Healing and Rescuing
Robin kicks off the week by speaking with Dr. Christine Jenkins, the Chief Veterinary Officer for Zoetis, about the innovative 'Canines and Childhood Cancer' Study, which tests the healing power of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric cancer patients. Then, she’s joined by Manny Maciel, an all-star volunteer responder with American Humane Association’s Red Star team. Manny has deployed numerous times to disaster sites with the team and has many powerful stories to share!
BIO:
Dr. Christine Jenkins
Dr. Christine C. Jenkins leads the Zoetis, Veterinary Medical Services group responsible for customer support, adverse event reporting, and pharmacovigilance with responsibility as the Chief Veterinary Medical Officer for US Operations. Additionally, Jenkins oversees Academic and Professional Affairs team responsible for strategic partnerships with U.S. and Caribbean colleges of veterinary medicine, and other key industry associations. Jenkins also directs the U.S. philanthropy and corporate social responsibility strategy, which supports key outreach efforts including scholarship and internship programs. As a member of Zoetis U.S. Leadership Team, Jenkins works closely on the Commitment to Veterinarians™ platform—which offers support through training and education, research and development, and investments in the future of the veterinary profession.
Jenkins has more than 17 years experience in the animal health industry. Prior to joining Pfizer Animal Health/Zoetis, Jenkins was Director of Academic Affairs in the Global Veterinary Business Channel for Hill’s Pet Nutrition where she was responsible for support of the U.S. and Caribbean colleges of veterinary medicine and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited veterinary technician schools. Prior to joining Hill’s, Jenkins was a Technical Director in regulatory affairs at Merial Ltd. responsible for companion animal products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She began her career in animal health at Pfizer Animal Health as a technical services veterinarian and worked several years in regulatory affairs.
Jenkins received her BS degree in Animal Science from Florida A. & M. University and her DVM from Tuskegee University. She completed an internship at the University of Florida and a residency at the University of Tennessee in small animal internal medicine. She is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in Small Animal Internal Medicine and is a past-president of the ACVIM Foundation, Board of Directors. Dr. Jenkins serves on the Board of Directors for the One Health Commission and previously served 2 terms on the Board of Directors for CATalyst Council. Prior to joining industry, Dr. Jenkins was a tenured Associate Professor of Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee. Her previous academic interests included teaching internal medicine and a research focus in comparative gastroenterology and oncology.
Manny Maciel
Emanuel “Manny” Maciel is the director of animal control for the City of New Bedford, Massachusetts Police Department. Maciel has been a volunteer responder for American Humane Association’s Red Star™ Emergency Services since 2005. During his tenure as a responder with American Humane Association, he has been on 13 emergency deployments nationwide with the organization, in addition to several others with other animal welfare organizations. Recently, Maciel deployed twice to Moore, OK to assist American Humane Association with their emergency operations after a deadly EF-5 tornado devastated parts of that community. For his tireless dedication to helping animals in need, Maciel was bestowed with American Humane Association’s Humane Hero Award in 2013.