Massachusetts VMA – November 3, 2024

The Massachusetts VMA (MVMA) held a celebration on November 3 in Northampton to honor the recipients of its Distinguished Service and Merit awards.

Dr. Lauren Atkins

Dr. Lauren Atkins (Georgia '07), Holyoke, won the Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of her exemplary service and dedication to the veterinary profession, animals, and organized veterinary medicine locally and nationwide. Dr. Atkins is the founder of Paws Finding Peace, an at-home euthanasia service. She previously practiced shelter medicine in Massachusetts and served as a relief veterinarian. Dr. Atkins is a member of the MVMA Animal Welfare Committee and Government Relations and Advocacy Committee and has served as Massachusetts' delegate to the AVMA House of Delegates.

Dr. Lori Gordon

Drs. Lori Gordon (Kansas State '89), Atkinson, New Hampshire; Lorna Grande (Tufts '90), Richmond; and Julie Kopser (Tufts '93), Hollis, New Hampshire, won the Merit Award. Dr. Gordon is the medical director at Wolf Hollow, an animal sanctuary and educational center in Ipswich. She also serves as a veterinary specialist with Massachusetts Task Force 1, one of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's urban search and rescue teams. Earlier in her career, Dr. Gordon founded Veterinary Surgical Care Inc., a mobile surgical practice serving New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She was honored for her leadership at the local and national level to safeguard animal health and for her passion in educating students.

Dr. Lorna Grande

Dr. Grande serves as the program director of education and outreach for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Alliance. She previously worked in the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Dr. Grande is the founder of the Human/Animal Violence Education Network, raising awareness about the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence. She also established PupQuest.org, an educational website to guide consumers on where to get a dog and where not to get a dog. Dr. Grande was honored for her lifelong dedication to protect and support animals and humans through education, legislation, and service.

Dr. Julie Kopser

Dr. Kopser has worked at Countryside Veterinary Hospital in Chelmsford for 30 years. She also serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the ultrasound teaching laboratory at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kopser was recognized for her outstanding commitment to pets and pet owners and for her passion and dedication to educating the next generation.

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