Dr. Todd Duffield named as the 2018 Metacam® 20* Bovine Welfare Award winner

Phoenix, Arizona, Mon, 09/17/2018 - 15:42

Phoenix, Arizona, September 13, 2018 – Dr. Todd Duffield of Guelph, Ontario has been named the recipient of the 2018 Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award for his profound and lasting impact on the well-being of the bovine species. His contributions include an extraordinary commitment to scientific research, teaching, extension education and the mentorship of veterinary students and new scientists.

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. Dr. Duffield was presented with the award at the 51st annual conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners on September 13, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona.

“It is our distinct pleasure to announce Dr. Todd Duffield as the recipient of the 2018 Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award,” said Dr. Murray Gillies, President of the Canadian Association of Bovine Veterinarians (CABV) / Association Canadienne des Veterinaire Bovins (ACVB)."

Dr. Duffield is the Chair of the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). He has been a faculty member at the university since 2000 and has continued as a practicing clinician, working at OVC’s Ruminant Field Service Veterinary Practice, where he also served as Clinic Head and Service Chief.

Dr. Duffield is a world-class research scientist and has authored or co-authored more than 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He was named as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds by Thomas Reuters as a highly-cited researcher.

“I am extremely pleased and honoured to receive the 2018 Metacam 20® Bovine Welfare award,” said Dr. Duffield. “It takes a team effort to advance knowledge and understanding through research and our work with dairy cattle welfare is no exception. I am very grateful for the excellent work of my outstanding graduate students and for the sage guidance of my mentors, colleagues and collaborators over my years at OVC. Sincere thanks to the Canadian Association of Bovine Veterinarians for recognizing me with this prestigious award.”

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

“Todd has spent two and a half decades enhancing our knowledge of dairy cattle well-being across a wide variety of impact areas; from metabolic disease control, to prevention of lameness, to pain mitigation, and recently to the selection and preparation of cows to be culled to prevent animal welfare concerns,” said Dr. Ken Leslie, Professor Emeritus, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph. “His research in the area of ketosis in dairy cattle has transformed our understanding and management of this major problem and has directly affected the health of millions of cattle globally.”

In addition to his contributions to scientific research, Dr. Duffield is also commended for his commitment to ensuring the next generations of veterinarians and scientists are knowledgeable and skilled in the areas of food animal medicine and animal welfare.

“Among the reasons Todd has been so effective in identifying and implementing bovine welfare solutions is the fact that he plants one boot in academia, but keeps the other boot firmly planted on the farm,” said Dr. Suzanne Millman, Professor, Animal Welfare, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University. “Through his dedication, he shares his knowledge and skills in bovine welfare to producers, senior veterinary students and graduate students.”

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

“We are thrilled to present Dr. Duffield with the 2018 Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award,” Estabrooks said. “Through his passion for advancing animal welfare, Dr. Duffield has made significant contributions to the improvement of dairy cattle welfare within Canada and around the world. As a well-respected veterinarian, researcher and educator, he has been able to instill his passion for the advancement of animal welfare in future generations of veterinarians and scientists.”

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 and quality of life of patients 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 human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of nearly 18.1 billion euros. Research and development expenditure, exceeding three billion euros, corresponded to 17.0 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

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal wellbeing through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of 3.9 billion euros and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information click here.

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: