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Penn Vet Press Room

If you are a member of the media, this section is for you. Here, you'll find the resources you need to help you get the job done, including faculty and clinician facts and contacts, fact sheets about Penn Vet, photography, videography, and more.

Penn Vet Breaking News

Penn Vet, Dr. Karin Sorenmo, Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program

Dr. Karin Sorenmo's Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program is featured in The New York Times Science section. This program provides care to shelter dogs with mammary tumors. The dogs are homeless and don't have access to the care they need to survive. By providing care, Dr. Sorenmo is also studying the similarities of breast cancer between dogs and women. She is looking at the early molecular alterations associated with tumor development and progression.

Learn more about the Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program...

My Special Girl and her coltWith the world watching, New Bolton Center's mare, My Special Girl, gave birth to a colt at 9:22pm on Saturday, March 29, 2014, at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. The grey foal weighed 104 pounds and measured 39.5 inches from crown to tail.

The birth was broadcast via a Foal Cam, a first in the history of Penn Vet. The live feed from My Special Girl’s stall in New Bolton Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was available at www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam, beginning February 26. Since then, more than 133,000 people in 112 countries have tuned in to monitor the mare and await the birth of the foal. 

Read about the birth of My Special Girl's colt...

Download high-resolution photos...

Learn more about Foal Cam...

Tools for the Media


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  • Penn Vet, press releasesPress Releases Get the latest news on what's happening at Penn Vet. » Press Releases...
  • Faculty Experts Penn Vet can connect members of the media with sources who can comment on timely issues related to veterinary medicine, as well as groundbreaking research in cancer, infectious diseases, regenerative medicine, neuroscience, and much more. » Meet our faculty...
  • Photography and Video Here's where you can get access to video and photography of Penn Vet's hospitals, research labs, centers, faculty, and students. » Browse photos and video...
  • Penn Vet, publicationsPublications One of the best ways to learn about what's going on at Penn Vet is to scan our publications – from Bellwether Magazine to the Penn Vet Research Newsletter. » View the list...
  • Penn Vet in the News Here's Here's a list of news articles and posts about Penn Vet. » View the list...
  • Penn Vet Facts and Terms Founded in 1884, Penn Vet originally grew out of the medical school. Now with our emphasis on research, clinical expertise, and education, we collaborate with many schools at the University of Pennsylvania. » Learn about our two campuses, and everything we do...
  • Events at Penn Vet From research conferences and lectures to student picnics, we have it all. » View the Penn Vet Events Calendar...

Contact Penn Vet

Members of the media should contact:

Ashley Berke
Director of Communications
berke@vet.upenn.edu
215-898-1475

John Donges
Communications Coordinator
jdonges@vet.upenn.edu
215-898-4234

Louisa Shepard
Communications Specialist for New Bolton Center
lshepard@vet.upenn.edu
610-925-6241

Follow Penn Vet

  • Dr. Dan Morris, head of Ryan Hospital's dermatology service, talks about effective flea and tick prevention for pets.

    http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/sandy_bauers/20140413_GreenSpace_Chemicals-on-pet-collars-affect-children.html


    GreenSpace: Chemicals on pet collars can affect children
    www.philly.com
    Got fleas on your cat? Ticks on your dog? In deciding on a treatment - and yes, you do want to treat these little varmints - not all chemicals are equal.
  • Last year at Easter, Elvis licked a lily and became dangerously ill. Doctors at the Ryan Hospital saved his life with dialysis and, ultimately, a kidney transplant.

    Read Elvis' story: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/publications/penn-vet-extra/penn-vet-extra---may-2013/the-nearly-lethal-lily

    Learn more about the dangers of Easter lilies to cats: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/press-releases/article/penn-vet-reminds-pet-owners-to-protect-cats-from-lethal-lilies

  • Do you have a service dog?

    Ophthalmologists at Ryan Hospital are conducting free eye exams for service dogs May 6, 8, 12-16, and 21. Register your dog at www.ACVOeyeexam.org by April 30.

