Dr. Shawn Llewellyn, dedicated animal advocate, has been honoured with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s (CVMA) Humane Award.
“We are pleased to honour Dr. Shawn Llewellyn with the CVMA Humane Award for providing veterinary care that transcends simple medical assistance,” said Dr. Nicole Gallant, 2015-16 CVMA President.
Llewellyn is the Board President of Paws for Hope Animal Foundation, a not-for-profit organization supporting pets of the homeless and low-income throughout British Columbia. Through Paws for Hope, he works directly with vulnerable community members and their pets, providing veterinary care and support through free animal health clinics.
Since 2014, Llewellyn has been a member of the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia’s Animal Welfare Committee, which acts as a voice on animal welfare matters in the province and helps influence legislative and bylaw changes.
He is also a member of a committee formed to explore the health and welfare concerns of animal importation and its possible subsequent public health and safety issues.
Llewellyn is a practising veterinarian and partner at Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital in Surrey. In 2004, he graduated with an Animal Science degree from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture, and he received the Governor General’s Academic Medal that year. Graduating from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) in 2008, he co-founded its annual Animal Welfare in Practice conference, and was the recipient of the Christofor Award in Animal Welfare.
He began his veterinary career working as a receptionist at a local clinic while in high school in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. He studied molecular biology with a focus on the genetic basis of scrapie disease in sheep as an undergraduate. While at UPEI, he attended Cornell University’s Leadership Program for Veterinary Students, and was a representative on the University’s Student Union and President of the Veterinary College’s Student Council.
Llewellyn is an individual who is making a significant impact on the health and welfare of companion animals, especially amongst high-risk, low-income, transient, and homeless populations,” said Dr. Ko Arman, Director, CVMA – Society of British Columbia Veterinarians Chapter Board of Directors.
“He plays a vital role in improving and ensuring the health of these animals and, by extension, the health and welfare of these owners.”
The CVMA Humane Award, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, recognizes leadership in the care and well-being of animals. This award is presented to a veterinarian whose work is judged to have contributed significantly to the welfare and well-being of animals.