FOUNDATION
Graduate-level researchers: Apply for Foundation fellows Applications for annual scholarships due Aug. 10
Applications for
The Foundation for the Horse Research Fellow, AAEP Past Presidents’
Research Fellow and EQUUS Foundation Research Fellow are being accepted until Aug. 10.
The annual $5,000 scholarships reward AAEP-member doctoral or residency students who have made significant progress in the field of equine healthcare research. Recipients will be honored at the AAEP’s 68th Annual Convention, Nov. 18–22 in San Antonio, Texas. Each will receive a $500 stipend to support travel to the convention.
The scholarship application and descriptions are accessible at
aaep.org/scholarships.
Dr. Lauren Hughes receives The Foundation for the Horse Research Fellow during the 67th Annual Convention from Dr. Anthony Blikslager, left, and Dr. Steve Reed, right.
Vet Direct funds help save Kentucky donkey attacked by dogs The Foundation-AAEP-ASPCA partnership enables care when funds run low
By Sarah E. Coleman
Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., had only been a part of the Vet Direct Safety Net program for a few weeks in early 2022 when a call came in about a donkey that needed immediate help.
Dr. David Alexander with a donkey patient.
Dr. David Alexander, a second-year intern with the hospital, headed out to see how he could help. When he arrived, he found a Miniature Mediterranean Donkey
named “Perk” had been attacked by a pack of dogs, receiving significant trauma and puncture wounds to his inguinal area and scrotum. “He was missing part of his scrotum and was presenting with an exposed testicle,” Dr. Alexander said.
In order to save Perk, Dr. Alexander performed a castration with scrotal ablation and flushed all of his puncture and bite wounds. “The donkey would have likely had to have been euthanized without the help from this program,” he said. Instead, Perk is healing well and doing great, he reports.
Designed to reduce the number of horses relinquished to rescues or sent to auction, the Vet Direct program reimburses veterinarians up to $600 per horse when services are rendered for emergency stabilization
procedures, euthanasia or disposal to owners who are unable to pay for them.
Dr. Alexander and a few of his Rood & Riddle colleagues were onboarded in a group, and information on the program was disseminated to all of the more than 60 vets across the practice’s three divisions in Lexington, Ky., Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Wellington, Fla.
Dr. Alexander encourages AAEP-member veterinarians to get onboarded into the program even if they don’t have a client who comes to mind immediately who may be able to use it. Enrollment is as easy as filling out the initial form and online questionnaire. “This is a great program that has been super helpful, and I’ve been able to use it twice,” he said. “You never know when you’ll need it!”
In addition to assisting equine owners, the Vet Direct program eases the minds of veterinarians, allowing them to care for horses in immediate need without the stress of offering free services. “It’s a great option for us to provide care to patients where the only barrier we face is the owner’s financial constraints,” Dr. Alexander said. “It’s very challenging to have the knowledge to help and treat patients, but not be able to [do so] due to the owner’s financial constraints. This program alleviates that.”
If you are an AAEP-member veterinarian in the U.S. with clients who potentially could struggle to pay for veterinary care, put yourself in a position to help by enrolling in Vet Direct Safety Net. Sign up or learn more at
aaep.org/horse-owners/vet-direct-safety-net or by contacting Sue Stivers at
sstivers@aaep.org.
AAEP News July 2022 VII
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