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<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="12"> <tr> <td><font color="#000000"> <p> <o:p></o:p></p> <p> <strong>PRESS RELEASE FROM HSVMA BELOW. DR. SENK WAS NOMINATED FOR THE AWARD BY ANIMAL LOVERS LEAGUE PRESIDENT JOAN PHILLIPS. SCROLL DOWN PAST PRESS RELEASE TO <u>READ LETTER DETAILING DR. SENK'S AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENTS.</u> </strong></p> <p> <strong>August 10, 2010 </strong></p> <h1> <span style="font-size: 14px">HSVMA Presents Long Island Veterinarian with ‘Best Friend to Feral Cats’ Award</span></h1> <div style="margin-left: -0.25in"> <ol> <li> <img src="http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/images/270x224/people/vet_presented_with_hsvma_award.jpg" /></li> </ol> </div> <p> <strong>From left, Barbara Levine, Veterinary Assistant; Lynne Carson, Licensed Veterinary Technician; Patrick Kwan, New York State Director, The Humane Society of the United States; Dr. Laura Gay Senk, DVM; The Honorable Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano; Joan Phillips, President, Animal Lovers League; and Jeanne Tiedemann, RN and Veterinary Assistant. Russell Lippai/Nassau County</strong></p> <p> The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association (HSVMA) will present an award to Dr. Laura Gay Senk. Dr. Senk is among three outstanding veterinary professionals to receive the Best Friend to Feral Cats award for her significant contributions in helping feral cats on Long Island.</p> <p> Patrick Kwan, New York state director for The Humane Society of the United States, will present the award during a special ceremony at the Nassau County Executive's Office on Tuesday. The ceremony will be hosted by Nassau County Executive Hon. Edward P. Mangano and attended by Joan Phillips, president of the Animal Lovers League and member of the Companion Animal Advisory Council of The HSUS, and veterinary assistants Barbara Levine and Lynn Carson.</p> <p> "We are so fortunate to have Dr. Senk on Long Island helping feral cats," said Kwan. "She has truly gone above and beyond the call of duty in addressing feral cat overpopulation, as well as working to improve the quality of life for feral cats in her community."</p> <p> Dr. Senk was selected as the winner in the private practitioner category for the inaugural HSVMA Best Friend to Feral Cats award from a nationwide pool of more than 100 nominees. The judging panel included HSVMA Leadership Council members Dr. Richard Bachman and Dr. Madeline Graham, HSVMA veterinary consultant Dr. Susan Krebsbach, and registered veterinary technician Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs manager with The HSUS.</p> <p> There are an estimated 50 million feral cats in the United States living in groups known as colonies. Dedicated individuals and organizations practice a non-lethal strategy known as Trap-Neuter-Return to reduce their numbers and improve the health and safety of cats and communities. With this approach, cats no longer reproduce and nuisance behaviors are reduced or eliminated. Without it, the majority of feral kittens do not survive to adulthood, and almost 100 percent of the feral cats brought to shelters are euthanized because they cannot be adopted as pets. </p> <p> Dr. Senk has been helping feral cats on Long Island, New York, for approximately 20 years. She was one of the first veterinarians in the area to operate a clinic that advertised, "Ferals Welcomed." Today, she runs a clinic in Farmingdale, N.Y., which offers low-cost spay and neuter and medical care to feral and other rescue cats. Dr. Senk has volunteered for monthly feral cat clinics and mass Trap-Neuter-Return events on Long Island for many years. She also created the Long Island Cat Project, which provides resources and assistance to feral cat caretakers and veterinarians working with feral cats. She also has worked with several municipalities on Long Island to implement Trap-Neuter-Return programs.</p> <p> The other award recipients are Dr. Sara White of Hartland, Vt., in the nonprofit category and licensed veterinary technician Mike Phillips of New York City in the veterinary technician category.</p> <p> The HSVMA thanks all veterinary professionals who help feral cats and encourages their colleagues to assist in this important life-saving work. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.hsvma.org/" target="_blank">hsvma.org</a>and <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/feral_cats/">humanesociety.org/feralcats</a>.