We are thrilled to formally announce that the Zoo and Aquarium All Hazards Partnership (ZAHP) is moving to the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV)! A ZAHP Operations Committee has been established by AAZV Leadership and Staff to develop a strategic plan for the longevity of the program under the organization, and to oversee the objectives set forth in the Cooperative Agreement that was put in place between the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and AAZV in late 2022.
ZAHP Operations Committee Members are as follows:
- Sharon Deem DVM, PhD, DACZM – Chair, AAZV Member
- Co-Chair: Gretchen Cole DVM, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM) – Co-Chair, AAZV Member
- Carrie Ulmer DVM – AAZV Member
- Jess Siegal-Willot DVM – USDA Liaison
- Carolyn McKinnie, DVM – USDA Authorized Departmental Officer’s Designated Representative (ADODR)
- Ashley Zielinski – ZAHP Director
About AAZV
The mission of the AAZV is to empower our members to advance our profession and enhance wild animal health, welfare, and conservation.
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, AAZV is the professional association for individuals and institutions who apply the principles of comparative veterinary medicine to zoo and wildlife species. With over 1000 members, we work in clinical zoo medical practices, diagnostic laboratories, reproductive and pathological laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and a wide range of governmental health and wildlife management agencies throughout the world.
AAZV is an umbrella organization that provides advocacy, collaboration and partnerships for combined efforts for sustaining and improving the well-being of wildlife in all habitats. The key functions of AAZV are producing the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (JZWM), coordinating an annual conference promoting the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge in the field of wildlife health, and the supporting the Wild Animal Health Fund.
AAZV Goals:
- Advancing the health and welfare of zoo animals and wildlife through global collaboration with veterinarians, other scientists, and organizations
- Promoting and funding scientific-based veterinary medicine through research, education, and the proactive dissemination of information
- Providing expertise on zoo animals and wildlife, including the development of procedures and policies that affect their health, welfare, and conservation
- Delivering quality professional development and member services
- Fostering positive interrelationships among humans, animals and their environment
- Elevating public awareness, respect, and trust for the profession