Dear Colleagues,
Knowing your interest in (and work with) wildlife, we would like to ask your support for the development of a recognized veterinary specialty certification in Clinical Wildlife Practice (CWP), the veterinary component of wildlife rehabilitation and associated activities. A veterinary specialty is a focused area of expertise within the field of veterinary medicine and requires specialized training and knowledge. Board certification requires passing an exam demonstrating this expertise. As part of our application for recognition of a CWP specialty, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Board of Veterinary Specialties have published the goals and foundational argument on their website with an invitation for open comments to be submitted through July 31, 2024.
This is an essential stage of the process during which practitioners and invested parties can contact ABVS/AVMA to express their support for the proposed board specialty. We would ask for your support in two ways:
Submit a comment to ABVS expressing your support for the board specialty
Share the comment period announcement with your professional network and ask individuals to submit supportive comments as well
ABVS will be particularly open to our incoming petition if we are able to demonstrate broad industry support for the specialty and demand from a particularly robust number of individual practitioners. If you have questions after reading the announcement, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thanks in advance for your help!
Julia Ponder, DVM MPH
Associate Dean for External Partnerships and Engagement
College of Veterinary Medicine | University of Minnesota
Michelle Willette, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Senior Veterinarian | The Raptor Center | College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Intern Program Supervisor | Partners for Wildlife │ Building excellence in wildlife rehabilitation
Assistant Professor | Veterinary Population Medicine & Ecosystem Health | College of Veterinary Medicine
Resident | American College of Animal Welfare