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Winter 2023

Animal health

Fall 2003

Petland owner started from the ground up

What happens when Fluffy dies?

David Bielski knows where the bodies are buried. “Samantha.” “Bubbles.” “Fluffy.” In fact, the owner-president of Petland Cemetery, Inc. lives on the grounds of the adjoining Fern Hill Cemetery, which has been in the family for three generations. The two cemeteries are situated above the Wishkah River on the north side of Aberdeen.

Bielski’s grandfather, Paul, started working at Fern Hill about 1924 after immigrating from Germany, and eventually acquired ownership. When he died in 1947, his son, Hans, purchased Fern Hill. Seeing a need, he and a monument builder founded Petland in 1973. In the beginning most of Petland’s … » More …

Winter 2001

Gorham earns award for animal disease research

John Gorham, longtime professor of veterinary microbiology and pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, received the Gold Head Cane Award in July. The award from the Hartz Mountain Corp. recognizes his landmark contributions to the epidemiology of certain animal diseases, some of which also affect humans.

Gorham is an international authority on slow-virus disease research in animals. He is perhaps best known for his 1953 co-discovery of the microorganism responsible for salmon poisoning in dogs and foxes.

In recent years, Gorham’s research group has worked on three fronts—developing a diagnostic test for scrapie in sheep; investigating the molecular biology, immunology, … » More …

Summer 2009

Living Large: In search of the elusive large animal veterinarian

Nearly 500 counties in the United States have large herds of cattle, but no veterinarians to care for them. Although veterinary student Sam Nielson claims that it’s the life of the large animal veterinarian that he’s after, not money, fewer and fewer feel that way, moving to other types of practices that offer both better working conditions and compensation. » More ...
Summer 2006

Uncommon access: Gaylord Mink shifts his focus from viruses to wild horses

Gaylord Mink, hunched over and quiet as a mule deer, picks his way through rugged rangeland near the center of the Yakama Indian Reservation.

Mink stops, straightens, and scans toward Dry Creek Elbow in the distance. Much closer, five wild horses lift their own heads to meet his gaze. They are all well within range.

The small band’s stallion snorts a warning as the nervous mares and a colt seem anxious to bolt. Mink snorts back, and the stallion circles even closer to take up the challenge, dragging his wary entourage in his wake.

Mink is a hunter who doesn’t pack a gun. He shoots … » More …

Spring 2008

A new life for Winnie

Though she’s only three, Winnie the grizzly bear has already seen some rough times. Her mother left her last year. And when hunger drove her into a Yellowstone campground, park service employees did their best to haze her and scare her off. Eventually she was trapped and moved miles away. But after she found her way back to the campgrounds—twice—she was carted off to a concrete den 600 miles from home.

As the newest, and wildest, member of the Bear Center at Washington State University, Winnie is struggling to adjust to a different life.

Winnie’s story started in the summer of 2006, when she was … » More …

Summer 2008

Donors bring hope—and wags

Jacob the Greyhound, a five-year-old dog belonging to a Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital surgeon, is a regular blood donor at WSU. Because of his size, he’s able to provide 450 milliliters, or about two cups, of blood for the treatment of other ailing canines.

One afternoon this winter we followed Jacob through the donation process. He was content to nibble dog snacks while the students led him, tail wagging, into a small room and prepared him for a blood draw. They lifted him onto a cushioned table, shaved a spot on his neck, and tapped into the jugular vein. He lay still while … » More …

Summer 2008

A gift toward animal health

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $25 million to Washington State University toward the construction of a research building that will become the centerpiece in the new School for Global Animal Health. The new facility will provide modern research space on the Pullman campus to support global animal health research. WSU is recognized internationally for research focused on preventing transmission of animal pathogens. “You cannot identify a healthy human population in which the animals are not also healthy,” says Warwick Bayly, dean of WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Humans are inextricably linked to their animals. Solving the challenge of global poverty is not … » More …