Award Recipients

Veterinary Community Award

The Veterinary Community Award was established to recognize individuals and organizations who have give outstanding service to animals in our community. Below are some of the recipients.

2005 Veterinary Community Award Recipient

Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship

Equest provides therapeutic sports riding classes and hippotherapy to over 200 clients every week. After being the first therapeutic riding program in Texas founded in 1981, they have become the largest non-profit therapeutic riding center in the state. Equest serves children and adults with all types of physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Equest has earned the respect of other therapeutic programs nationwide and is considered a national role model for therapeutic riding.

Their full-time staff currently has five NARHA certified instructors. The therapy staff is licensed and has advanced training in hippotherapy. Their staff is nationally respected for its expertise. Equest's program is about children and adults who reach beyond the confines of their disabilities because of the intervention of this special therapy team.

Physically, equine-assisted therapy takes disabled riders through complex series of movements on the horse, which consciously and unconsciously use all the body's muscles improving posture, balance and muscle control. Mentally, equine-assisted therapy increases concentration, improves sequential thought processing, increases the rider's ability to articulate emotions, and develops spatial awareness. Emotionally, equine-assisted therapy provides the opportunity for riders to bond with the horse, instructor, and volunteers, which assists in the development of trust. It is also effective in calming emotive outbursts and reinforcing appropriate behaviors. Socially, equine-assisted therapy nurtures a positive self-image. Disabled riders often experience independence for the first time in their lives. They also develop an awareness of being part of a team.

2004 Veterinary Community Award Recipient

Karen Bonds

When most people think of opossum, they imagine an animal with big teeth and a rat-like tail. When Karen thinks of opossum, she sees an animal that plays a vital role in the urban ecosystem keeping populations of roaches, snakes and rats in check.

While rollerblading late one cold February night in 1987 with the family dog, Karen Bonds came upon a tiny opossum that had been separated from its mother. Ever since, she has specialized in the opossum, rehabilitating wildlife with the primary objective of returning it to its natural habitat to safely coexist with man.

In her efforts, Karen spends several thousand dollars a year of her own money on food and veterinary bills to aid her cause. During spring it is not uncommon for Karen to have upwards of 150 opossum, mothers and babies included, staying at her house at a time. Although daily duties of animal laundry, poop scooping and the feeding of dead mice seem unpleasant to most, the feeling of satisfaction Karen receives returning and injured or orphaned opossum to the wild is well worth the sacrifices.

With her dedication of both finance and time Karen Bonds is a true example of what the Veterinary Community Award is about.

2003 Veterinary Community Award Recipient

Little Orphan Angels: Larry Erdman, Beth Erdman, and Kathi Harte

Little Orphan Angels Animal Rescue (LOA) is a non-profit humane animal organization dedicated to the rescue and adoption of companion cats and dogs, which are needlessly euthanized because they are homeless. In the past year, LOA has rescued over 500 animals from local shelters and from individuals and has provided them medical care, loving foster homes and ultimately a permanent adoptive home.

LOA also recognizes that rescue and adoption are only part of the solution to the problem of pet over-population and have created additional programs to help address this need. The first is education. They provide educational materials to the public about the plight of homeless animals and the need for responsible pet ownership and spay and neutering. LOA has teamed up with local schools to deliver this to elementary age children as well as during our weekly adoption events.

LOA’s second program is helping seniors and shut-ins who may have to otherwise give up an older animal by providing food and care to those animals. They are partnering with Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County to deliver pet food and provide medical care to those in need. Since its inception in December of last year, they have delivered over 5000 pet meals and helped raised donations to pay for medical treatment for deserving residents.

2002 Veterinary Community Award Recipient

Barbara Richardson, Founder of Homeward Bound Animal Rescue

Growing up in New York , her passion for helping those that couldn’t fend for themselves originated more than 15 years ago. In 1991, Barbara moved from New York to Texas in pursuit of a career opportunity. Here she met Skip, and was married in September of 1992.

After a three year sabbatical from the world of animal rescue, Barbara could be silent no longer and started Homeward Bound Animal Rescue (HBAR) in 1994. Most of the animals are pulled from shelters and animal control facilities just before their “time is up.” Utilizing foster homes, the animals are given medical and personal attention to ready them for adoption. Barbara has often taken on “special needs” cases and is always willing to go the extra mile. Many people have followed in her footsteps and multiple rescue organizations have been formed to help fight the battle for those who can’t fight for themselves.