2015 Summit Award Winner - Individual Achievement

The Summit Award for Individual Achievement recognizes an individual who is currently active in the urban animal industry and is well regarded for their achievements to improve the experience of pets and people. Preference will be shown for those who actively mentor the development of leaders and professionalism in the industry. Our winner this year is…

Dr. Karen Becker

Dr. Becker wrote her first pet cookbook in 1999 after recognizing that people committed to nourishing their pets healthfully were short on “how to” resources. Her second cookbook, a collaboration with pet wellness coach Beth Taylor, was released in 2003. Real Food for Healthy Pets, volume 2 was released in 2009. The “Whole Dog Journal” awarded this cookbook the title of “Best Book on Home-Prepared Dog Food Diets on the Market.” The third edition was released in 2011.

Her passion for sharing healthy living options resulted in Dr. Becker joining forces with the third largest medical website and largest wellness website, Mercola.com, to provide a free pet wellness newsletter to pet lovers around the world. 

Karen Shaw Becker graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point majoring in Wildlife and International Resource Management in 1989. She received her degree in veterinary medicine from the Iowa State School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. Dr. Becker completed an exotic animal internship in California in 1997 and became certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and Homeopathy. 

Dr. Becker owns Natural Pet Animal Hospital, Feathers Bird Clinic and TheraPaw Rehabilitation and Pain Management Clinic, in Illinois. This is her 28th year as a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator, caring for over 200 wild animals a year through her non-profit Covenant Wildlife Rehabilitation center. 

Dr. Becker often lectures about species appropriate nutrition and has co-authored the Whole Dog Journal’s Best Homemade Diet Book of All Time award, “Real Food for Healthy Pets.” She has appeared on the hit show, Animal Planet, and is deeply honored to be named one of Chicago's Top Ten Vets, according to Chicago Magazine.

Dr. Becker is also the veterinary consultant for Mercola Healthy Pets, where over half a million passionate animal lovers receive her free wellness newsletter three times a week. This is the largest pet wellness website on the internet, with over a million monthly visitors. 

She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association; American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association; Association of Avian Veterinarians; Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians; Association of Wildlife Veterinarians; International Veterinary Acupuncture Society; American Association of Veterinary Acupuncturists; Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy; National Wildlife Rehabilitator's Association; International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care; International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management; American Association of Zoo Veterinarians.

Urban Animal is grateful to Pets Plus Us for sponsoring the 2015 Summit Awards.