Nominees and Adjudicators Announced for the 2015 Virtual Adjudication Event

The Urban Animal Virtual Adjudication Event will be held on June 25th. Five nominees will be attending the event; read about the merit discussions they are bringing forward here.

• Innovation Showcase Scholarship:
• Cedar Santanna with The NASH Project
• Camille Block with The Animal Abuse Defense Registry
• Keryn Duncan with SALI’s Farm
• Emerging Leader Scholarship:
• Darlene Grady Lunn with Marley’s Hope
• Research Poster Scholarship:
• Tyler Flockhart with Feline Overpopulation
• Janet Cutler with Socialization in Puppies

Scholarship recipients are awarded a full delegate package to attend and present at the 2015 Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in Alberta on October 14-17. Scholarships are valued at up to $2,700 and include Summit registration fees, meals, gratuities, accommodations, and up to $550 in travel subsidies.

The Virtual Adjudication Event will be presided over by four leading professionals. Each has a broad understanding of the history and experience of people and pets in our communities. The 2015 Adjudicators for the Virtual Adjudication Event are:

Line Champagne, CMA, FCMA, Urban Animal Adjudicator, Mentor

Ms. Champagne is an Urban Animal mentor, and professional accountant with a 35 year career spanning private and public sectors. She recently retired from a distinguished career with the Executive Cadre of the Federal Public Service. Ms. Champagne was the President of the Society of Management of Nova Scotia, a former member of the CKC Finance and Audit committee and a well known world class breeder of Standard Schnauzers.

Dr. Carlton Gyles, DVM, PhD, University of Guelph, Urban Animal Adjudicator

Dr. Gyles came to Canada in the late 1950s and spent his career as a professor, researcher, and mentor at the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Gyles also held administrative positions including Department Chair, Associate Director of the Canadian Institute for Food Safety, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Interim Dean of the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Gyles studied E. coli for most of his career and he was one of the first people to identify how a toxin produced by E. coli could cause illness in swine.

In 2006, Dr. Gyles was named the OVC Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumnus. Dr. Gyles is also the recipient of the Roche Diagnostics/CSM Award which is considered to be the highest honor of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. He has been a strong contributor to scholarly literature, is the Editor-in-Chief of of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, and is the co-editor of a textbook on bacterial pathogenesis.

Mary Lou Leiher, Urban Animal Adjudicator, Mentor

Ms. Leiher works with Toronto Animal Services and is the Board Secretary for the Association of Animal Shelter Administrators of Ontario. She was an Urban Animal Nominee in 2014 for launching the Blue Paw Pet Licensing Rewards program. This program provides exclusive offers and discounts on pet-related products and services to owners who license their cats and dogs. This program encourages communication throughout the pet community creating a more positive environment and experience for all pets and their owners.

Angela Poirier, Urban Animal Adjudicator, Mentor

Ms. Poirer is an Urban Animal mentor from her career as a senior policy analyst with the government of Nova Scotia. She received an Urban Animal Summit Award (Product/Service Innovation) in 2013 for kick starting the WOOF program (Working On Our Future), a partnership between the Department of Justice and the Nova Scotia SPCA where offenders help socialize dogs to increase their adoptability. Ms. Poirer has an extensive background in policy development and communications with a Masters in Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Adjudicators Announced for Atlantic Adjudication Event!

The Atlantic Adjudication Event will be presided over by four leading professionals. Each has a broad understanding of the experience of people and pets in our communities as well as the history to judge presentations from the Urban Animal Scholarship nominees. The 2015 Adjudicators for the Atlantic Adjudication Event are:

Line Champagne, CMA, FCMA

Ms. Champagne is an Urban Animal mentor, and professional accountant with a 35 year career spanning private and public sectors. She recently retired from a distinguished career with the Executive Cadre of the Federal Public Service. Ms. Champagne was the President of the Society of Management of Nova Scotia, a former member of the CKC Finance and Audit committee and a well known world class breeder of Standard Schnauzers.

Angela Poirier

Ms. Poirer is an Urban Animal mentor from her career as a senior policy analyst with the government of Nova Scotia. She received an Urban Animal Summit Award (Product/Service Innovation) in 2013 for kick starting the WOOF program (Working On Our Future), a partnership between the Department of Justice and the Nova Scotia SPCA where offenders help socialize dogs to increase their adoptability. Ms. Poirer has an extensive background in policy development and communications with a Masters in Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Cathy Prothro

Ms. Prothro is an Urban Animal mentor and advocate as well as  a Lifetime Member of CKC, having provided 30 years of service to the BSL, RDOG and Breeder Relations committees. She is a founder of the Dog Legislation Council of Canada and is a noted Breeder (Barbery Coast Amstaffs) and Breed Specialist for American Staffordshire Terriers.

Doug Roberts, DVM

Dr. Roberts is an Urban Animal advocate with an extensive background in his profession. He is a second generation Veterinarian, a Past President of the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association (NSVMA), a Past President of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and was a member of the Advisory Council of the Atlantic Veterinary College. He is an internationally known veterinarian with a passion for enriching the lives of people and animals in communities around the Cornwallis Veterinary practices and across Canada.

