Jeanne Lofstedt will receive a life membership to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).
The Benoni, South Africa-born Lofstedt has held various leadership positions at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) in P.E.I., and volunteer positions in various veterinary organizations, including the CVMA.
In her hometown, she spent summers on the sheep and dairy farms of close relatives and had the influence of a veterinarian uncle, as well as the opportunity to volunteer at a mixed animal practice during high school.
In 1975, Lofstedt received her bachelor of veterinary science degree with honours from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and was the student with the highest academic standing overall.
She moved to Prince Edward Island in 1987 to assume a faculty position at AVC, where she is currently professor of large animal medicine in the department of health management.
Lofstedt plans to join her husband, Rob Lofstedt, also a veterinarian, in retirement in January 2018.
The CVMA also awarded David Condon with its Small Animal Practitioner Award for his compassion towards the animals in his care and his dedication to the student veterinarians he mentors and supervises.
Condon, who grew up on a small family farm in P.E.I., developed a strong interest in veterinary dentistry and devoted a significant portion of his time pursuing continuing education in this area.
He was instrumental in the formation of the student chapter of the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry for Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) students, hosts dental wet labs for the students at his clinic, and offers lunch lectures on veterinary dentistry at AVC.
Condon and his wife, Lisa, travel with the Peter Emily International Veterinary Dental Foundation to provide free veterinary dental care to captive large cats like tiger and lions.
“Perhaps most noteworthy are the students who report that they leave their rotation at the Abegweit Animal Hospital feeling more confident in their skill set and ready to practice independently,” said Leigh Lamont of the University of Prince Edward Island.
“That is high praise indeed.”
