America's Veterinarians Congratulate Fellow Veterinarian U.S. Congressman-Elect Dr. Kurt Schrader

Main Category: Veterinary
Article Date: 10 Nov 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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America's veterinarians today congratulated their fellow veterinarian and small business owner, Dr. Kurt Schrader, on his successful election to the United States House of Representatives. On Tuesday, Dr. Schrader (D) was elected to represent Oregon's 5th Congressional District.

Dr. Schrader, who will succeed retiring Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, is the proprietor of Clackamas County Veterinary Clinics, which treat horses and companion animals. Schrader also owns a small family farm.

"We are very excited to have another veterinarian serving in the U.S. Congress," said Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, Chief Executive Officer of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

"We look forward to working with Congressman-elect Schrader and his colleagues in the 111th Congress on key federal issues such as food safety, bioterrorism and animal health and well-being," Dr. DeHaven said.

Dr. Schrader, a member of the AVMA and the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), has served in Oregon state legislature since 1997, first in the Oregon House of Representatives and then, beginning in 2003, in the state Senate. During his tenure in the Oregon legislature, Schrader was a leading advocate for veterinary medicine and instrumental in securing state funding for key veterinary programs.

Among his goals once in the U.S. Congress, Dr. Schrader has said he will work to help alleviate a shortage of rural veterinarians in the United States. Dr. Schrader has committed to working with the AVMA and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges to create scholarship or student loan repayment programs for veterinarians who commit to working in rural areas desperate for quality veterinary care.

In addition to being a member of the AVMA and the OVMA, Dr. Schrader is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the Oregon Farm Bureau and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1973 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois in 1977.

The AVMA and its more than 76,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide variety of activities dedicated to advancing the science and art of animal, human and public health. Visit the AVMA Web site at http://www.avma.org for more information.

Source
Eric M. McKeeby
Government Relations Communications Manager
American Veterinary Medical Association
1910 Sunderland Place, NW
Washington, DC 20036
http://www.avma.org