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Media

Media

Contacts

The OVMA is available to assist the media in story development and breaking news coverage. We have extensive contacts within Oregon's veterinary community and can provide you with information and resources for coverage of animal health care issues.

Media Inquiries on Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease: Please direct your requests to the Oregon Department of Agriculture spokesperson.

PR Director: Raina Dey or
Executive Director: Glenn Kolb
Phone: (800) 235-3502 or (503) 399-0311
Fax: (503) 363-4218

About the OVMA

Our mission is to serve veterinarians in Oregon, the veterinary profession and the public through education, public relations, and political action, and by promoting among veterinarians the highest standards of animal care and professional ethics.

The OVMA is a non-profit membership association with about 1,000 members, or about 80% of the practicing veterinarians in the state. Since 1911, the OVMA has been serving the needs and interests of Oregon veterinarians and their patients by vigorously advocating for the veterinary profession and helping to ensure that practitioners from all parts of the state can continue to practice medicine in their patients' best interests.

The OVMA is governed by a Board of Directors, made up of the Executive Committee, the elected officers of the OVMA, plus eight elected regional directors.

Resources

Health alerts, seasonal topics, and coverage of ongoing stories:

Frequently requested topics:

 Fast Facts: Veterinarians

  • Veterinarians are medical doctors who attend four years of veterinary school after college. A typical veterinary student spends about 4,000 hours in the classroom, laboratory, clinical study, and internships.
  • Veterinarians must pass a national examination and must acquire a license in the state they wish to practice in. In Oregon, the licensing organization is the Veterinary Medical Examining Board.
  • Veterinarians are The Other Family Doctor™. In many cases, veterinarians are your pets' obstetrician, pediatrician, dentist, dermatologist, internist, surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, gerontologist, and ophthalmologist, and more.
  • There are about 114,000 veterinarians in the country; more than 68,000 are in private practice.
  • Find out more about veterinarians and how to become a veterinarian.

 Fast Facts: Animals

  • Oregon's pet population (approx.):
    • 919,455 dogs
    • 1,004,473 cats
    • 111,783 birds
    • 64,551 horses
      Source: AVMA calculator
  • Over the lifetime of their pets, the average owner will spend $10,000 on a cat, $12,000 on a small dog and $23,000 on a large dog.
    Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

Updated: April 5, 2017