NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
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Dr. Patricia Lechten, a veterinarian in Barrie, Ontario, has received the 2021 Outstanding Veterinarian Award from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. The award recognizes a veterinarian’s outstanding contributions to the profession and animal welfare.
Dr. Lechten is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. For the past 30 years, she has dedicated her career to improving the health and well-being of companion animals as practice owner of Allandale Veterinary Hospital in Barrie, Ontario.
“Dr. Lechten has inspired many of the veterinarians and veterinary staff around her with her enthusiasm and charisma,” says colleague Dr. John Brajkovich. “She takes on challenges with both hands and has a tremendous amount of confidence and passion for veterinary medicine.”
She is an active advocate for the profession and animal welfare, serving on the boards for Canadian Golden Retriever Rescue and the Global Alliance for Animals and People. She has also held several roles with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, including serving six years on CVO Council and as the college’s president in 2019.
Dr. Lechten volunteers with several animal rescue groups and donates veterinary care to COPE Service Dogs, the Ontario SPCA and the local hospice centre’s live-in pet. She has also organized and participated in numerous spay, neuter and vaccination missions in Honduras, Guatemala and Jamaica, and in First Nations reserves to help underserved communities.
She also regularly gives back to her community by fundraising for the local food bank, preparing meals for the Barrie Out of the Cold program, supporting local sports teams and the arts, and by sponsoring children all over the world to help with their education.
“Dr. Lechten is very humble about the phenomenal work she does, the wonderful care she provides, her work in the community and her selfless commitment to her team, her patients and their families,” says Trevor Roberts, COPE Service Dogs executive director. “In our opinion, she is the veterinarian of the year.”
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