AMC Donor S ociety News FA L L 202 0
Living Legends Celebration On September 16th, AMC hosted its 2020 Living Legends event virtually to celebrate pets who have survived challenging medical circumstances thanks to the expertise of AMC’s clinicians and the dedication of their owners. Please visit: www.amcny. org/2020-living-legends/ to watch the celebration and hear about the recovery of these legendary animals as told by the AMC specialists who treated them. This year we were proud to honor Lola, an 11-year-old long-haired Pomeranian/Chihuahua who survived an extraordinarily rare brain surgery to remove a tumor, and Olive, a nine-year-old calico cat who survived the removal of a foreign body that had penetrated her heart sac causing a bacterial infection-a condition never seen before in felines. Additionally, AMC honored Dudley, the winner of this year’s Jackie Santi Flaherty Award for Courage. Dudley is a miniature grey Poodle who was hit by a truck in Central Park and was never expected to walk again; after a year of intense rehabilitation, Dudley is now fully mobile.
Lola
Olive
Although we were not able to gather in person this year, we are grateful for the technology that allowed us to come together virtually. Most importantly, we are grateful for our donors’ ongoing, generous support, which enables AMC to continue the work that makes these very stories possible. Dudley
A Message from Our President and CEO 2020 has been a challenging year for us, so we are especially grateful to our loyal donors, whose commitment to AMC remains steadfast. Despite the NYC shut-down last spring, as an essential service, AMC remained open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We established new protocols and procedures to keep our clients and our staff safe. As the weeks went by and the pandemic eased in the metropolitan area, we were able to bring back all 20 of our services, although we continue to limit entry to the building and to adhere to safety protocols. We are incredibly proud of our staff-our healthcare heroes-who rose to the occasion and whom we will be honoring at this year’s virtual Top Dog Gala on December 8th. To learn more about AMC’s response to the pandemic, visit: issuu.com/amcny/docs/ amc_covid_impact_report_final. Also impacted by the pandemic was our timeline for moving forward with the expansion and renovation of the hospital. Despite the pause caused by the shutdown of construction in the city, we fully intend to proceed with our capital plan, most likely beginning in the spring of 2021. This work is essential to the future of AMC and our ability to provide the best possible care for pets, to continue our research into new prevention and treatment methods, and to offer the best training for our postgraduates. We continue to fundraise for this project and if you are interested in learning more, I am happy to share details with you. Please contact the Development Department at Development@amcny.org to arrange a briefing. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, on behalf of the Board and staff of AMC, I want to express our sincere thanks for your continued generosity in support of our efforts. With warm regards,
Kate Coyne President and Chief Executive Officer
AMC Development Department can be reached at 212-329-8660 or Development@amcny.org.
Golden Paw Society Reception
President’s Council Event
On Wednesday, October 7th, we were pleased to bring together a group of Golden Paw Society and Ellin Prince Speyer Legacy Society members via Zoom for our annual reception to recognize their loyalty and support. In addition to hearing updates from President and CEO Kate Coyne and CMO, Dr. Katherine Quesenberry, participants had an opportunity to ask questions and share accounts of their personal experiences at AMC in the last months. For those who were unable to attend, please see Kate’s letter elsewhere in this newsletter to learn more about recent happenings at AMC.
Although we were unable to bring our President’s Council members together in person for dinner as we typically do each Fall, we were happy that so many joined us for our virtual event on October 13th. Following an initial welcome, guests attended one of four breakout sessions for which they had previously registered. Donors received important insights into Cancer Care from Dr. Ann Hohenhaus and Dr. Nicole Leibman, updates on Emergency/Critical Care and Anesthesia from Dr. Ann Marie Zollo and Dr. Melissa Smith respectively, and developments in Interventional Radiology/Interventional Endoscopy from Dr. Allyson Berent and Dr. Chick Weisse. Most importantly, they learned that even in the midst of the pandemic, AMC’s specialty services continue to pursue advances in veterinary medicine by conducting clinical trials to find new treatments and prevention methods; by training young veterinarians to enhance their skills; and by working collaboratively to provide animals in need with the highest quality and most effective care.
Many of our guests also joined us on Zoom later that evening for the Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education presentation, Caring for Your Senior Pet, which was presented by Dr. Carmella Britt, resident in Integrative and Rehabilitative Medicine. If you missed the presentation, or would like to see it again, visit: www.amcny.org/event/ caring-for-your-senior-pet/.
Virtual Top Dog Gala We are excited to be hosting our first ever virtual Top Dog Gala on Tuesday, December 8th, as we honor our own Healthcare Heroes with this year’s Top Dog Award. This award was created to recognize individuals for their unwavering commitment to AMC, as well as their fervent belief in the human-animal bond. Our very own staff members—in every department and at every level of the organizationhave been exemplars of both qualities throughout this challenging year. For more information about the Top Dog Gala, and how you can participate, visit: www.amcny.org/event/2020-top-doggala/.
Pre-Surgical Examination
Adhering to Safety Protocols in Lobby
Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, AMC’s Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education has been able to continue its popular monthly pet health event series online. Interest in attending has been very strong, with an average of over 100 participants per event, including our most recent, Holiday Pet Safety. If you missed this or any of our recent events, such as Caring for Your Senior Pet or Recognizing Medical Emergencies in Your Pets, they are available for viewing on our website: www.amcny.org/event-recap/#event. This summer, the AMC also launched a brand-new Vet Camp Online for children interested in learning about the veterinary profession. The first one-week session in July was such asuccess that we enrolled another group for a session in August.
Vet camper displays paw X-ray drawing.
AMC to the Rescue During National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week (November 1-7), AMC conducted a special campaign to raise funds for The Emma and Georgina Bloomberg AMC to the Rescue Fund. An outpouring of donor support enabled us to raise $25,000 for this critically important fund, which provides rescue groups with financial assistance so that pets in their care can receive specialty medical treatment—and increase their likelihood of finding a forever home. We are tremendously grateful to everyone who participated in the campaign. If you would like to learn more about some of the pets who have recently benefited from this fund, please visit: www.amcny.org/animal-shelter-and-rescue-appreciation-week-2020/. If you would like to make a contribution, visit: www.amcny.org/contribute.
Find Us on Social Media: facebook.com/theanimalmedicalcenter twitter.com/amcny instagram.com/amcny linkedin.com/company/the-animal-medical-center To learn more about the Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education, visit: amcny.org/usdaninstitute