Dr. André Desrochers named as the 2019 Metacam® 20* Bovine Welfare Award winner

St. Louis, Missouri, September 12, 2019 – Dr. André Desrochers of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec has been named the recipient of the 2019 Metacam®20 Bovine Welfare Award for his outstanding contributions to the bovine sector and his work to advance animal welfare. 

The award is presented annually by the Canadian Association of Bovine Veterinarians (CABV) / Association Canadienne des Vétérinaires Bovins (ACVB) in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada. Dr. Desrochers was presented with the award at the 52ndannual conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners on September 12, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri.

“It is our distinct pleasure to announce Dr. André Desrochers as the recipient of the 2019 Metacam®20 Bovine Welfare Award,” said Dr. Sherri Christie, President of the Canadian Association of Bovine Veterinarians (CABV) / Association Canadienne des Veterinaire Bovins (ACVB).

Dr. Desrochers is the Chair, Department of Clinical Sciences and full professor at the University of Montreal, where he has been a faculty member since 1998. He conducts research into the prevention, recognition and treatment of pododermatitis in cattle in order to improve the lives of cattle. In addition, Dr. Desrochers has authored 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, written numerous textbook chapters and has spoken at more than 30 national and international conferences and symposia over the last five years. 

“Nowadays, animal welfare is the most important concern among consumers, veterinarians and future colleagues,” said Dr. Desrochers. “I was extremely honoured to be nominated for such a significant award, even more as the winner. It is a recognition that I must share with my colleagues at the Université de Montréal, Lactanet and the foot trimmers from the Associations des pareurs d’onglons du Québec (APOQ). 

This award will motivate us to continue developing new pain management protocols, improve downer cow handling, find solutions to decrease lameness on farms and so much more. Finally, I am grateful to Boehringer Ingelheim for their constant commitment to improve bovine welfare. Challenges are numerous and all the stakeholders must work together.”

Recognized for his many contributions to the advancement of animal welfare, Dr. Desrochers receives high praise from his peers. 

“I have always looked to Dr. Desrochers for his advice, strong work ethic, integrity and tremendous leadership,” said Dr. Paulo Steagall, Associate Professor in Veterinary Anesthesia and Pain Management at the Université de Montréal. “His strong advocacy in the field of animal welfare goes far beyond the academic environment. He always goes the extra mile to reduce stress, maximize comfort and provide the best patient care to farm animals.” 

In addition to his contributions as a leader, mentor and educator, Dr. Desrochers is commended for his commitment to ongoing research and developing teaching tools that help advance bovine welfare in Canada and around the globe. 

Jeffrey Estabrooks, Business Unit Director (Bovine) with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada, explained the Metacam®20 Bovine Welfare Award recognizes and encourages those who research and practice animal welfare and well-being.

“We are pleased to present Dr. Desrochers with the 2019 Metacam®20 Bovine Welfare Award,” Estabrooks said. “Through his leadership, research and development of training and technical teaching tools, Dr. Desrochers has made such a positive impact on the health and welfare of cattle around the globe. He is a strong advocate for animal welfare and we are pleased to recognize his long-standing achievement in advancing bovine welfare.” 

Estabrooks thanked the CABV/ACVB for its work to seek nominations and select the recipient of the award.

About CABV/ACVB

The Canadian Association of Bovine Veterinarians (CABV) / Association Canadienne des Vétérinaires Bovins (ACVB) represents approximately 800 veterinarians from across Canada who have a specific interest in bovine health and production medicine. The Board is composed of thirteen members who are also representatives on the Boards of Canada’s four regional bovine associations: Atlantic Bovine Practitioners Association (ABPA), l'Association des Médecins Vétérinaires Praticiens du Québec (AMVPQ), Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (OABP) and the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners (WCABP).

About Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. 

Improving the health of humans and animals is the goal of Boehringer Ingelheim, a research-driven pharmaceutical company. In doing so, the focus is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention. 

Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the top 20 companies in the pharmaceutical industry. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas of human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of around 17.5 billion euros. R&D expenditure of almost 3.2 billion euros, corresponded to 18.1 per cent of net sales. 

As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment. 

The Canadian headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim was established in 1972 in Montreal, Quebec and is now located in Burlington, Ontario. Boehringer Ingelheim employs approximately 600 people across Canada.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found at www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

About the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit

Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of almost 4 billion euros in 2018 and presence in more than 150 markets. Across the globe, our 10,000 employees create the future of animal wellbeing through their daily work. We believe in prevention over treatment and therefore, we focus on developing innovative solutions in the field of vaccines, parasiticides and therapeutics. With a large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products, tools and services, we support our customers in taking care of the health of their animals.

For more information visit: www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/animal-health

About the Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award

The Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award is given annually to a DVM or animal scientist working in Canada, a faculty member or a graduate student of a Canadian university to recognize his/her achievements in advancing the welfare of animals via leadership, public service, education, research/product development, and/or advocacy. By doing so, the CABV/ACVB hopes to raise public awareness of the important role veterinarians and animal scientists play in:

• Improving bovine welfare in cattle production and research systems
• Improving scientific methods of measuring bovine welfare

*Registered tradename: Metacam® 20 mg/mL Solution for injection
Metacam® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license.