho, Shawn Sanders (’09 DVM) dreamed of being a cowboy on a ranch. By junior high, he knew he wanted to be a veterinarian. After earning his undergraduate degree, WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine seemed like the perfect place to study large animal medicine and earn a DVM. » More ...

Our Generous Alumni

When I think of our graduates, one word comes to mind—pride. I feel pride when I see them enter our program here at WSU and grow to become confident veterinarians, surgeons, and professionals when they graduate. I’m proud of them when they are hired for their first jobs, and when they succeed in their careers. » More ...

One of a Kind Medicine for One of a Kind Patients

Nicolas Villarino with a chocolate lab, Katrina Mealey with a black lab, Michael Court with a yellow lab
Carlee, a 7-year-old yellow lab, is a mutant. Like many of her human redheaded counterparts, Carlee has a mutation in the MC1-R gene, or melanocortin 1 receptor. The gene is responsible for producing melanin, a pigment that determines hair, or in this case, coat color. » More ...

Theia: An Incredible Story of Survival, Hope, and Compassion

Dr. Fransson talking with Sara in the veterinary teaching hospital lobby.
Theia, an ownerless 1-year-old bully breed mix, came to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital in March after being hit by a car, bludgeoned over the head with a hammer, and then buried in a field. She returned to Pullman weeks later to have surgery on her sinuses, which were badly damaged from the blows to her head. » More ...

David and Sandi Bielski: From the Office of Development and Alumni Relations

David and Sandi Bielski
I first met David Bielski (’70 Comm.) in 2002 at a WSU Alumni Association Board meeting. He mentioned to me that he’d been to the college several times to talk about pet loss and his company, Petland Cemetery in Aberdeen, Washington. The business was started in 1973 by three partners—one was David’s father and another was Cougar alumnus Glenn Hilliard (’54 DVM). » More ...