CABV/ACVB in conjunction with Boehringer Ingelheim are pleased to once again announce the Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award. This award will recognize the achievements in advancing the welfare of animals via leadership, public service, education, research/product development, and/or advocacy by a DVM or animal scientists working in Canada, a faculty member or graduate student of a Canadian University.
The deadline for submission of nomination is May 31, 2023. Please click here to get more information. Get the nomination form here

WCABP /Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award... List of past recipients:

This year’s recipient of the Boehringer Ingelheim WCABP Veterinarian of the Year award is Dr. Calvin Booker of Okotoks, AB.

Dr. Calvin Booker of Okotoks, Alberta is the recipient of the 2023 Veterinarian of the Year Award presented by the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners (WCABP) and Boehringer Ingelheim Canada. He is recognized for his significant impact on feedlot veterinary medicine, groundbreaking research as an epidemiologist and several innovations that have transformed the cattle industry.

The Boehringer Ingelheim WCABP Veterinarian of the Year Award honours a veterinarian for being a leader in advancing bovine health, and for demonstrating a strong commitment to veterinary practice, the cattle industry and the veterinary profession, specifically in Western Canada. Dr. Booker was announced as the winner at the WCABP annual conference in Saskatoon on Jan. 20, 2023.

“On behalf of the WCABP, I congratulate Dr. Calvin Booker on being honoured as the 2023 WCABP Veterinarian of the Year,” said Dr. Tim Nickel, President, WCABP.  “Dr. Booker’s contributions to feedlot medicine and the cattle industry, as a whole, are immeasurable.

“He not only has transformed the industry with many science-based innovations, but he also provided leadership by serving on many boards and committees including as president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. He is a very deserving recipient of the WCABP Veterinarian of the Year.”

Dr. Booker is the General Manager, Services and Research with Feedlot Health Management Services, a Division of TELUS Agriculture Solutions Inc., with responsibilities that include heading up research and development. He is also Adjunct Professor in the Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and VERO at Texas A&M University.

In addition, Dr. Booker is a respected innovator who was instrumental in the development of several ground-breaking concepts that revolutionized the delivery of feedlot veterinary services. Some of his significant accomplishments include the development and introduction of a data recording system for day-to-day feedlot operations and the use of applied epidemiology to control disease in feedlot operations. Dr. Booker is named on four patents for his innovative work in developing a method and system for monitoring animals.

"The WCABP is comprised of veterinarians with a broad array of talents and interests in bovine practice and cattle production. I am proud to be a member of this organization and receiving this award is truly an honour,” said Dr. Booker. “I am humbled by the recognition. I thank WCABP for the award and Boehringer Ingelheim for sponsoring it."

Dr. Booker has made extraordinary contributions to bovine health through his research projects, including identifying and documenting Histophilus somni as a major disease, developing prevention and treatment regimes for the control of undifferentiated fever/bovine respiratory disease in feedlot production and defining the role of bovine viral diarrhea virus in feedlot disease.

Derek Groff, Business Unit Director (Livestock) with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada, explained the Boehringer Ingelheim WCABP Veterinarian of the Year Award recognizes exceptional leaders who are making significant contributions to the cattle industry in Western Canada while also demonstrating a strong commitment to the veterinary profession.

“Congratulations to Dr. Booker for being recognized as the 2023 WCABP Veterinarian of the Year,” Groff said. “His pioneering work as a veterinarian, epidemiologist, researcher and innovator have led to advancements in bovine health and the delivery of veterinary services in feedlots in Canada and around the world”

Groff thanked the WCABP for its work to seek nominations and select the recipient of the award.

Alberta’s Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein named 2022 Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award winner

Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the welfare of animals in Canada

October 13, 2022 – Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein of Lethbridge, Alberta has been named the
recipient of the 2022 Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award for her pioneering work in improving beef
cattle welfare. Her extensive research has been instrumental in the development of animal welfare
standards and has contributed to updated guidelines and regulations for the Canadian cattle
industry.

The Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare 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 Inc. Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein was announced as the award
winner at the Annual General Meeting of the CABV/ACVB, which was held virtually on Oct. 13.

"The CABV/ACVB extends its congratulations to Dr Schwartzkopf-Genswein,” said Dr. Robert Tremblay,
President of the CABV/ACVB. “Karen's passion for animal welfare, that is so well reflected in her
research and in all of her professional activities, has been a great benefit to cattle and to those
who work with cattle."

Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein is a senior research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
where she leads research on beef cattle and welfare. Her research interests include pain/stress
assessment and mitigation strategies associated with routine management procedures such as
transport, castration, dehorning and lameness. She is also an adjunct professor at the University
of Saskatchewan, University of Calgary and UNESP University in Brazil.

Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein shares her passion for cattle welfare with the next generation of
researchers and scientists by mentoring, training and guiding undergraduate, graduate and
post-doctoral fellows who are making their own significant contributions in academia, government
and industry. She also provides training and consultative services to cattle industry stakeholders
and speaks at scientific and industry conferences around the world.

“I am very honoured to receive this award,” said Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein. “Especially because it
is acknowledgement from peers and industry stakeholders that the work my team and I have done in
beef cattle welfare has had relevance for producers, veterinarians and cattle alike.”

Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein is recognized by her peers for her devotion to improving the welfare of
beef cattle and for her work that has led to the advancement of research methods for assessing
animal welfare.

In his support for the award nomination, Tim McAllister, Principal Research Scientist with
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein is a pioneer in her field, and she
has limitless energy that she dedicates towards beef cattle welfare.

“She has established many of the methods presently used to assess bovine welfare and has
contributed to the best management practices that have been adopted by the bovine industry in the
past and present,” he said. “Her enthusiasm is directed to accomplishments that are anchored in
delivering benefits directly to the North American beef industry.”

Derek Groff, Business Unit Director (Livestock) with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada, explained the Metacam® 20 Bovine Welfare Award recognizes and encourages those who research and work to advance animal welfare and well-being.
“Congratulations to Dr. Schwartzkopf-Genswein for her incredible contributions to the advancement of bovine welfare in Canada and around the world,” said Groff. “Not only is her work helping improve practices today, it is also shaping government regulations and industry codes of practice which will ensure bovine welfare remains a focus in the future.”
Groff 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).
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. More than 52,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. The Canadian headquarters of Boehringer Ingelheim was established in 1972 in Montreal, Quebec and is now located in Burlington, Ontario. Boehringer Ingelheim employs approximately 500 people across Canada. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.ca.

About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is working on first-in-class innovation for the prediction, prevention, and treatment of diseases in animals. For veterinarians, pet owners, farmers, and governments in more than 150 countries, we offer a large and innovative portfolio of products and services to improve the health and well-being of companion animals and livestock. As a global leader in the animal health industry and as part of family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim, we take a long-term perspective. The lives of animals and humans are interconnected in deep and complex ways. We know that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. By using the synergies between our Animal Health and Human Pharma businesses and by delivering value through innovation, we enhance the health and well-being of both. For more information visit: https://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

Media contacts:
Phyllis Mierau Administrator CABV/ACVB
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: (306) 956-3543
Merry Garbutt
Corporate Communications Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: (905) 631-4531

WCABP's Bylaws indicate that an Honorary Life Membership may be awarded to an individual who is 65 years of age and has made an Outstanding contribution to either the affairs of the Association or veterinary profession. Members nominate a potential recipient by forwarding a letter which outlines the nominee's achievements and why the person is worthy of an Honorary Life membership. This must then be passed by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote at the AGM.