[August 23, 2011; Philadelphia, PA] – University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Michael R. Moyer, VMD, has been named recipient of the 2011 Delaware County SPCA Animal Welfare Leadership Award. Presented annually by the Media, PA-based animal shelter, the award aims honor community leaders who are positively impacting shelter animal medicine in the region.

Dr. Moyer will be honored on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at the Delaware County SPCA’s 100th Anniversary, which will take place at the Montrose Mansion at the Villanova Conference Center in Villanova. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit www.delcospca.org.

“I am honored to be this year’s awardee,” said Dr. Moyer. “Shelter animal medicine is my passion and to have the opportunity to work with organizations like the DelCo SPCA, as well as to work with the students at Penn Vet who share my passion, is rewarding on its own. I am humbled to be this year’s recipient and look forward to continuing my work on behalf of the special animals.”

“We are thrilled to be honoring Dr. Moyer’s work in the field of shelter veterinary medicine,” said Justina Calgiano, director of community relations at the Delaware County SPCA. “Especially thrilled because our very own head veterinarian, Dr. Kimberly Boudwin, is a graduate of Penn Vet.”

Dr. Michael R. Moyer is the Rosenthal Director of Shelter Animal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and the owner of Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital, Inc. in Bensalem, PA. A 1990 graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, he returned to teach at the School in May of 2006. In addition to lectures and surgical instruction, he represents the School in a variety of local, state and national collaborative efforts in animal welfare and sheltering.

He has extensive professional volunteer leadership experience with alumni, local, state, and national veterinary medical associations. He has held various elected and appointed positions within these organizations, notably having served as the PVMA’s President for the year 2004, and was awarded the PVMA Veterinarian of the Year award for 2005, and the Student AVMA Community Outreach Award in 2010. He is currently President and Board Member of the American Animal Hospital Association.

In 2006 Penn Vet launched its Shelter Animal Medicine Program where senior veterinary students participate in surgery rotation. The program ensures that students also experience other shelter issues and topics, including homeless animal management, the role of the veterinarian in an animal shelter, pet animal overpopulation, forensic medicine, infectious disease control, behavior problems and evaluations, wellness and animal cruelty, neglect and hoarding.