The Oregon Veterinary Medical Association honored Dr. Franklin for his service to the veterinary profession at its annual conference in Corvallis last weekend.
Dr. Robert Franklin received the Meritorious Service Award, the Association’s highest honor. Franklin is board-certified in internal medicine and owns Oregon Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Beaverton.
He has served five years on the OVMA’s executive board and one term as president, in 1998. While Franklin has made numerous contributions to the association, his most significant contributions are in the area of animal welfare. Under his leadership, the organization helped change Oregon law regarding dogs chasing and killing livestock. Such dogs are no longer sentenced to death.
Franklin also brought more OVMA attention and focus on legislation addressing animal abuse and neglect, such as working toward legislation that made it a Class C felony for harming or killing an animal.
He also initiated an independent examination of Keiko, the Orca housed at the Oregon Coast Aquarium who wound up in the heart of a dispute between the whale’s primary veterinarian and aquarium officials.
Franklin has served on the board of directors for several organizations, including the Delta Society, and will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine later this year.
