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Veterinary technician wins award

Danielle K. Simmons of Abington Veterinary Center was selected as the winner of the 2009 Outstanding Veterinary Technician of the Year Award, sponsored by Comfort Zone� with D.A.P.�. The award was presented during an awards ceremony at the American Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) annual conference in Oakland, Ca.

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Danielle K. Simmons an employee at Abington Veterinary Center, shown with her dog Floppy, was named 2009 Outstanding Veterinary Technician of the Year.

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The 2009 Outstanding Veterinary Technician of the Year Award, presented by Comfort Zone� with D.A.P.�, recognizes a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) who exemplifies the APDT spirit by demonstrating empathy for animals and humans and by meeting a variety of requirements set forth by the APDT Awards Committee.

Simmons is a certified veterinary technician in Pennsylvania with an associate’s of science degree in veterinary science technology from Johnson College. In 2007, she received a scholarship from the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians to attend the Veterinary Behavior Conference at the University of Georgia. She continues to study behavior and training and incorporate what she learns to benefit the patients that she works with at Abington Veterinary Center, where she is head technician and at For Paws and a Tail where she is a training coordinator. Simmons is also the president-elect of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Technicians Association.

“As a certified veterinary technician, my role is to be an advocate for my patients, and I take that role very seriously,” said Simmons. “I feel that working in the field of animal behavior is one of the most significant ways in which I can do that.”

In her winning essay, “Life with Floppy,” Simmons said, “After about a year of studying behavior, I came across a dog that I knew I could help. She was a one-year-old Labrador mix that was about to be euthanized at my clinic. She had been labeled an incurable fear biter. I felt an immediate connection to this dog and knew I had to act. I convinced the owner to give her to me and I have never looked back. It has been three years and not only do I have a truly wonderful companion, as well as a highly skilled agility dog, but what I have gained from owning this dog is immeasurable and will stay with me throughout my career as a veterinary technician, and throughout my life.”

Simmons currently shares her home with three cats, five dogs—including Floppy—and her husband Ben. She enjoys training and competing with her dogs in agility trials.