Dr Louis Liu, Secretary General of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association (BJSAVA) and Vice President of the China Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is this year’s recipient of the 2024 World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Award for Global Meritorious Service. It will be presented to him by WSAVA President Dr Ellen van Nierop at this year’s WSAVA World Congress which takes place in Suzhou, China, from 3-5 September 2024.
Dr Liu will receive the award in recognition of his huge contribution to the advancement of the veterinary profession in China and his commitment to increasing collaboration between Chinese veterinarians and their colleagues around the world. His efforts will culminate in September when WSAVA World Congress takes place in China for the first time. Dr Liu is chair of the WSAVA’s Congress Local Host Committee for the event which will draw delegates from around the world to Suzhou.
Dr Liu has been a leading figure in the companion animal veterinary profession in China for three decades. An early advocate of the importance of veterinary associations, he co-founded the BJSAVA, carrying out eight years of preparation before it was officially established in 2008. The first legally registered local industry association of its kind in China and the most influential, he served as the BJSAVA’s inaugural president and has held leading roles in the association ever since. Both the association and its annual congress are key platforms for continuing education and networking in companion animal veterinary medicine in China.
Under Dr Liu’s leadership, the BJSAVA joined the WSAVA in 2004, enabling Chinese veterinarians to start to collaborate with their global peers. The BJSAVA was also a founder member of the Federation of Asian Small Animal Veterinary Associations (FASAVA) in 2005, hosting the fifth FASAVA Congress in Beijing in 2014, an event attended by more than 5,000 veterinary professionals.
Dr Liu has also championed animal welfare projects, including the BJSAVA’s stray cat neutering project, an initiative which had overseen the neutering of more than 100,000 cats by 2023, improving animal welfare and public safety in Beijing. Following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, he led a veterinary team to care for animals caught up in the disaster and to rebuild their habitat where possible. In 2010, he launched a voluntary association focused on the emergency management of animal and plant diseases in Beijing.
Dr Liu is also the co-founder and Vice President of the New Rui Peng Pet Healthcare Group, which runs more than 1,600 veterinary clinics across China. In 2021, he was awarded the prestigious title ‘Professor of Veterinary Medicine’ – the first time a non-government veterinarian in China has received this title and confirmation of his status as a pioneer of companion animal veterinary medicine in the country. He is also one of the first certified veterinary dental specialists in China and a member of the Chinese Dental Veterinary Specialty Assessment Committee.
Commenting, Dr Liu said: “My goal has always been to improve the standing of Chinese veterinarians and to advance our important profession. I am honored to receive this award and I accept it on behalf of all of my veterinary colleagues in China in recognition of the progress they have made in recent decades and the exciting connections they are now building with colleagues around the world with the support of the WSAVA.”
Dr Torren Stone, Vice Chair of BJSAVA, said: “My colleagues and I have seen Dr Liu’s tireless work to raise standards in our profession at first hand and are deeply appreciative of his achievements. His influence can be felt right across the sector, whether in terms of improved education, our increased involvement on the world stage or in supporting animal welfare. I am constantly inspired by his passion and sincerity and he is a worthy recipient of this award.”
WSAVA President Dr Ellen van Nierop added: “Dr Liu’s dedication and commitment to serving the veterinary community in China is exemplary. His long-standing involvement in professional associations, his leadership and his commitment to voluntary service are the qualities we seek to honor with this award. We hope that many young veterinarians will use the opportunities Dr Liu has created to keep advancing our profession in China to the benefit of companion animals and the veterinary teams that serve them. As a global association, we were particularly impressed by his determination that Chinese companion animal veterinarians should have the opportunity to build relationships with their international colleagues. The staging of WSAVA Congress in 2024 in China is a testament to Dr Liu’s commitment to this goal and we’re delighted to recognize his many achievements with the WSAVA Award for Global Meritorious Service.”
Congratulations to Dr. Liu on this incredible achievement!