    Learn more about the eye exams: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/press-releases/article/penn-vet-ophthalmologists-offer-free-eye-exams-for-service-dogs

  • Penn Vet is pleased to announce that Dr. Brittany Watson is joining us as the new Director of Shelter Animal Medicine. Welcome, Dr. Watson!

    http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/press-releases/article/brittany-watson-joins-penn-vet-as-director-of-shelter-animal-medicine

  • Watch Dr. JD Foster on CBS3 with Carol Erickson talking about the kidney dialysis service at Penn Vet's Ryan Hospital!

    http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/10048738-ask-the-vet-kidney-dialysis-in-pets/

  • The Robert Abady Dog Food Co., LLC Recalls "Abady Highest Quality Maintenance & Growth Formula for Cats" Because of Possible Health Risk

    The Robert Abady Dog Food Co., LLC of Poughkeepsie, NY, is recalling its 2 lb, 5 lb & 15 lb boxes of "Abady Highest Quality Maintenance & Growth Formula for Cats" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

    http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm392618.htm
  • Thanks to the participation of Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. in a nationwide Groupon event, Socks, Canine Officer for the University of Pennsylvania Police Department, will be receiving a bullet and stab protective vest!

    http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/news-and-events/socks-canine-officer-for-the-university-of-pennsylvania-police-department-will-be-receiving-a-ballistic-vest-thanks-to-a-nationwide-groupon-event

  • And the winner is...New Bolton Pioneer, Boone for short! New Bolton Pioneer will serve as the colt’s formal “show name,” with Boone as his less formal “barn name.” We offered eight names to choose from during the week-long contest, and Boone was the clear winner. Of the 2,968 votes cast online, New Bolton Pioneer/Boone received 874 votes. New Bolton Zenith/Zeno, came in second with 550 votes. The other names, in order of popularity, were: New Bolton Equuleus/Stellar; New Bolton Newsworthy/Scoop; New Bolton Original/True; New Bolton Peerless/Tip-Top; New Bolton High-Tech/Scope; New Bolton Broadcast/Signal. Pictured is New Bolton Center's Dr. Rose Nolen-Walston, who will adopt Boone. To read more go to: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/press-releases/article/winning-name-chosen-for-foal-cam-colt

  • My Special Girl's colt is thriving. Our guy is very playful, as captured on this video. He is eating well and gaining weight and strength. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2zbGXkimNg&feature=youtu.be

    Today is the last day to vote on his name! Click the blue "Cast Your Vote" button on the Foal Cam page: www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam.


    Foal Cam Colt April 5
    My Special Girl's colt was born a week ago with the world watching on the New Bolton Center Foal Cam. The colt and his mother are both doing very well. They ...
  • Veterinary students from across the country learn about raptor training at the Special Species Symposium this weekend. The Symposium was run by Penn Vet students.

  • Day Two of the Special Species Symposium is in full swing! Dr. La'Toya Latney leads a Reptile Handling lab for students.

  • Penn Vet alum Dr. Colin McDermott is featured on the Huffington Post! Dr. McDermott now works at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The Aquarium has recently opened up its medical facilities to visitors. The tours give the public a better understanding of the type of work the staff vets perform at the aquarium, from anesthetizing macaws to giving check-ups to sharks!

    Read more about Dr. McDermott: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/03/national-aquarium-tours_n_5083873.html

    The photo is of Dr. McDermott while he was an intern at Penn Vet, feeding a chinchilla.

  • Penn Vet students are running a Special Species Symposium this weekend! Over 80 veterinary students from around the country are participating in lectures and wet labs that cover a range of topics on wildlife, birds, reptiles and small mammals. Here, veterinary students learn dental techniques for ferrets.

  • The March BreastCancer.org podcast features Michele Pich, Ryan Hospital's grief counselor. Michele talks about how pets provide comfort and how the therapy animal world has expanded beyond dogs: http://www.breastcancer.org/community/podcasts/pets_20140327

  • With Easter coming up, Penn Vet wants to remind you that Easter lilies are toxic to cats. One lick can result in kidney failure!

    The Ryan Hospital is the only veterinary teaching hospital in the nation offering hemodialysis and kidney transplantation under one roof.

    http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/press-releases/article/penn-vet-reminds-pet-owners-to-protect-cats-from-lethal-lilies

  • Seven of the dogs at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center had a photo shoot yesterday, including one of the newest pups, this sweet girl named Felony!

  • Dr. Wilfried Mai has been named one of the 15 Top Vet Radiology Professors by Vet Tech Colleges! Congratulations, Dr. Mai!

    http://www.vettechcolleges.com/blog/top-veterinary-radiology-professors

  • Thank you for watching our mare My Special Girl prepare and give birth to her colt on the New Bolton Center Foal Cam. It’s been a great adventure, but the time has come to turn off the camera. The live feed will end today at 2 p.m. EDT, and we will provide a video of the birth in its place. The pair will soon be moving to New Bolton’s Hofmann Center on our beautiful 700-acre campus. But you can continue to follow their lives through our Baby Book blog. Simply cast your vote to name our colt and you’ll receive access to the blog, which we will be updating regularly as our colt grows up. It’s been a remarkable journey. Thank you for your support and many wonderful comments, questions, and ideas.

