WSAVA Interview – Cheryl Good DVM, Member of the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee
Dr Cheryl Good
Member of the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee
Could you introduce yourself briefly to our members?
I am a small animal private practitioner in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. I graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988 and started out working as an associate veterinarian in private practice before purchasing a veterinary hospital in 1995. It became the first female-owned veterinary hospital in the area. In 2003 I built a new hospital building and renamed the business Dearborn Family Pet Care. I am married, have three grown children and am looking forward to becoming a grandmother with two grandchildren on the way this Spring and Summer!
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What have you learnt from your involvement in veterinary associations during much of your career?
I have served several associations and not-for-profits organizations over the last few years. My first role was a Medical Director of a local animal shelter. I then joined the North American Veterinary Community’s Board of Directors and am currently Immediate Past President. I have always wanted to give back to my community, whether by helping people or animals in need. It was a natural progression for me to want to be involved in giving back to the veterinary community in whatever way I could. I have really enjoyed working with like-minded professionals and visionaries, who have expanded my depth of knowledge and allowed me to be a part of creating our future.
Tell us a little about the Veterinary Virtual Care Association which you helped to create.
I am a founding member of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association (VVCA), which is creating best practices and guidelines, as well as raising the standards for veterinary virtual care. I was approached by my good friend Mark Cushing with the idea of joining a group of amazing intellectuals to create an association that would be the place to go for all things surrounding virtual veterinary care and telehealth. I had been dabbling in telemedicine before COVID-19 but, since the pandemic, I have seen my telemedicine consults skyrocket. Telemedicine is an important tool used to help us take the best care of our clients and their pets.
Why did you want to get involved with the WSAVA’s Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (AWWC)?
Ever since I have been involved with the NAVC’s Board of Directors, I have met many veterinarians from all over the world who are members of the WSAVA. I was also Committee Chair for the NAVC’s International Committee which invites scholars from around the world to join us at VMX in partnership with the WSAVA. I have always been interested in different cultures and getting to know new friends from around the world.
I have always been involved in animal welfare through my work as a private veterinarian and as the medical director of our local animal shelter. Keeping animals, specifically pets, healthy and safe is my first priority as a veterinarian. I have worked with Dr Melinda Merck, past AWWC Co-chair, over the years and working with her helped to enhance my own knowledge of animal wellness and welfare. When the opportunity came up to join this Committee, I didn’t hesitate to pursue it!
What are the AWWC’s priorities for 2021?
We will be working to enhance our online presence, particularly through social media. We will also be working to raise awareness of our recently-published WSAVA Animal Welfare Guidelines and to address key welfare issues by working with other WSAVA Committees, forming external partnerships and developing position statements and standards. One of our priorities is our involvement, in association with the International Companion Animal Management Coalition, in the development of WSAVA’s new Spay-Neuter Standardization Committee’s Guidelines.
Why do you feel the WSAVA’s work is important?
There are so many reasons why the WSAVA’s work is important. Companion animals are so very important to the health and well-being of their owners or pet parents as seen in the One Health movement and through studies on the human-animal bond undertaken by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. The WSAVA, through its members from around the world, works to better the lives of companion animals and their owners. We are advancing companion animal welfare, providing CE for companion animal veterinarians globally and creating standards of care guidelines to help veterinarians to care for their patients. I am so honored to be part of this association!
Tell us something about you that may surprise us
Not many people know that I grew up playing the clarinet and piano. My extended family is very musical and I have relatives who have made music their career. My brother-in-law is a member of the Los Angeles Opera Company. I love going to the theatre to see musicals, plays, opera and have a real appreciation for the art of dance, painting, sculpture. My father was a medicinal chemist who also played clarinet and piano and collected oriental antiques and sold them as a hobby. Science and the arts go hand in hand!