</p> <p> <em>The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association was formed as a home for veterinary professionals who want to join together to speak out for animals, engage in direct care programs for animals in need, and educate the public and others in the profession about animal welfare issues. The HSVMA is an affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. For more information, visit </em><a href="http://www.hsvma.org/" target="_blank"><em>hsvma.org</em></a><em>. </em></p> <hr /> <p> LETTER NOMINATING DR. SENK</p> <p> May 5, 2010</p> <p> FROM: Joan Phillips, President, Animal Lovers League, Background for nominee Dr. Laura Gay Senk- Advocacy for Feral Cats Award: </p> <p> In 1994 the Animal Lovers League was formed by a small group of volunteers. We created a 501(c)(3) organization and ultimately privatized the animal shelter in Glen Cove, in return for contracting for all animal services to the city. </p> <p> At that time, the shelter was located in an abandoned waste-water treatment facility, alongside the City incinerator. Many, many feral cats populated the area and our small shelter struggled to take in those young enough to socialize and adopt but realized we were fighting a losing battle with the population. </p> <p> Dr. Senk appeared during our darkest hour. I had known Dr. Senk when she had a lively career as an equine veterinarian. She had retired from that field and felt she wanted to give back to her profession, and realized that feral cats were in abject need of an advocate and a program. At that time a new advocacy was born.</p> <p> Our tiny shelter became the first spay-neuter clinic in the history of the City of Glen Cove. We started trapping the ferals in the acreage of incinerator and waterfront area, and from dumpsters in back of restaurants in the city. With donations raised for the surgical equipment, a Trap-Neuter-Return mission was born. This was in 1996. The first of many thousands of feral cats were returned altered, vaccinated and “ear notched” which would later evolve to “ear tipping” as a more recognizable I.D. badge for a sterilized feral.</p> <p> As the word and the message spread, Dr. Senk opened a small clinic exclusively for ferals and started providing not only low-cost spays and neuters, but necessary medical care to the felines who were her patients, such as abscess treatment, dentistry, and treatment of the myriad problems the cats were suffering and would have continued to suffer if it were not for this kind veterinarian’s intervention. </p> <p> As the word spread, Dr. Senk spoke to leaders of several shelters/rescues, as well as individuals who were engaged in or wanted to learn about TNR. The Long Island Cat Project was born. A website was created as an information superhighway for those seeking help and resources. Trappers, spay-neuter resources and lists of adoption facilities willing to accept friendly “dumper cats” and kittens who could be socialized and placed were created. </p> <p> From that point, educational programs including Power Point presentations and Q&A sessions were presented by Dr. Senk. These included her own photos of the cats in their habitats, their injuries from fighting for breeding territory, and the suffering incurred by the unaltered. Those who knew nothing about TNR were prime objectives to be educated by the doctor and her followers as to the advantages of TNR as opposed to attempted extermination. </p> <p> Today the Long Island Cat Project continues under the wider scope of the Animal Alliance of Long Island, which is refocusing its main objective to feral cat advocacy. Municipal officials respect and honor Dr. Senk’s opinion, and thus she has made inroads where none existed before. </p> <p> Throughout all her other activities on behalf of feral cats, she has never forgotten our efforts at the Animal Lovers League and has assisted us in forming a very large network of volunteer veterinarians, vet techs and shelter volunteers who have been providing feral cat clinics that are free to those with no resources. Our shelter has altered over 9300 so far, and we are fund-raising to continue our program after 6 clinics since January. Dr. Senk’s work is self-</p> <p> perpetuating in the sense that she has trained many vets in pediatric spay-neuter and our shelter clinics have brought in an incredible and ever-growing number of volunteers who feel really good about the fact that they are doing something proactive and effective about a situation that many agencies and municipalities are still just talking about and “seeking answers”. </p> <p> We have found our “answer” with one dynamic, dedicated and hard-working veterinarian who never loses an opportunity to motivate others in the veterinary community and educate those who need to be reached. Dr. Laura Gay Senk has never lost sight of her original goal to help feral cats wherever and whenever it is needed. She truly is a “Best Friend to Feral Cats”.</p> <p> Respectfully submitted by: </p> <p> Joan Phillips,</p> <p> President,</p> <p> Animal Lovers League</p> </font></td> </tr> </table>
Copyright Animal Lovers League 2010
