Dr. Dale Smith, a long-time advisor to VI and widely respected wildlife veterinarian, was recently honored with the prestigious American Association of Zoo Veterinarians’ James W. Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award.

The AAZV describes this achievement, saying: “The AAZV Lifetime Achievement Award is made to honor a lifetime of exceptional contributions to the discipline of Zoological Medicine by a current or former member of the AAZV. Awardees must have been a positive force in the development of the discipline through their political, technical, scientific, teaching/mentoring, educational, and/or service contributions that together represent a career long pattern of excellence and inspiration.”

Clearly Dr. Smith has left a remarkable impact on the veterinary profession through her years of service both as a DVM and as a professor. For us at VI, Dr. Smith has been a remarkable source of inspiration and support, particularly over the past year, during which she led our VI GIVES trip to Kenya, joined our board of directors, and sponsored Dr. Grace Watene, VI’s Kenya Representative and the Director of the Kenya Veterinary Training Program, to present a poster at the 8th World One Health Congress in South Africa to showcase our groundbreaking Vet Training Program.

Our team at Veterinarians International is deeply honored to have Dr. Smith as part of our exceptional group of experts. Her invaluable contributions enable us to develop innovative programs that advance our mission of empowering a global community of veterinarians with the essential equipment, medicine, and training needed to care for animals and protect our fragile ecosystems. We are thrilled to celebrate Dr. Smith’s unwavering dedication to the veterinary profession and the remarkable impact she continues to make!