Adjudicators Announced for Pacific Adjudication Event!

The Pacific Adjudication Event will be presided over by four leading professionals. Each has a broad understanding of the experience of people and pets in our communities as well as the history to judge presentations from the Urban Animal Scholarship nominees.

Dr. Sarah Armstrong

Dr. Armstrong graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College (2007). During her time at the Ontario Veterinary College she participated in the Global Vets program and travelled to East Africa.  

Dr. Armstrong is currently a practicing veterinarian at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic and president of the CVMA SBCV chapter. Dr Armstrong is a registrant of the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia and is the president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Society of British Columbia Veterinarians Chapter.  

Dr. Susan Calverley

Dr. Calverley graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (1991) and currently practices small animal medicine at her clinic, Mission Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Calverley has a keen interest in animal rehabilitation and physiotherapy. In 2006 Dr. Calverley began pursuing an education in animal rehabilitation with the Canine Rehab Institute and became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist in 2009.

Dr. Calverley is also the owner and medical director of OrthoPets Canada, a company that manufactures custom orthotic and prosthetic devices for animals. She assists animals and their families across Canada with pain assessments and mobility evaluations. Dr. Calverley is a registrant of the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia and the International Veterinary Association of Pain Management.

Andrea McDonald   

Ms. MacDonald is the manager of Bylaw, Licensing and Animal Services for the City of Coquitlam. Ms. MacDonald worked in recreation and parks for 20 years before she was approached by the City of Coquitlam for the position of Manager of Bylaws, Licensing and Animal Services in 2004. Open to new opportunities, Ms. MacDonald accepted the position.

Along with Sarah Bull, Ms. MacDonald spearheaded the ‘Happy, Healthy Pet Relationships’ initiative; a collaboration that unifies service providers and brings community-wide support to all pet owners.

Steve Simmonds   

Mr. Simmonds is the manager of Animal Services for the City of Vancouver where he advocates for dog licensing and public education. Mr. Simmonds is the former Vice President of the License Inspectors and Bylaw Officers Association (LIBOA) of British Columbia; an organization that “strives to promote a high standard of inspection and enforcement services”.

Adjudicators announced for Western Adjudication Event

The Western Region Adjudication Event will be presided over by four leading alumni. Each has a broad understanding of the experience of people and pets in our communities as well as the history to judge presentations from the Urban Animal Scholarship nominees: 

Jerry Aschenbrenner, Retired, Alumni/Mentor 
Jerry Aschenbrenner graduated from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Training Depot as a member of Canada’s national police force and maintained a successful policing career for 21 years. He then began a second career with the Alberta Department of Justice. Working in the court system gave him a broader understanding of the judicial process. After two years in the Justice system Jerry began a third career managing Animal Services for the City of Calgary. 

Within a decade, his City of Calgary department became a model for Animal Services across North America. A drive-home program for lost animals, zero subsidies from municipal taxes and the ‘People for Responsible Animal Control’ (PRAC) program were elements of this success. Jerry resisted celebrity status, choosing instead to focus on serving the city that paid his salary. His crowning achievements were opening a modern Animal Services facility and accepting the first annual Summit for Lifetime Achievement from the Alliance for Urban Animals. 

Dr. Emery Cyfra, Alumni
Dr. Emery Cyfra has been with Animal Clinic West since it was established in 1981. Cyfra became interested in animals as he grew up on the family farm in Symons Valley, Alberta. Cyfra attended the University of Calgary and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He attended the University of Saskatchewan where he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree. For many years, Dr. Cyfra was also the Consulting Veterinarian to the City of Calgary Animal Services Dr. Cyfra is a member of the AVMA, CVMA, AAHA, and CAVM. 

Cheryl Herperger, Alumni 
Cheryl Herperger is a Senior Business Strategist and Team Lead for Community and Strategic Services at Animal & Bylaw Services for The City of Calgary. With the Prevention and Public Awareness portfolio, she is the lead of the Off-Leash Ambassador program. She also has a personal commitment to the program owning four dogs, Golden Retrievers Charlie and Bella and Labrador Retrievers Ginger and Levi. She believes "the walk" is the foundation of the relationships with our dogs and with the community. 

Cheryl presented the Ambassador program to Summit 2014 and it is being considered as a National Initiative for the Alliance for Urban Animals in 2015.

Barbara Walmer, Alumni
Barbara is currently the Department Head of Behaviour at the Calgary Humane Society, where she has been since 2002. With more than 15 years experience training dogs, Barbara has established a reputation as one of Canada's leading canine trainers and behaviour experts. 

Barbara holds the unique distinction of being one of only four Canadians who has earned the title "Certified Behaviour Consultant Canine - Knowledge Assessed" through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). Her many other certifications include: Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT); Tellington TTouch Practitioner-2; and Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Certified Training Partner (CTP). 

In 2006, Barbara and her dogs assisted with the media launch of the HomeSafe™ Return to Owner system and establishment of the Alliance for Urban animals.