  • My Special Girl's colt had an important examination today. While his vital signs and prognosis are good, he does have four fractured ribs on his right side, said Dr. Jonathan Palmer, Chief of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Penn Vet New Bolton Center. It is not uncommon for foals to fracture ribs while coming through a narrow birth canal. As a result, My Special Girl and her colt will stay in the NICU at least until Monday to allow his ribs to heal. To read more go to: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/veterinary-hospitals/NBC-hospital/services/neonatal-intensive-care/foal-cam/about-our-colt

  • Dr. Rose Nolen-Walston met her colt yesterday. She was delighted. "I think he's a lovely looking very masculine bay colt, with a gorgeous head, delicate muscle, and a big, kind eye, and nice straight legs," she said. "You can already tell he's going to be an athlete."

    Dr. Nolen-Walston chose the eight names in our Foal Naming Contest. Want to help choose his name? Go to our Foal Cam page www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam.

  • Dr. Karin Sorenmo's Shelter Canine Mammary Tumor Program is featured in today's New York Times Science section! http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/31/by-treating-dogs-helping-humans/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1

    This program provides care to shelter dogs with mammary tumors. The dogs are homeless and don't have access to the care they need to survive. By providing care, Dr. Sorenmo is also studying the similarities of breast cancer between dogs and women. She is looking at the early molecular alterations associated with tumor development and progression.

    Learn more about the program here: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/veterinary-hospitals/ryan-veterinary-hospital/services/comprehensive-cancer-care/cancer-research/canine-mammary-tumor-program

  • Help us name My Special Girl's colt!

    Enter our Foal Naming Contest on the Foal Cam page: www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam. Simply vote for your favorite name! Each name includes a formal "show name" along with a less formal "barn name" in parentheses.

    You'll gain access to our free Baby Book blog so that you can continue to follow the life of our colt. You can only vote once, so choose wisely! Voting ends on April 7, 2014.

  • My Special Girl and her beautiful colt are having a happy morning today. Both are doing very well. Thank you for your wonderful comments about mom and colt, and your interest in Penn Vet New Bolton Center. We will be announcing our naming contest today, so stay tuned. You can watch the pair live at www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam.

  • Good Morning to My Special Girl and her special boy! As dawn breaks on this rainy day, our colt is up and nursing well. Like all babies, he will eat and sleep a lot. My Special Girl is a very attentive mother. You will see her standing over him as he sleeps and encouraging him when he nurses. You can watch them on our live Foal Cam at www.vet.upenn.edu/foalcam for at least the next two days. Thank you for sharing this experience with us!

  • Read more about the birth of My Special Girl's colt! There are stats on the colt and Foal Cam listed. Dr. Jonathan Palmer and Dr. Regina Turner also comment on the birth process.

    http://www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-and-events/press-releases/article/colt-born-at-penn-vet-s-new-bolton-center-with-world-watching-on-foal-cam

  • Dr. Palmer decided to tube-feed the colt colostrum to make sure the foal gets the nutrition he needs before he is three hours old. The colt has not successfully nursed on his own. Dr. Palmer is hoping the colt will nurse on his own soon.

  • Dr. Emilie Setlakwe, Resident, is helping our colt learn how to nurse. My Special Girl calls out to him, and nudges him along with her nose.

  • Here's our baby boy standing.

  • Our colt weighs 104 pounds. My Special Girl weighed 1,227 pounds. She weighed 1,380 pounds this morning.

  • Dr. Dan Morris, head of Ryan Hospital's dermatology service, talks about effective flea and tick prevention for pets. http://t.co/xzjXnh8HwU
  • Easter lilies are toxic to cats. Learn more about the dangers: http://t.co/IDjCZf8Pf6
  • Do you have a service dog? Penn Vet ophthalmologists are conducting free eye exams for service dogs in May: http://t.co/rCkQS7oeXo
  • Dr. Brittany Watson is joining Penn Vet as the new Director of Shelter Animal Medicine. Welcome, Dr. Watson! http://t.co/Uagyb4QZDB
  • Watch Dr JD Foster on CBS3 with Carol Erickson talking about the kidney dialysis service at Penn Vet's Ryan Hospital! http://t.co/arfB0zHzSZ

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