Beste collega,

Als SAVAB lid ben je automatisch lid bij FECAVA. We wensen je dan ook de kerstwensen van FECAVA president Danny Holmes niet te onthouden.

Dear friends and colleagues in our veterinary community,
 
This is the time of year to take stock of FECAVA , and the challenges facing our noble profession. This has been a year where European society including the veterinary profession had to shoulder many economic challenges with high interest rates, reduced buying power of clients and the rising demands of increasing costs and salaries. The workforce shortages continue within an expanded marketplace leading to burn out and mental health issues.

Our role as your FECAVA Board is to face these challenges with energy and imagination. Our joint World/Eurocongress took place in Lisbon creating the largest joint congress ever, with a greatly expanded FECAVA Symposium.  We plan many changes and expansion to our education offering this coming year as we seek to expand with new Member Associations.  We will convene a Eurocongress again in Athens in September 2024. Our media team led by Andreja Kasteliceva continue to expand our reach to individual veterinarians with their insightful and novel use of communication channels. Our working groups produce visual aids on a wide range of clinical matters. We reach out to Specialists to bring you information you can trust. Politically, our Board attend  FVE, UEVP and EU events to give voice to companion animals veterinarians on issues such as medicines and animal welfare. FECAVA presented the first FECAVA Award at the PetCare Innovation Summit in Berlin to Dinbeat (TM) who we felt offered the best innovation supporting practices in the Vet-Client-Pet-Relationship.
Our website continues to evolve and to support you, the practising veterinarians, there is a mental health toolbox available. You can expect to see further developments this year.

Reading this back, I am pleased by our work. None of these activities would happen without the unwavering dedication of the Board - Ann Criel, Denis Novak, Stephan Neumann and our latest addition Dr. Bogdan-Alexandru Vitlaru. I must also mention our office manager Ulrike, who is the glue that keeps our organisation rolling and professional at all times.  As I step up to take over from Denis as President, I am aware of the big shoes I must fill. The man is a legend within the profession and was rightly awarded by the Royal College in London for his contributions this year. I hope I can leave FECAVA in as good a state after my tenure. What we do as volunteers is enabled by the contributions from you, our National FECAVA Directors and you, the individual veterinarians who support your national associations with your membership fees and commitment. We try to represent you well, and remember, you can drop us an email to info@fecava.org anytime if you would like to interact with us!

With this, I wish you a peaceful , happy and prosperous holiday season and New Year!
Danny Holmes 
FECAVA president