AVMA Steve Dale Excellence in Veterinary Media Award given to Shojai
Amy Shojai received the AVMA Steve Dale Excellence in Veterinary Media Award July 15 during AVMA Convention 2023 in Denver.
Shojai is a nationally known authority on pet care and behavior as well as spokesperson for the pet products industry. She is a certified animal behavior consultant and a Fear Free certified trainer who began her career as a veterinary technician.
Since then, Shojai has authored more than 35 prescriptive nonfiction books on cats and dogs and a pet-centric fiction series. She has also published thousands of articles and columns in which she has addressed various topics on pets, including training, behavior, and the human-animal bond.
Shojai is the affiliate pet editor for ReadersDigest.com and a consulting writer for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. She also consults with several other companies in the pet product industry, including Merck Animal Health, Tidy Cats, Purina, and Pets Best. Not to mention, she pens the pet blog “Bling, Bitches, & Blood.”
She is a co-founder of the Cat Writers’ Association Inc. and a member of the Dog Writers Association of America.
Shojai established the Ask Amy YouTube channel and has appeared as a pet expert on Animal Planet’s “Dogs 101” and “Cats 101” series.
Last year, the AVMA established the award to honor the achievements of an individual who has contributed to the positive visibility of the veterinary profession by raising public awareness of the important and diverse roles that veterinarians play in every facet of the health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment.
Dr. Jim Humphries, an adjunct professor of media and communications at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, said “You could not find a more experienced person who creates and delivers outstanding content that is easily read, heard, and seen by pet lovers all over the country. I believe she truly embodies ‘Excellence in Veterinary Media’ more than anyone I know.”
A version of this story appears in the August 2023 print issue of JAVMA.